RWS #24: Oliver the Western Engine

After his great escape in Enterprising Engines, Oliver the 14xx tank engine gets a couple of stories to himself alongside Duck and the Scottish twins. Was it really worth naming this book after Oliver?

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 #24

Oliver the Western Engine

Written by The Rev. W. Awdry

Illustrated by Gunvor and Peter Edwards

Published November 15, 1969

The year of 1969 was a turning point for pop culture - the Beatles made their last public (if not unannounced) live performance, Richard Nixon became the 37th US President, John Lennon and his new wife Yoko Ono told the world to "Give Peace a Chance" while the Vietnam War raged on, Led Zeppelin was fresh news in the music industry, Neil Armstrong and Buzz Aldrin landed on the moon (and yes, I believe they did so; anyone who says otherwise can stuff it for all I care), Monty Python first appeared on BBC and made us laugh out loud, and we don't know where Scooby-Doo is, but can you tell us how to get to Sesame Street?

Meanwhile, since steam had died out on British Railways, poor Wilbert Awdry was beginning to struggle with new ideas for the Railway Series...

Dear M.,
We both wanted to call this book Little Western Engines; but Publishers are stern men. They did not approve.

They, of course, don't know the trouble we've had with Oliver. We hope he has learnt sense, but goodness knows what will happen when he finds he has a book all to himself....

I know! If Oliver gets uppish, we'll set Messrs. Kaye & Ward on to him. That'll teach him!
W.

Donald's Duck
Season 3, Episode 5

Duck is assigned to run the branchline running up to the Arlesdale Railway, and he is so proud of this that Donald gets tired off his boasting and jokes with quacking and states that Duck must have laid an egg. Insulted, Duck and his crew get back at Donald by putting a duckling in the Scottish engine's water tank. The duckling is tame, and rides with Donald all the wall to the middle station where she stays. Donald and his crew get even with Duck by placing a nestbox with an egg in it underneath Duck's bunker, and he concedes defeat. As for the duckling, she is named Dilly, but is referred to as "Donald's duck".

Pretty clever title pun by Awdry there. :P The dialogue is really funny there, but the adaptation has flaws; what is the point of building a station next to another? Also, Toby's role is pointless. It wasn't a perfect adaptation, but it wasn't bad either; I'd still watch it anyway.

RWS Rating: 8 out of 10
TV Series Rating: 6.5 out of 10

Resource and Sagacity/Oliver Owns Up
Season 3, Episode 22

After his restoration, Oliver is sent to work on the Little Western. The big engines give Oliver praise for his adventures, and he becomes conceited and dismisses Duck's concerns. Oliver does meet his match with some unruly ballast trucks and they push him into the turntable well. Oliver is scolded afterwards by the Fat Controller and the Scottish twins, and feels very silly.

Because the Arlesdale engines weren't featured at the time, it does affect the adaptation badly, especially since Oliver was made to take coal trucks rather than ballast trucks. The ending was rushed, although the accident looked ace.

RWS Rating: 9 out of 10
TV Series Rating: 7.5 out of 10

Toad Stands By
Season 4, Episode 20

After he returns from his accident, Oliver is teased by S. C. Ruffey and the trucks with rude songs, and the engines try to get them to stop, to no avail. Toad offers to help Oliver get back at the trucks, although Duck is skeptical. Oliver arranged the worst trucks two by two, leaving S. C. Ruffey for last, who tells the trucks to hold back. They do, but Oliver pulls on the trucks, causing S. C. Ruffey to fall to pieces. The Fat Controller knows that he was poorly built, but tells Oliver to keep quiet about - the trucks fear Oliver will rip them apart as well!

Again, it was out of order; also, why is S. C. Ruffey rebuilt? The spiteful brakevan had been "killed off" in season two, and he wasn't rebuilt either! To be fair, the way S. C. Ruffey fell apart looked brilliant, and the moral about bullies is very good - they get what's coming to them. However, why does Toad ask Douglas to stay with Oliver? Since he never worked with Douglas in the adaptation, it leads to confusion.

RWS Rating: 9.5 out of 10
TV Series Rating: 8 out of 10

Bulgy
Season 3, Episode 23

One Bank Holiday, Duck meets with a railway-hating doubledecker bus whom Oliver nicknames Bulgy. Oliver gets worried when Bulgy's friend comes leaving Bulgy free to steal the engines' passengers, and he does so, lying that he accepts railway tickets. He gets his comeuppance when he's wedged under a bridge and Duck reclaims his passengers and takes them home. As for Bulgy, he is turned into a hen-house where his lies can do no harm.

Out of the adaptations from this book, this was the most loyal apart from the exclusion of the Arlesdale Railway. A road vs. rail rivalry is certainly something we need more often, not the overuse of steam vs. diesel. Bulgy being stuck under the bridge was very funny and amazingly filmed.

As for that July 2012 article on The Guardian? The Fat Controller doesn't own Bulgy; the bus company does! And how does Bulgy being red relate to Communism? If it does, then that person is saying James, Mike and the Skarloey engines (barring Rusty and Duke) are Communists as well!

RWS/TV Series Rating: 9 out of 10

Stray Observations

The foreword was addressed to Margaret Awdry, Wilbert's then-wife. It said he wanted to name it Little Western Engines, but the publishers wanted it to have Oliver's name in the title. Why would they do so when the likes of Main Line Engines sold well despite having no engine's name in the title? Remember this when I review book #39...

Overall

This was a pretty good way to expand upon the line from Tidmouth to Arlesburgh - the Little Western. I do wish they stuck with the original title; it would've sold fine regardless if it had Oliver's name or not! Speaking of whom, it's nice to expand on his character a little, but it's a shame that this was the only other book where he played a major role. Same with the likes of Bear and Toad; it's very disappointing in my opinion.

However, we still have a few loose ends to tie up in the next book, about three little engines from a long-forgotten railway...

Overall Book Rating: 8.9 out of 10

The Railway Series Scorecard

1. The Three Railway Engines: 8.4

2. Thomas the Tank Engine: 9
3. James the Red Engine: 7.5
4. Tank Engine Thomas Again: 9.5
5. Troublesome Engines: 8.1
6. Henry the Green Engine: 8.4
7. Toby the Tram Engine: 9
8. Gordon the Big Engine: 8.6
9. Edward the Blue Engine: 9.3
10. Four Little Engines: 8.8
11. Percy the Small Engine: 8.9
12. The Eight Famous Engines: 8.8
13. Duck and the Diesel Engine: 8.5
14. The Little Old Engine: 8.9
15. The Twin Engines: 9.1
16. Branch Line Engines: 9.3
17. Gallant Old Engine: 9.3
18. Stepney the "Bluebell" Engine: 8.5

19. Mountain Engines: 8.9
20. Very Old Engines: 9.1
21. Main Line Engines: 9
22. Small Railway Engines: 9.3
23. Enterprising Engines: 9.5
24. Oliver the Western Engine: 8.9

Thomas and Friends Season 3 Scorecard

1. A Scarf for Percy: 8.5
2. Percy's Promise: 6.5
3. Time for Trouble: 6
4. Gordon and the Famous Visitor: 8
5. Donald's Duck: 6.5

9. Henry's Forest: 9
10. The Trouble with Mud: 4

16. Edward, Trevor and the Really Useful Party: 8.5

17. Buzz Buzz: 8
19. One Good Turn: 9
20. Tender Engines: 4
21. Escape: 10
22. Oliver Owns Up: 7.5
23. Bulgy: 9
26. Thomas and Percy's Christmas (Mountain) Adventure: 7.5 (UK) / 4 (US)

Thomas and Friends Season 4 Scorecard

5. Four Little Engines: 7
6. A Bad Day for Sir Handel: 6.5
7. Peter Sam and the Refreshment Lady: 9.5
8. Trucks!: 8
9. Home at Last: 8.5
10. Rock 'n' Roll: 9
11. Special Funnel: 7.5
12. Steam Roller: 9
13. Passengers and Polish: 9
14. Gallant Old Engine: 9
15. Rusty to the Rescue: 2
16. Thomas and Stepney: 2.5
17. Train Stops Play: 8.5
18. Bowled Out: 9
19. Henry and the Elephant: 7
20. Toad Stands By: 8
21. Bulls Eyes: 6.5
22. Thomas and the Special Letter: 8.5
23. Paint Pots and Queens: 8