RWS #2: Thomas the Tank Engine

Here we are with the second book of the Railway Series featuring the most iconic character of the series - Thomas the tank engine!

THE OPINIONS, THOUGHTS AND MUSINGS IN THIS BLOG POST ARE SOLELY THOSE OF ZACK WANZER, NOT THE THOMAS FANDOM IN GENERAL

(special thanks to the Thomas the Tank Engine Wikia for the images)

The Railway Series Book #2

Thomas the Tank Engine

Written by The Rev. W. Awdry

Illustrated by Reginald Payne, later C. Reginald Dalby

Published 1946

One Christmas, young Christopher Awdry got a small wooden train as a present from Wilbert; it was a little blue tank engine with six wheels and the number one on its sides. Come 1946, Christopher asked his father to write a book about the engine which was christened Thomas.

Dear Christopher,

Here is your friend Thomas the Tank Engine. He wanted to come out of his station yard and see the world. These stories tell you how he did it.

I hope you will like them because you helped me to make them.

Your Loving Daddy

Thomas and Gordon

Season 1, Episode 1

Ah yes - the very first story featuring the North Western Railway's number one, and the Genesis episode of the show. Fed up with Thomas' teasing, Gordon gets even with the little blue tank engine by giving him a wild ride. Afterward, Thomas vows not to be cheeky to Gordon again.

Definitely a great way to introduce Thomas; you can tell what he looks like even without looking at a picture of him. Of course, he gets the right punishment for being cheeky to Gordon, showing that what comes around goes around. In the TV adaptation, it was, again, odd to see James six episodes before he's properly introduced, but it had nothing to do with the story. Spoiler alert; each of the originals and their respective adaptations will receive the same rating each as the adaptations are very much carbon copies of the originals. A great way to start the TV series, and I'd happily watch it again and again.

RWS/TV Series Rating: 9.5 out of 10

Thomas' Train

Season 1, Episode 5

When Henry falls ill, Thomas is the only engine who can take his train, but he's too eager to start and leaves the coaches behind by mistake, and gets teased for it afterward.

It's a nice, simple story with a very good moral about patience, something Wonky Whistle and Fiery Flynn failed to take the hint towards. I have read some comments about people saying it's boring, but they're missing the point - there's no crash or high speed chase; it's meant to be a simple slice of life affair on Sodor, and that's what's really important.

RWS/TV Series Rating: 8.5 out of 10

Thomas and the Trucks

Season 1, Episode 6

Edward offers to trade places with Thomas; Thomas can take Edward's goods train whilst Edward does the shunting. Thomas is eager to take his friend's goods train, but carelessness from over-excitement nearly results in an accident, and The Fat Director decides that Thomas deserves a change.

Another great story. With the trucks pushing Thomas down the hill, it makes you wonder what will happen next, and it's a big sigh of relief when Thomas stops just before the buffers. I like the Fat Director's role here; he was stern with Thomas, but he took it easy on him, very much like a parent to their child when they mess up on a first experience.

RWS/TV Series Rating: 9 out of 10

Thomas and the Breakdown Train

Season 1, Episode 7

Thomas settles in nicely at Wellsworth shunting trucks, but when new engine James has an accident due to his wooden brakes, Thomas fetches the breakdown train and helps him back on the rails. Afterward, he is rewarded with his own branchline and two coaches, Annie and Clarabel.

This last story shows how far Thomas has come throughout the course of the book; he started off childish and immature, but he quickly grew to be more sensible, although still cheeky on occasion. When I first read the original story, I never knew James used to be painted black! I thought he was a different engine, I don't know why. But still, it's a great story nonetheless.

RWS/TV Series Rating: 9 out of 10

Stray Observations

Thomas was the only engine to have a number; why was that? This would be rectified by Henry the Green Engine, which I'll get to soon enough.

In the second illustration of Thomas and the Trucks, there's a 0-6-0 blue tender engine. Don't believe me? Here it is:

Can you see the engine right next to Thomas?

Some have suggested it's an LNER J39. I say it's a J37, as they were built before 1923. If the blue tender engine had a name, I would name her Tabitha. No prizes for guessing who she's named for...

In the same story, there were no bridges or stations between Vicarstown and Henry's Tunnel.

Thomas was intended to be an LNER J50, but Reginald Payne redrew him as the LB&SCR E2 we see today. I wonder what the books would've been like if Thomas remained a J50? Same with Henry originally being an LNER C1 Atlantic, which I'd forgotten to mention in my Three Railway Engines review. Damn.

Overall

This was a great way to introduce one of the most iconic characters in children's literature. It showed Thomas' journey from being a cheeky station pilot to a mature branchline runner, but he still had much to learn in future books. With The Adventure Begins coming out in March, I can't wait to see how (if possible) it builds up to this book!

Overall Book Rating: 9 out of 10

The Railway Series Scorecard

1. The Three Railway Engines: 8.4

2. Thomas the Tank Engine: 9

Thomas and Friends Season 1 Scorecard

1. Thomas and Gordon: 9.5

2. Edward and Gordon: 8.5

3. The Sad Story of Henry: 8

4. Edward, Gordon and Henry: 9

5. Thomas' Train: 8.5

6. Thomas and the Trucks: 9

7. Thomas and the Breakdown Train: 9