The Thomas the Tank Engine Collection - Rev. W. Awdry

The Revd Wilbert Vere Awdry was born on June 15th 1911 at Romsey in Hampshire. He lived as a child near the main Great Western line from Paddington to Bristol at Box, Wiltshire, where he developed his love of steam engines by listening to them at night and imagining that they were talking to one another.

In 1942 he made up stories for his 2 year old son, Christopher, who was unwell with the measles. He later pointed out that he had ...
...forgiven should he even get the slightest thing wrong. Eventually the first book was published in 1945, and this was to prove to be the first of a series of twenty-six written by Awdry. When he retired his son took up the mantle and wrote another fourteen.

The book 'Thomas the Tank Engine - The Complete Collection' was published by Heinemann in 1996, priced at £30. My copy was purchased from the discount mail-order company 'The Book ... more

The Revd Wilbert Vere Awdry was born on June 15th 1911 at Romsey in Hampshire. He lived as a child near the main Great Western line from Paddington to Bristol at Box, Wiltshire, where he developed his love of steam engines by listening to them at night and imagining that they were talking to one another.

In 1942 he made up stories for his 2 year old son, Christopher, who was unwell with the measles. He later pointed out that he had to eventually write the details down because he would never be forgiven should he even get the slightest thing wrong. Eventually the first book was published in 1945, and this was to prove to be the first of a series of twenty-six written by Awdry. When he retired his son took up the mantle and wrote another fourteen.

The book 'Thomas the Tank Engine - The Complete Collection' was published by Heinemann in 1996, priced at £30. My copy was purchased from the discount mail-order company 'The Book People' for £10. The ISBN Number is 1-85613-263-3. This substantial volume (415 pages!) contains each and every one of the original 26 stories by Wilbert Awdry.

Before I go on to deal with the content of the book, should you wish to learn more of the life and work of Wilbert Awdry, you can get the book 'The Thomas the Tank Engine Man' (Brian Sibley, Heinemann 1995), which I read on loan from my local library quite a while ago.

And so to the stories. For those who do not know there are a few basic facts that need to be observed:

a- The stories take place on the Isle of Sodor, which is located between the Isle of Man and the Cumbria coastline.

b- The main characters are as follows:

Sir Topham Hatt - The Fat Controller

Thomas the Tank Engine (No.1)
Edward the Blue Engine (No.2)
Henry the Green Engine (No.3)
Gordon the Big Engine (No.4)
James the Red Engine (No.5)
Percy the Small Engine (No.6)
Toby the Tram Engine (No.7)
Duck the Great Western Engine
Donald and Douglas, the Twin Engines
Stepney the Bluebell Engine
Bertie the Bus
Terence the Tractor

The books are:

1- The Three Railway Engines (Edward's Day Out; Edward and Gordon, The Sad Story of Henry; Edward, Gordon and Henry)

2- Thomas the Tank Engine (Thomas and Gordon; Thomas' Train; Thomas and the Trucks; Thomas and the Breakdown Train)

3- James the Red Engine (James and the Top-Hat; James and the Bootlace; Troublesome Trucks; James and the Express)

4- Tank Engine Thomas Again (Thomas and the Guard; Thomas goes Fishing; Thomas, Terence and the Snow; Thomas and Bertie)

5- Troublesome Engines (Henry and the Elephant; Tenders and Turntables; Trouble in the Shed; Percy runs away)

6- Henry the Green Engine (Coal; The Flying Kipper; Gordon's Whistle; Percy and the Trousers; Henry's Sneeze)

7- Toby the Tram Engine (Toby and the Stout Gentleman; Thomas in Trouble; Dirty Objects; Mrs Kyndley's Christmas)

8- Gordon the Big engine (Off the Rails; Leaves; Down the Mine; Paint Pots and Queens)

9- Edward the Blue Engine (Cows!; Bertie's Chase; Saved from Scrap; Old Iron)

10- Four Little Engines (Skarloey Remembers; Sir Handel; Peter Sam and the Refreshment Lady; Old Faithful)

11- Percy the Small Engine (Percy and the Signal; Duck Takes Charge; Percy and Harold; Percy's Promise)

12- The Eight Famous Engines (Percy Takes the Plunge; Gordon Goes Foreign; Double Header; The Fat Controller's Engines)

13- Duck and the Diesel Engine (Domeless Engines; Pop goes the Diesel; Dirty Work; A Close Shave)

14- The Little Old Engine (Trucks!; Home at Last; Rock 'n' Roll; Little Old Twins)

15- The Twin Engines ('Hullo Twins!'; The Missing Coach; Break Van; The Deputation)

16- Branch Line Engines (Thomas Comes to Breakfast; Daisy; Bull's-eyes; Percy's Predicament)

17- Gallant Old Engine (Special Funnel; Steam-roller; Passengers and Polish; Gallant Old Engine)

18- Stepney the Bluebell Engine (Bluebells of England; Stepney's Special; Train Stops Play; Bowled out)

19- Mountain Engines (Mountain Engine; Bad Look-out; Danger Points; "Devil's Back")

20- Very Old Engines (Crosspatch; Bucking Bronco; Stick-in-the-mud; Duck and Dukes)

21- Main Line Engines (The Diseasel; Buzz Buzz; Wrong Road; Edward's Exploit)

22- Small Railway Engines (Ballast; Tit for Tat; Mike's Whistle; Useful Railway)

23- Enterprising Engines (Tenders for Henry; Super Rescue; Escape; Little Western)

24- Oliver the Western Engine (Donald's Duck; Resource and Sagacity; Toad Stands By; Bulgy)

25- Duke the Lost Engine (Granpuff; Bulldog; You Can't Win!; Sleeping Beauty)

26- Tramway Engines (Ghost Train; Woolly Bear; Mavis; Toby's Tightrope)

This mega-volume contains all of the colourful illustrations by all the artists (1-11 C. Reginald Dalby, 12-17 John T. Kenney, 18-26 Gunvor and Peter Edwards). I personally prefer the original illustrations, because in my mind the later pictures take on a slightly menacing aspect. But then again, all the pictures are very well drawn and very well reproduced, even if they are on a slightly smaller scale than in the original books.

If I were rating the full-price £30 book, I would probably give it 3 stars, due to the price, but as this cost me a tenner, I have given it the full five.

So why do I love the stories so much? It's very simple, really. I have loved the Thomas the Tank Engine stories ever since I used to sit on my Gran's lap as she read them to me. I bought the volume because I wanted to, and now that I am father to one year-old Ellie, I can place my book on the bookshelf and let people admire it without feeling the slightest bit childish or embarrassed.

So there you have it.....

 

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