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Christopher Awdry
Christopher Awdry
Christopher Awdry
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Christopher Vere Awdry (born 2 July 1940)[1] is an English author. He is best known for his contributions to The Railway Series of books featuring Thomas the Tank Engine, which was started by his father, Wilbert Awdry (1911–1997). He also produced children's books based on a number of other railways, as well as non-fiction articles and books on heritage railways. He was born at Devizes, the family moving to Kings Norton, Birmingham, when he was five months old. Awdry was educated at Worksop College, a public school in North Nottinghamshire.

Key Information

Christopher Awdry and The Railway Series

[edit]

Christopher Awdry is in a way responsible for the creation of Thomas and his railway, which started as a bedtime story told to him by his father during a bout of measles in 1942. When his father retired in 1972, he wrote several Thomas books himself. The series came to be called Thomas The Tank Engine & Friends after that.[2]

In 2006, the current publishers, Egmont Books, decided to reprint the entire series in their original form; the 14 books by Christopher were re-released at the beginning of August 2007. His favourite character is Toby.

The new interest from the publishers has gone beyond merely re-releasing the existing books. Christopher Awdry has written a new book for the series, titled Thomas and Victoria, which focuses on stories relating to the railway preservation movement. This, the 41st book in the series, was released on 3 September 2007. In April 2010, Egmont Books confirmed that another Railway Series book, No. 42 in the series, would be published in 2011.[3] The publication date was later confirmed as 4 July 2011, and the illustrator as Clive Spong.[4] It was published under the title Thomas and His Friends. This book would become the final book in the Railway Series to be published.

Other works

[edit]

In 2001, Christopher Awdry wrote six stories featured in two books concerning railway safety, which were distributed to every primary school and library in the country (Bad Days for Thomas and His Friends / More Bad Days for Thomas and His Friends). The train operator Virgin Trains produced a colouring book for young passengers based on the stories.

A series of six books has been produced featuring locomotives from the Eastbourne Miniature Steam Railway, and illustrated by Marc Vyvyan-Jones.

Bibliography

[edit]

References

[edit]
[edit]
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Christopher Awdry

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Christopher Awdry is an English author renowned for continuing , the beloved children's books featuring and other anthropomorphic locomotives on the fictional Island of Sodor, a series originally created by his father, the Reverend . Born on 2 July 1940 in , , Awdry grew up in a railway-enthusiast family with strong ties to the ; his father, a clergyman, first developed the stories in 1945 to entertain the young during a bout of . As a child, Awdry provided feedback that shaped the early narratives, insisting on consistency in the engines' behaviors and histories, which helped establish the series' enduring world-building. began authoring the series in 1983 during his father's lifetime and continued after Wilbert's death in 1997, writing sixteen volumes from Really Useful Engines (1983) to Thomas and the Railway Show (2011), introducing new characters like Derek the Diesel and Oliver the Western Engine while preserving the original tone and moral lessons about hard work and friendship. Beyond , which has sold over 201 million copies worldwide since its inception, Awdry has written approximately twenty other books, including works on railway history for adults and additional children's titles inspired by narrow-gauge railways. He pursued a career as a tax inspector for the while maintaining his passion for railways, often drawing from real-life inspirations such as Welsh narrow-gauge lines and preserved steam engines. Now retired and living with his wife in , Awdry remains involved in railway preservation efforts and has contributed to anniversary celebrations of the series, such as its 70th in 2015 and 80th in 2025 at the , as well as a 2025 publication Sodor: Reading Between the Lines, underscoring his lasting impact on a cultural phenomenon that has inspired generations through books, television adaptations, and theme parks.

Early life

Family background

Christopher Awdry was born on 2 July 1940 in , , . His parents were the Wilbert Vere Awdry (1911–1997), an Anglican clergyman and the creator of , and Margaret Emily Wale Awdry (1912–1989), whom Wilbert married in 1938. He has two younger sisters, Veronica and Hilary, completing a family of three children. When Christopher was five months old, the family relocated to Kings Norton, Birmingham, due to Wilbert's clerical posting as curate at St Nicolas Church, arriving amid the early stages of the Blitz. The clerical and literary pursuits of his father profoundly shaped Christopher's early environment, fostering a deep familial interest in railways inherited from Wilbert's own father, the Reverend Vere Awdry. From a young age, Christopher was exposed to model railways, a shared hobby that Wilbert pursued alongside his brother George. Additionally, during Christopher's bout of measles at age two, which confined him to bed, Wilbert began inventing improvised stories about anthropomorphic trains to entertain him, establishing a tradition of nightly storytelling that emphasized narrative consistency and directly influenced the development of The Railway Series. These tales drew from Wilbert's inspirations, including sounds heard near Wiltshire's Box Tunnel during his own childhood.

Childhood and education

When he was five months old, his family relocated to in the Birmingham area, where his father served as a at St Nicolas' Church. This early environment, combined with his father's passion, fostered Christopher's fascination with trains. At around age two, Awdry suffered from , confining him to bed and prompting his father, , to entertain him with improvised stories about anthropomorphic locomotives, which sparked his lifelong interest in railways. Influenced by his father's passion, Awdry received a wooden toy engine as a gift in 1942, further embedding railways into his play and imagination. Awdry attended , a public school in North , beginning around age 13 in 1953 and continuing until approximately 1958. During his school years, he developed a strong enthusiasm for railway history, often exploring related topics through reading and observation. By ages 15 or 16, Awdry expressed a keen desire to write, initially focusing on railway-themed fiction and historical accounts, inspired by his familial heritage and personal experiences with trains.

Writing career

Involvement with The Railway Series

Following the retirement of his father, , in 1972 after authoring 26 volumes of , Christopher Awdry assumed responsibility for continuing the series to preserve its legacy and integrity. Awdry expressed gladness at the opportunity, viewing it as a way to engage children with the stories during visits and talks. Awdry contributed 16 volumes to the series, numbered 27 through 42, beginning with Really Useful Engines in 1983 and concluding with Thomas and His Friends on July 4, 2011. The final volume marked the end of original contributions to the series and commemorated Wilbert Awdry's centenary, with its concluding story titled "Centenary." In his creative approach, Awdry maintained his father's established style, centering narratives on the fictional Island of Sodor, its anthropomorphic engine characters, and moral lessons derived from everyday mishaps. He collaborated closely with illustrator Clive Spong, whose artwork preserved the visual consistency of earlier volumes while adapting to new stories. Key themes included realistic depictions of railway operations, the causes and resolutions of accidents, and the importance of rules and authority, which Awdry believed provided structure appealing especially to young readers, including those on the autism spectrum. Representative examples feature the introduction of new engines such as , a preserved tank engine from the , and , a narrow-gauge engine rediscovered after abandonment, both emphasizing themes of preservation and redemption within Sodor's rail network. Awdry faced challenges in balancing his writing with a full-time career at the Inland Revenue, a civil service role involving tax administration, which limited his output and required him to write in his spare time. The 1984 television adaptation of the series, Thomas the Tank Engine & Friends, dramatically boosted its popularity, surprising Wilbert Awdry and providing financial stability that indirectly supported Christopher's continuation, though it also increased pressure from publishers to feature Thomas prominently in every volume. Despite these demands, Awdry prioritized authentic extensions of the original world, adding relatable characters—including more female engines in later works—to broaden the series' appeal.

Other children's literature

Christopher Awdry contributed short stories and illustrations to the and Friends annuals from 1985 through 1996, providing engaging railway adventures for young readers during the height of the series' popularity. These annuals featured original tales that expanded on the characters' escapades, often incorporating educational elements about and , and were published annually by Egmont to coincide with holiday seasons. In the realm of educational literature, Awdry authored Bad Days for Thomas and His Friends in 2001, a collection of three stories designed to teach railway through the mishaps of and his engine friends, such as near-misses and procedural errors on the tracks. Distributed to primary schools in the UK as part of a safety initiative by and partners, the book used simple, cautionary narratives to highlight real-world rail hazards like level crossings and signal failures, making complex safety concepts accessible to children. A follow-up volume, More Bad Days for Thomas and His Friends, continued this theme with additional stories in the same year. Awdry also created the Eastbourne Miniature Steam Railway series, comprising six published between 1996 and 1998, which drew inspiration from real miniature locomotives at the Eastbourne Miniature Steam Railway in . Illustrated by Marc Vyvyan-Jones, the series followed characters like , Rachel, and Oily in lighthearted adventures involving floods, races, and daily operations on a scaled-down railway, blending factual elements of miniature railroading with fictional escapades to foster interest in steam heritage. These books celebrated the charm of preserved railways while emphasizing themes of perseverance and community among the engines. Among his standalone works, Awdry penned Railway for Sale in 1989 as part of the Sarnglas Railway Series, a tale of a struggling heritage line facing closure and the efforts to save it through ingenuity and . Similarly, Luke Goes Flying (1990), the second in that series and illustrated by Jonathan Clay, depicted a narrow-gauge engine's unexpected aerial adventure, underscoring themes of bravery and railway lore for budding enthusiasts. These stories, along with his broader output from the 1980s to 1990s, targeted children aged 4 to 8 with straightforward plots, vibrant illustrations, and a focus on moral lessons tied to train operations.

Non-fiction contributions

Christopher Awdry's non-fiction contributions center on the history, preservation, and technical aspects of British railways, reflecting his lifelong enthusiasm cultivated through influences and personal experiences. Publishing primarily from the late through the via specialist presses like Patrick Stephens Ltd., Boxtree, and , these works target adult railway enthusiasts and often integrate autobiographical elements, such as childhood visits to heritage sites alongside his father, the Rev. W. Awdry, with rigorous details on specifications, operational timelines, and preservation initiatives. Over his career, Awdry produced more than 20 such books, alongside articles for railway magazines, emphasizing the cultural and of steam-era railways while advocating for their continued upkeep. In 2025, a 20th anniversary edition of his 2005 work Sodor: Reading Between the Lines was published, updating the guide to the fictional railway's inspirations from real British prototypes. Representative of his encyclopedic approach, the Encyclopaedia of British Railway Companies () compiles detailed entries on the origins, mergers, and operational histories of key firms, serving as a foundational reference for scholars and hobbyists tracing the network's development from the 19th century onward. Awdry extended this focus in his principal contributions to the Encyclopaedia of the Great Western Railway (1993), which meticulously documents the iconic broad-gauge system's engineering feats, , and pivotal events, blending technical data like engine designs with narrative insights into its enduring legacy. These volumes underscore Awdry's role in documenting Britain's railway heritage, providing quantitative context—such as fleet sizes and route mileages—only where they illuminate broader impacts on industrial and . Shifting to preservation efforts, Awdry's Steam Railways (1995) profiles ten operational steam branch lines in rural Britain, highlighting their scenic routes and restoration challenges while weaving in personal anecdotes from Awdry's family outings that mirrored the exploratory spirit of . Complementing this, Railways Galore: A Guide to Preserved Railways, Miniature Railways and Railway Museums in Britain and (1996), edited by Awdry, offers a practical directory of heritage sites, detailing access, exhibits, and to encourage public engagement with these living museums of technology. Such guides not only catalog engine types and track gauges but also emphasize the movements sustaining them post-Beeching cuts. Awdry's site-specific analyses include The Nene Valley Railway: A Past and Present Companion (2001), which juxtaposes archival images and facts about this preserved line's 19th-century origins with modern operations, illustrating adaptive reuse of infrastructure for . Culminating his major works, Sodor: Reading Between the Lines (2005) examines the fictional Sodor railway from , correlating its events and locomotives to real British prototypes and historical incidents, such as narrow-gauge preservations in that inspired family discussions during Awdry's youth. Through these publications, Awdry bridges factual railway scholarship with subtle autobiographical reflections, fostering a deeper appreciation for how real-world operations influenced imaginative storytelling.

Personal life

Immediate family

Christopher Awdry is married to Diana Awdry, reflecting a long-term that has supported his writing career. He has a son, Richard Awdry, and a daughter, each of whom has two children, resulting in four grandchildren; he also has a stepdaughter whose family lives nearby. Richard has contributed to preserving the legacy, including delivering lectures on the lore, such as "Sodor in 2025," while attending family commemorations like the 2025 unveiling for his grandfather . No further children are mentioned in available sources. Awdry's immediate family has provided support during his writing periods, including joint visits to promote the , and following Wilbert Awdry's death on 21 March 1997, Christopher and his family have been involved in managing the series' rights and legacy. Extended family relations include connections to his father's siblings and their descendants, though details remain limited. As of 2025, Awdry resides in , and his family maintains a low public profile.

Public views and interviews

In a 2015 interview with The Telegraph, Christopher Awdry defended against criticisms that it promoted social hierarchy and authoritarianism, arguing instead that the stories emphasize responsibility, resilience, loyalty, kindness, and community values, teaching children to be good citizens. He countered claims labeling Thomas as "sinister" by highlighting how the narratives foster positive behaviors and mutual support among characters. Awdry discussed his personal influences in a 2015 Church Times interview, attributing his writing motivations to an early interest sparked at age 15 or 16, and crediting his father's clerical background for instilling a strong sense of faith and moral storytelling. Growing up in clerical parishes in Birmingham and , he described his father, Revd W. Awdry, as an exemplary clergyman whose positive family environment shaped his approach to literature. He expressed pride in balancing children's books, such as his 16 contributions to , with adult-oriented railway history works, viewing the global engagement of young readers as his greatest achievement. Awdry has expressed generally positive views on the television adaptations of , crediting producer Britt Allcroft's innovative eye-level camera techniques and narrators like for boosting the series' popularity and providing financial benefits to his family. However, he has criticized certain deviations from the original books, such as the removal of references in updated editions, which he saw as altering the core morals. He emphasized the stories' educational value, particularly their appeal to autistic children through structured rules and order, underscoring their role in promoting responsibility and ethical lessons. Post-2011, following his retirement from writing The Railway Series, Awdry has made occasional appearances at railway events, continuing his family's longstanding volunteer involvement with the Preservation Society, where he has contributed to heritage efforts alongside his wife and son. Throughout his public commentary, Awdry has advocated for railway preservation, drawing from real events in his writings to support heritage initiatives, while championing traditional narrative structures in modern media to maintain the moral and educational integrity of classic tales.

Bibliography

Railway Series volumes

Christopher Awdry authored sixteen volumes of , spanning numbers 27 through 42 and published from 1983 to 2011, thereby extending the canon established by his father, , who wrote the initial twenty-six volumes between 1945 and 1972. These books preserve the series' established structure of roughly 120 pages per volume, featuring six to seven self-contained stories that emphasize themes of railway operations, engine personalities, and moral lessons on the Island of Sodor. All volumes were illustrated by Clive Spong, whose artwork provided consistent depictions of locomotives and landscapes, drawing on historical railway references to enhance authenticity. Spong's illustrations for these books total more than any previous artist in the series, contributing to a unified visual style during Christopher's tenure. The following table lists Christopher Awdry's contributions, with publication years and brief annotations highlighting key introductions or plot elements unique to his narratives, such as new engines, infrastructure developments, and resolutions to ongoing story arcs.
VolumeTitlePublication YearKey Annotations
27Really Useful Engines1983Introduces Derek, a problematic Class 17 diesel shunter, and explores expansions to Sodor's quarries and branch lines, emphasizing the value of reliability among engines.
28James and the Diesel Engines1984Focuses on interactions between steam engines like James and visiting diesels from British Rail, including the introduction of Bear (Class 40) and Pip and Emma (Class 45).
29Great Little Engines1985Centers on the Culdee Fell Railway, introducing narrow-gauge engines Duke, Stuart, and Falcon, with plots involving mountain rescues and heritage preservation.
30More About Thomas the Tank Engine1986Features Thomas's escapades with new friends like the Arlesdale engines Bert, Rex, and Mike, highlighting miniature railway operations and teamwork.
31Gordon the High Speed Engine1987Examines high-speed rail developments, featuring Gordon's runs alongside a Class 37 diesel, with stories of mishaps like smokescreen and fire escape, alongside Gordon's role in express services.
32Toby, Trucks and Trouble1988Involves Toby's adventures with troublesome trucks and introduces the little Western engine Jock, addressing branch line mishaps and repairs.
33Thomas and the Twins1989Depicts Thomas aiding the Ffarquhar Twins (Donald and Douglas) during a works visit, with subplots on snow disruptions and engine swaps.
34Jock the New Engine1990Expands on Jock's integration into the Little Western, featuring stories of his trials with heavy goods and rivalries with established engines.
35Thomas and the Great Railway Show1991Showcases a national railway exhibition on Sodor, introducing Stepney and temporary visitors, with competitive events testing engine capabilities.
36Thomas Comes Home1992Follows Thomas's return from the works and local disruptions, including floods and new signal systems, reinforcing themes of home and duty.
37Henry and the Express1993Highlights Henry's express duties and introduces the German engine Wilbert (from the Dean Forest Railway), exploring international exchanges.
38Wilbert the Forest Engine1994Builds on Wilbert's visit, with woodland adventures and the introduction of the narrow-gauge engine Peter Sam aiding in forest logging lines.
39Thomas and the Fat Controller's Engines1995Reviews the core engines under Sir Topham Hatt, with plots revisiting historical events and minor updates to Sodor's rolling stock.
40New Little Engine1996Introduces the electric engine Arthur on trial and the preserved engine Stepney's return, focusing on modernization challenges.
41Thomas and Victoria2007Centers on the restoration of the engine Victoria and extension of the Peel Godred branch, resolving long-standing railway heritage arcs after an eleven-year hiatus.
42Thomas and his Friends2011Concludes major ongoing narratives with stories like "Thomas and the Swan", "Buffer Bashing", "Gordon's Fire Service", and "Centenary", featuring returning characters like Pip and Emma in centenary celebrations.
Christopher Awdry contributed original stories to the Thomas the Tank Engine and Friends Annuals from 1985 to 1996, producing content tied to the television series with illustrations incorporating stills and artwork by artists such as David Palmer. These annuals typically included multiple short tales featuring Sodor's engines in everyday adventures, emphasizing themes of reliability and teamwork on . Between 1990 and 1997, Awdry authored the Thomas Easy-to-Read series, published by Dean (an imprint of Egmont Books), designed for young beginner readers with simplified text and colorful illustrations by . Titles in this series, such as Thomas and the Tiger (1990), presented standalone episodes of and his friends facing lighthearted challenges, formatted as compact picture books around 24 pages long to encourage early reading skills. Representative examples include Percy and the Kite (1990) and Henry and the (1990), focusing on moral lessons through accessible narratives. In 2001, Awdry wrote Bad Days for Thomas and His Friends, a railway safety book published by Track Off in with Partners against Railway Crime, illustrated by David Anderson. This 24-page volume contains four stories highlighting hazards like derailments, , and near-misses, such as Daisy's encounter with a fallen tree and Percy's brush with a riverbank collapse, aimed at educating children on railway dangers through Sodor's engines. A companion title, More Bad Days for Thomas and His Friends, followed the same year with additional safety-themed tales. Other works include compilations like Thomas the Tank Engine's Big Blue Treasury (1995, Egmont Books), which gathers episodic adventures from Awdry's stories in a larger format of approximately 48 pages, illustrated with vibrant scenes to appeal to audiences. These derivative publications build on the core characters from the main while offering non-canonical, standalone formats for broader accessibility.

Eastbourne Series

The Eastbourne Series comprises six children's books set on the fictionalized Miniature Steam Railway, published by Sodor Enterprises in 2001 and illustrated by Marc Vyvyan-Jones. These stories feature miniature locomotives in adventures emphasizing teamwork and railway operations, aimed at young readers. The titles are: General Takes Charge (2001), Rachel and the Goose (2001), Western and the Lost Ring (2001), Oily Keeps Things Going (2001), 's Wedding Special (2001), and Oily and the Flood (2001).

Other railway stories and non-fiction

In addition to his contributions to The Railway Series, Christopher Awdry authored a pair of standalone children's books set on the fictional Sarnglas Railway, published by Heinemann in the late . Railway for Sale (), illustrated by Jonathan Clay, follows the adventures of engines navigating a threatened , emphasizing themes of preservation and community in a 40-page format aimed at young readers. The , Luke Goes Flying (1990), also illustrated by Clay, continues the story with engine Luke's unexpected aerial mishap, maintaining the lighthearted, railway-focused typical of Awdry's style for juvenile audiences. Additional standalone children's railway stories include the LOTI series (LOTI and the Enchanted Forest, LOTI and the Lost Locket), The Chips Express, Heave-Ho Hamish, and Hugh Goes Sliding. Awdry's non-fiction output spans histories of British railways, often illustrated and ranging from 100 to 200 pages, published primarily by specialist presses like Patrick Stephens Ltd. and Silver Link between the late 1980s and early 2000s. Awdry's Steam Railways (Boxtree, 1995) surveys preserved steam lines across the UK, highlighting operational heritage sites and their cultural significance with maps and photographs. His Encyclopaedia of British Railway Companies (Patrick Stephens Ltd., 1990), foreworded by his father Rev. W. Awdry, provides a comprehensive reference on over 200 pre-nationalization companies, detailing formations, routes, and mergers for railway historians. Further titles include Brunel's Broad Gauge Railway (Oxford Publishing, 1992), a centenary commemoration of Isambard Kingdom Brunel's 7-foot gauge system on the Great Western Railway, covering engineering innovations, locomotives, and the 1892 gauge conversion through archival images and diagrams. In Over the Summit: How Britain's Railways Crossed the High Hills (Silver Link Publishing, 1993), Awdry examines the engineering challenges of trans-mountain routes like the Settle-Carlisle and Highland lines, focusing on gradients, tunnels, and viaducts with historical context and route profiles. Awdry also produced Sodor: Reading Between the Lines (STRP All Aboard, ), a companion updating the lore of his father's The Island of Sodor (first published 1987), incorporating post-1972 developments, real-world inspirations for the fictional island's , and timelines of events across the series' volumes. These works, totaling over five titles, reflect Awdry's expertise in railway preservation and history, often drawing from personal research and family legacy without overlapping his Sodor-based fiction.

References

  1. https://www.theguardian.com/lifeandstyle/2015/may/23/thomas-the-tank-engine-at-70-the-real-railway-children
  2. https://www.churchtimes.co.uk/articles/2015/28-august/features/interviews/interview-christopher-awdry-author
  3. https://www.imdb.com/name/nm3955218/
  4. https://www.talyllyn.co.uk/news
  5. https://www.waterstones.com/book/sodor/christopher-awdry/978178438
  6. https://www.bbc.com/news/uk-england-wiltshire-67763572
  7. https://www.wikitree.com/wiki/Wale-83
  8. https://www.talyllyn.co.uk/about/the-awdry-connection
  9. https://cambridgeppf.org/rev-w-awdry/
  10. https://www.thisiswiltshire.co.uk/news/national/25549609.blue-plaque-unveiled-honour-thomas-tank-engine-creator/
  11. https://www.worksopguardian.co.uk/sport/nostalgia/staff-pose-for-college-picture-2771953
  12. https://www.abebooks.com/first-edition/Useful-Engines-Christopher-Awdry-Kaye-Ward/31347510341/bd
  13. https://bookhype.com/book/show/91576266-08eb-4b33-be9f-2545bf9cb97a/railway-series-no-42-thomas-and-his-friends
  14. https://www.sodor-island.com/annuals
  15. https://www.ebay.com/p/1305659565
  16. https://www.sodor-island.com/baddaysforthomas
  17. https://ttte.fandom.com/wiki/Bad_Days_for_Thomas_and_His_Friends
  18. https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0BTTZ1CN4
  19. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nX-G-zlZQ-M
  20. https://www.amazon.com/Books-Christopher-Awdry/s?rh=n%253A283155%252Cp_27%253AChristopher%252BAwdry
  21. https://www.amazon.com/stores/Christopher-Awdry/author/B001H6L2Q2/allbooks
  22. https://www.sodor-island.com/readingbetweenthelines
  23. https://www.amazon.com/Encyclopaedia-British-Railway-Companies-Christopher/dp/1852600497
  24. https://www.abebooks.co.uk/9781852603298/Encyclopaedia-Great-Western-Railway-1852603291/plp
  25. https://books.google.com/books?vid=ISBN0752216007
  26. https://www.abebooks.com/9780752216874/Railways-Galore-Guide-Preserved-Miniature-0752216872/plp
  27. https://www.amazon.com/Nene-Valley-Railway-Northmapton-Peterborough/dp/1858951704
  28. https://www.amazon.com/Sodor-Reading-Between-Lines-Christopher-ebook/dp/B0FWCJLY7W
  29. https://news.railbusinessdaily.com/blue-plaque-unveiled-in-honour-of-the-creator-of-thomas-the-tank-engine/
  30. https://www.talyllyn.co.uk/news/awdry-extravaganza-2025-success
  31. https://www.independent.co.uk/news/thomas-s-creator-dies-after-making-a-storybook-fortune-1274205.html
  32. https://www.telegraph.co.uk/culture/tvandradio/11602184/Christopher-Awdry-why-sour-Lefties-are-wrong-about-Thomas-the-Tank-Engine.html
  33. https://www.worldofbooks.com/products/thomas-the-tank-engine-and-friends-annual-1985-book-christopher-awdry-9780862272371
  34. https://www.amazon.co.uk/Bad-Days-Thomas-His-Friends/dp/B000NYWX8A
  35. https://www.worldofbooks.com/collections/author-books-by-christopher-awdry
  36. https://books.google.com/books?id=example_awdrysteam
  37. https://search.worldcat.org/title/encyclopaedia-of-british-railway-companies/oclc/19514063
  38. https://www.abebooks.co.uk/9780860935049/Brunels-Broad-Gauge-Railway-Awdry-0860935043/plp
  39. https://www.abebooks.co.uk/9781857940015/Over-Summit-Britains-Railways-Crossed-1857940016/plp
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