The exhibition also includes a model railway based on Thomas the Tank Engine, which was opened by Christopher Awdry.

W. Awdry, was based on the Talyllyn Railway.

This includes six locomotives on display ( and a several others in store or at other sites ); eleven wagons inside with a further eleven outside ; a display showing the development of track work from early plateways to modern narrow gauge tracks ; several large signals along with single line working apparatus and documents ; a growing collection of tickets and other documents, posters, notices, crockery and souvenirs ; relics from vehicles scrapped long ago and the Awdry Study, re-created with the original furniture and fittings in memory of the Rev.

Wilbert Awdry, an early volunteer on the Talyllyn Railway and best known for his series of railway books such as “ Thomas the Tank Engine .”

* Stanley, an anthropomorphic locomotive on the Mid Sodor Railway in The Railway Series of books by W. V. Awdry

Christopher Awdry has written a new book for the series, titled Thomas and Victoria, which focuses on stories relating to the railway preservation movement.

Awdry himself claimed that it was a case of oversensitivity on the part of the race relations board ; a complaint that was misinterpreted by some members of the public as meaning that he was a racist.

Awdry complained that Percy did not look like a real locomotive, an issue that had caused contention between the two men on several occasions and concerning several characters.

W. Awdry watching trains on the Great Western Railway as a child.

W. Awdry has claimed that Edward is based on a heavily modified Sharp, Stewart & Co. " Larger Seagull " locomotive supplied to the Furness Railway in 1896, but this is a piece of retcon created for the book The Island of Sodor: Its People, History and Railways.

The Reverend Awdry used a model of a LMS Class 2P 4-4-0 class to represent Edward on his model railway.

According to the Rev Awdry, the Class 28s were powerful goods engines but had a tendency to be nose-heavy, especially when used as relief engines on excursion trains, as they often were, and driven at speed.

The Rev Awdry had two models of James on his OO gauge model railway.

W. Awdry recalls seeing pannier tanks at work on the Great Western Railway at Box in Wiltshire, where he lived as a child.

W. Awdry, the character Daisy the Diesel Rail-Car was introduced to assist on the Branch Line when Thomas was away for repair.

' Teddy ' Boston, then curate at Wisbech, arranged for Awdry to ride on the footplate of one of the last surviving steam tram engines on the Tramway.

In 1961, Awdry wrote an article for Railway Modeller magazine on the construction of this locomotive.

Awdry ( 1911 – 1997 ), the creator of Thomas the Tank Engine, lived there as a boy at Lorne House on London Road, now a bed and breakfast.

The large Moss Mead housing estate is on the north side, past a long, narrow strip of grass named the Long Dragon Piece and some willow pollards ; to the east are Awdry Close and Brinkworth Close, and to the south are Turpin Way and Brittain Close.

W Awdry based all his stories on real incidents on the real railways.

W. Awdry is based on Vickerstown.

W. Awdry ( which developed into the television series Thomas the Tank Engine and Friends ), locomotives such as Thomas the Tank Engine live on the fictional Island of Sodor, a much larger island which takes the place of Walney Island.

* In 16 July 1918, British flying ace Major Awdry Vaucour was killed in the vicinity of Monastier di Treviso, Italy when he was accidentally shot down by an Italian pilot.

Awdry was educated at Worksop College, a public school in North Nottinghamshire.

* The Revd W. V. Awdry, creator of Thomas the Tank Engine, was a curate at King ’ s Norton from late 1940 to 1946

He does bear a resemblance to several designs of 0-4-0 tank locomotive built by the Avonside Engine Company such as GWR No. 1340 Trojan, and so Awdry stated that Percy had probably begun as one of these, but had been extensively rebuilt – " fitters at Crovan's Gate have found components made by Hunslet and other manufacturers ".

W. Awdry, the Skarloey Railway is a narrow gauge railway which runs from the main line at Crovan's Gate to the passenger terminus at Skarloey.

One of these engines, No. 55 Stepney, is best known as being the first locomotive to arrive at the Bluebell Railway, which was itself the first preserved standard gauge steam-operated passenger railway in the world when it opened in August 1960, and also for appearing in Stepney the " Bluebell " Engine, one of the books in the original Railway Series written by the Reverend W. Awdry which also gave birth to Thomas the Tank Engine.

Awdry, Vicarstown was where the fictional North Western Railway first had its headquarters and according to some sources was where Thomas The Tank Engine first worked as a station pilot although some maps drawn to accompany the Railway Series books state this was at Tidmouth instead.

* The Rev W. Awdry wrote about GER Class C53 called Toby the Tram Engine, which starred his The Railway Series with his faithful coach, Henrietta.

Christopher Awdry ( born 1940 ) is an English author best known for his contributions to The Railway Series of books featuring Thomas the Tank Engine, which was started by his father, the Rev.

Christopher Awdry is in many ways responsible for the creation of Thomas and his railway, which started as a story told to him by his father during a bout of measles in 1942.

In 2001 Christopher Awdry wrote six stories featured in two books concerning railway safety, which were distributed to every primary school and library in the country.

This series featured a number of original episodes that had not been adapted from The Railway Series stories, some of which annoyed Awdry with their lack of realism.

The phrase " a green caterpillar with red stripes " resurfaces in the later story ' Woolly Bear ', in which Thomas uses it as an insult to Percy and amends were made between Awdry and Dalby.

In order to ensure consistency and accuracy, Awdry developed a ' history ' for the Island of Sodor and its railways, which was published to accompany the series.

He did eventually return, in Edward the Blue Engine, becoming the only non-rail character to appear in more than one book by the Reverend Awdry.

Awdry often used names from religion and the Anglican Church as placenames in his books.

Henry the Green Engine is an anthropomorphic 4-6-0 steam locomotive from The Railway Series books written by the Reverend Wilbert Vere Awdry and his son, Christopher Awdry, and the spin-off children's television series, Thomas the Tank Engine & Friends.

The model Henry made by the Rev W Awdry is said to have had as many problems as his fictional counterpart, according to the Reverend himself in this text from his Model Railway Scrapbook:

Percy the Small Engine is a fictional anthropomorphic steam engine from The Railway Series of children's books written by the Reverend Wilbert Vere Awdry and his son, Christopher Awdry.

Edward the Blue Engine is a fictional anthropomorphic steam locomotive from The Railway Series children's books by the Rev W. Awdry, and the related TV Series Thomas the Tank Engine & Friends.

In the book The Island of Sodor: Its People, History and Railways, Awdry explained the difference in James's appearance from a Class 28.

W. Awdry said that such a race was not likely due to " reprisals from authority ", and he is careful to note in the story that " although, between you and me, they would like to have another race, I don't think they ever will ".

Awdry as being old and in need of new paint ; however, Thomas loves them dearly and would never dream of being separated from them.

Christopher Awdry has suggested in a character profile that they may have been rebuilt from older, six-wheeled coaches by The Fat Controller.

Awdry, the line began as a plateway and was opened in 1806 to collect slate from the local quarries.

Awdry required a setting for his books that would be within Great Britain, but would be sufficiently isolated from the rest of British Railways to allow him to do as he wished with the location.

W. Awdry, The Other Railway refers to British Railways ( later British Rail ), the UK nationalised rail organisation that existed from 1948 until 1997.