W. Awdry (1911–1997)

Thomas is just soooo smug in the knowledge that he can show up to do his very important job or that he can just blow off the ostensible duties of his sinecure and decide not to stop that day and go joyriding around the Isle of Sodor instead, and all the people who don't make it to work and almost get their arm taken off waving down a speeding train can just lump it. And every kid will wanna hear all about it and laugh at his antics. It's locomotive privilege, is what it is. To the manner built.

This was first published just after The Beeching Report that decimated the British Railway network and acceleratd the end of steam. Percy is a strong mouthpiece criticising the Other Railway (British Railways): 'engines on the Other Railway aren't safe now. Their Controllers are cruel;. They don't like engines any more. They put them on cold damp sidings and then...they c-c-cut them up' (page 6). The author covers himself with a foreword confirming that 'British Railways Officials are not show more cruel' (page 3). Who reads forewords anyway! show less

A wretched child has scribbled his name on the title page of my copy of Toby the tram engine. I hope Nigel was punished for it. Some irresponsible soul has also removed the dust jacket which is why the second impression, January 1954, only cost £2.99. Nigel’s handwriting is poor. He uses a 9 rather than a ‘g’ as in: Ni9el. Toby is attached to his coach Henrietta whose carriage is empty. Pre Beeching the line is about to be closed due to low passenger usage statistics until a last show more minute reprieve by a stout man who was not Beeching. This really is a work of fiction. That was it - no further explanation. What a dull and dreary story albeit with a happy ending.
There are several other stories in the book, involving Toby and other engines. There is one about Mrs Kyndley and her red dressing gown used as a flag. She saved lives. Basically the stories are full of do-gooders. Getting back to Ni9el, was he also responsible for the yellow marks on the cover and the blue coloured pencil streak on the front free endpaper? I will 📦 his 👂 👂 both of them if I set 👁 👁 on him. show less

What does it take to bring the entire Island of Sodor Railway System to a halt? Just a crack in the track. Well, a crack in the track and some hail on rail . . . and a toad in the road, and a fuss on the bus. In fact, one thing leads to another until just about everything that can go wrong does go wrong. Luckily, there's a breakdown train with a couple of cranes that can fix a big mess (and they don't mind the rain).