However, he had been finding it increasingly difficult to come up with ideas for new stories, and after this he felt that 'the well had run dry' and so decided that the time had come to retire. Awdry later went on to publish 23 more books.Īwdry continued working on The Railway Series until 1972, when Tramway Engines (book 26 in the series) was published.

The third was James the Red Engine, which featured James, a red engine who went on to be common in the TV series. The second was Thomas the Tank Engine, which introduced Thomas, now the most popular Railway Series character. Wilbert Awdry began publishing these into books. In 1984, it was turned into a television series, which spawned a reboot series, titled Thomas & Friends: All Engines Go. The franchise began with stories told from Wilbert Awdry to his son. The current title character of the franchise is Thomas the Tank Engine, an anthropomorphised steam locomotive, who works with other engines, including Edward, Henry, Gordon, James, Percy, Toby and many others. The franchise revolves around a railway, called the North Western Railway, located on the fictional Island of Sodor.

Thomas & Friends (also known as Thomas the Tank Engine or The Railway Series) is a media franchise created by Rev. Thomas & Friends: All Engines Go (2021–present) Sodor’s Legend of the Lost Treasure (2015) ( Learn how and when to remove this template message)ġ984 39 years ago ( 1984) – present (franchise)Ģ021–present ( Thomas & Friends: All Engines Go) Please consider expanding the lead to provide an accessible overview of all important aspects of the article. This article's lead section may be too short to adequately summarize the key points.

Trainz thomas content sites