Major characters in The Railway Series

Many characters have appeared in the books of The Railway Series by the Rev. Wilbert Awdry and Christopher Awdry, and in the spin-off television series, Thomas and Friends.

This article profiles the most significant characters of the series. Only characters who appear in the books have been profiled in this article and, in the case where a character has appeared in both series, only the book aspect has been addressed. The numerous less-significant characters – i.e. all those not included on this page – are described in Minor characters in The Railway Series.

These are the railway locomotives (known universally in the books as 'engines') of the Fat Controller's railway: the North Western Railway (NWR) on the Island of Sodor.

Thomas the Tank Engine is an 0-6-0 tank locomotive, based on the LB&SCR E2 Class. He is painted blue with red lining and is No.1 in the North Western Railway fleet. Thomas was given his own branch line, which he operates with his two coaches, Annie and Clarabel. He was built in 1913 and arrived on Sodor in May 1915.

He is a cheeky engine who takes great pride in his branch line, and believes himself to be extremely important to the running of the railway.

Thomas is also the most-featured character in the eponymous television series, Thomas the Tank Engine and Friends (the original name for Thomas and Friends).

Edward the Blue Engine is a Furness Railway K2 4-4-0 tender engine, the first character to appear in The Railway Series. He is painted blue with red stripes and is No.2 in the North Western Railway fleet. He is the oldest of the engines on the railway, as well as very kind and is a friend to everyone. He was built in 1896 and arrived on Sodor in 1915.

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