Reverend Wilbert Awdry

The Reverend Wilbert Vere Awdry, born 15 June 1911, was an English clergyman, railway enthusiast, and children’s author. Best known as the creator of Thomas the Tank Engine, Awdry was a pioneering children’s author, whose imagination inspired generations of young readers. Through the stories of Thomas and his friends, Awdry combined a love of railways with simple but meaningful lessons about kindness and friendship. 

Born in the small village of Ampfield in Hampshire, where his father was Vicar, Awdry developed a fascination with railways from a young age. As a toddler in Ampfield, he had watched his father build a handmade model railway which sparked an interest that grew as his family moved to Box, Wiltshire. Here, their family home was just 200 yards from Box Tunnel. At night, Awdry could hear freight trains and whistle signals, which his imagination translated into conversations. This would set in motion an idea that would later become Thomas the Tank Engine.

As a young man he decided to follow his father’s footsteps and enter the Church. Ordained in 1936, he served in several parishes before moving in 1940 to King’s Norton, Birmingham. In later life, Awdry retired from the Church and settled in Stroud, Gloucestershire, where he devoted himself to his railway interests, building and exhibiting model lines, editing railway histories, and chronicling Thomas and his home on the fictional Island of Sodor. He died in Rodborough on 21 March 1997, aged 85, the year after he received an OBE in the New Year’s Honours List. 

The Railway Series and Thomas the Tank Engine

It was during his time in King’s Norton that Awdry began writing the stories for which he became famous. In 1943, to entertain his toddler son Christopher while he was sick with measles, Awdry told 3 tales about an imaginary railway and its engines, Edward, Gordon, and Henry. Just 2 years later, in May 1945, The Three Railway Engines was published. Thomas himself appeared in the second book, Thomas the Tank Engine, in December 1946, quickly becoming the most popular of the engines. 

Working with illustrator Reginald Payne and later C. Reginald Dalby, Awdry brought to life the Island of Sodor, complete with its own geography, history and railway network. By 1970, over 3 million copies had been sold. Awdry’s son Christopher would later continue the series in his father’s style, helping it to reach over 10 million sales by the 1990s. Reverend Awdry wrote 26 books in The Railway Series in total, and his son Christopher added a further 16. 

Thomas & Friends television series and beyond

The Thomas & Friends television series first aired in the UK on 9 October 1984. Voiced by Ringo Starr, the televised adaptation of the well-loved stories brought the engines of Sodor to life for a wider audience.

Since then, Thomas & Friends has continued to tell timeless stories about friendship, adventure and teamwork, allowing fans to be able to experience Thomas with new toys, content, consumer products, and both digital and live experiences around the world.