Wilbert Awdry told his son Christopher in 1942, when Christopher was sick in bed with the measles. Christopher would correct his father if the stories weren't told exactly the same way each time, so the reverend began jotting the tales down. Those stories became The Three Railway Engines, which Awdry published in 1945.

All of the vehicles in The Railway Series were based on prototypical engines; Thomas's basis is the LB&SCR E2 class.

"Sodor Railways is a cooperative. It is owned by the passengers and the railway staff and - very importantly - all the engines." Sir Topham Hatt, Allcroft posits, is an official appointed by the cooperative.

A passenger train is used to transport people along a railroad line. These trains may consist of unpowered passenger railroad cars (also known as coaches or carriages) hauled by one or more locomotives, or may be self-propelled; self propelled passenger trains are known as multiple units or railcars.

Thomas the Train is arguably one of the most famous and widely-known engines around the world, whether you're a train enthusiast, or don't know the first thing about railroads. Many of us even grew up with Thomas, learning valuable life lessons from his highly-rated television show.

Class E2 tank engine For Thomas they used their 1979 model of a LB&SCR model of a Class E2 tank engine which they suitably altered with a face and extended tanks to look like Thomas. Many of the characters in the 'Railway Series' books were thus modelled (with faces) by Hornby, including characters added for the television series.

All of the vehicles in The Railway Series were based on prototypical engines; Thomas's basis is the LB&SCR E2 class. Thomas first appeared in 1946 in the second book in the series, Thomas the Tank Engine, and was the focus of the four short stories contained within.

I think one of the main reasons Thomas & Friends is so successful is that each story only lasts around 5 minutes. There's always a story line, but it's introduced and resolved in a span of time that a child can process more easily.

Sodor is depicted in the Irish Sea between the Isle of Man and the English mainland near Barrow-in-Furness in Cumbria; the real-life Walney Island is included in Sodor. The flag of Sodor, as depicted in Thomas & Friends: The Great Race 2016 movie.