[1] The words, with some slight alterations, were later set to music by Lee Ricks and Slim Gaillard in 1948 and released by Tommy Dorsey and his orchestra as a single entitled "Down by the Station".

Another story about Edward followed, this time featuring Gordon the Big Engine, named after a child living on the same road who Christopher considered rather bossy.

As with the previous rhyme, the origins of this are uncertain, but Awdry received a letter telling him that a similar poem had appeared in a book of children's rhymes, published in 1902:[3] Once an engine when fixed to a train Was alarmed at a few drops of rain, So went "puff" from its funnel Then fled to a tunnel, And would not come out again.

Encouraged by his wife Margaret, Awdry submitted the three stories to publishing firm Edmund Ward in Leicester in 1943.

Although Wilbert had not intended that the three engines live on the same railway, he complied with the request in the story Edward, Gordon and Henry.

The four stories were published by Edmund Ward in 1945 as a single volume, The Three Railway Engines, illustrated by William Middleton.

James the Red Engine was notable as the first book to be illustrated by C. Reginald Dalby, perhaps the most famous of the Railway Series artists, and certainly the most controversial due to the criticism later aimed at him by Awdry.

[5] Anthropomorphisation of locomotives has a literary tradition extending back at least as far as the writings of Rudyard Kipling in his 1897 story ".007".

At the time, work on the television adaptation was underway, and Kaye and Ward were keen to revive The Railway Series.

[citation needed] Christopher wrote another 13 books, including the 50th anniversary volume Thomas and the Fat Controller's Engines.

On 3 September, Christopher published the 41st book in the series, Thomas and Victoria, illustrated by Clive Spong.

[citation needed] The Railway Series is perhaps as highly regarded for its illustrations as for its writing, which in the immediate post-Second World War era were seen as uniquely vivid and colourful.

The first edition of The Three Railway Engines was illustrated by the artist William Middleton, with whom Awdry was deeply dissatisfied.

The second artist to work on the series was Reginald Payne, who illustrated Thomas the Tank Engine in a far more realistic style.

Payne later suffered a nervous breakdown and proved impossible to contact to illustrate James the Red Engine, so C. Reginald Dalby was hired.

Dalby's work on the series proved popular with readers, but not with the author, who repeatedly clashed with him over issues of accuracy and consistency.

As a result of his commitment to realism and technical accuracy, he enjoyed a far more comfortable working relationship with Awdry, which lasted until Gallant Old Engine (1962), when Kenney's eyesight began to deteriorate.

When Christopher took over as author of the series in 1983, the publisher was keen to find an illustrator who would provide work that had the gem-like appeal of Dalby's pictures, but also had the realism of Kenney and Edwards' artwork.

He illustrated all of Christopher Awdry's books, a greater number than any other artist working on The Railway Series.

He also produced illustrations for a number of spin-off stories written by the Awdrys, and his artwork was used in The Island of Sodor: Its People, History and Railways.

The "Sodor" part of the title comes from the Sudreys, but Awdry decided that a fictional island between the Isle of Man and England by that name would be an ideal setting for his stories.

In partnership with his brother George (the librarian of the National Liberal Club), he gradually devised Sodor's history, geography, language, industries and even geology.

In some of W. Awdry's later books he appeared as the Thin Clergyman and was described as a writer, though his name and connections to the series were never made explicit.

In Dalby's books, he made allusions to himself twice on store signs (Seen in Off the Rails and Saved from Scrap) and a reference to E.T.L.

Marriott, who edited The Railway Series, in Percy Takes the Plunge on a "Ship Chandlers" company sign.

[11] The Thin Controller, in charge of the narrow-gauge engines in the books was based on Mr Edward Thomas, the manager of the Talyllyn Railway in its last years before enthusiasts took it over in 1951.

[citation needed] A number of the stories are based on articles which appeared in railway enthusiast publications of the period.

Satirical magazine Private Eye produced a book called Thomas the Privatised Tank Engine, written in the style of The Railway Series.

Lloyd Webber would go on to compose the 1984 musical Starlight Express, and create The Really Useful Group, a name inspired by the catchphrase "Really Useful Engines".