#wilbert awdry

[speedw4y]

Thomas fun fact: In Rodborough (the village that Awdry retired to in the 1960s) in the church there is a stained glass window of Thomas and Awdry!

[midnight---express]

Your not going to believe this.

From the lad who's doing the updated version of Reading Between the Lines.

Unseen Wilbert book in 1925.

[harmony2sstuff]

Happy belated 115th birthday to Wilbert Awdry!🎊🎉🥳🪅🎂

[sudriantraveler]

Hatt vs Bradshaw

So, now that this year's Awdry Extravaganza is a week in the past, people have been going over the new bits of Railway Series lore that has been revealed.

Richard Awdry’s description of Sodor in 2025, covering what has happened on the island since the books ended, already has its own page on the fandom wiki (link here), and If you’re interested in some Modern Day Sodor lore I recommend taking a look.

There is one other bit of new lore which I really want to share in case anyone hasn’t heard it yet, and that is how Charles Hatt went to war against Bradshaw.

For context, this comes from some writing by Wilbert Awdry which was occasionally used as a foreword to his Railways of Sodor Lecture, and which was recently presented during the Friday evening lecture at this year's Awdry Extravaganza 5 hosted by the Talyllyn Railway.

In case you don’t know who/what Bradshaw is, here is the Wikipedia link. In short, Bradshaw’s was a long running series of guidebooks, maps, and timetables, which used to be pretty much the definitive guide to railways in the UK.

The Fat Controller had for the longest time held great admiration and trust in the works of Bradshaw, praising him for his full and accurate documentation of even the most obscure and out of the way railway lines.

However, there was always one glaring exclusion…

Every region of British Railways was thoroughly documented in Bradshaw’s guides, save for the North Western Region, which went completely ignored.

Now, by the mid-1950s the NWR was under the control of Sir Charles Topham Hatt II, and regarding Bradshaw’s neglect, he was at first content to wait silently and patiently, thinking this error would soon be corrected. Afterall, Sodor was already a well known part of Britain’s railways, thanks largely to the then ongoing works of Wilbert Awdry.

But no such correction came.

Finally, the Fat Controller had enough. His long held faith in Bradshaw was gone.

And he was furious…

If Bradshaw would not recognize Sodor, then Sodor would not recognize Bradshaw.

Charles Hatt’s edict came into force at midnight on December 31st, 1959.

The name Bradshaw, which he once held in such high regard, was never to be spoken again in his presence, and his works were banished from his office, and all North Western Railway stations.

In 1960, Bradshaw ran into difficulties, and in June of 1961, stopped publishing completely.

Were these two events at all related?

Whose to say?...

But Sir Topham Hatt believed they were.

[mrtheengie]

Talyllyn Railway No. 1 "Talyllyn"

Fletcher Jennings, 1864

I didn't expect to see Talyllyn that day, so it was a very pleasant surprise that, as my family and I relaxed at Abergynolwyn, she suddenly arrived with a few of the bogie coaches in tow. And, as you can see, she is absolutely resplendent in a livery inspired by the old GER.

[pxmun]

A side project for STSR.

[q-one]

THOMAS JUNIOR REAL

So, I was scrolling on the Thomas the tank engine WIKI like normal, and I find this guys. This is Thomas Junior, an engine whose name was unveiled by Wilber Awdry himself for the opening of the Beer Heights Light Railway and apparently he even drove the engine. This is the second engine ever to be unveiled by Wilber Awdry, first being the Nene valley railway Thomas. The engine however has been withdrawn due to it being to small for the railway's needs, however it seems to be owned by a private collector and is wearing its face still.

I just want to say that this is one of the cutest character I have ever seen. Im a big fan of the 7 1/4 gauge and see this just makes me extremely happy.I find really funny the concept of an even smaller and more mischievous Thomas. Like a Thomas to the second power (Thomas^2).

Sources 👇

Wilbert Awdry/Gallery

Wilbert Awdry/Gallery

Other Real Miniature Locomotives

Several other real minimum gauge locomotives have appeared in both Railway Series and Thomas & Friends media. Thomas Jnr. was a 0-4-0ST+T lo

[jpyoerixfanxv]

Happy 80th Anniversary To The Railway Series.