The world’s favourite steam engine - Thomas the Tank Engine - started life in a book in the 1940s.
Created by the Rev. W. Awdry, when he was making up stories for his son, the first book in the Railway series was published in 1945. The Three Railway Engines was then followed by 26 stories from Rev. Awdry, with his son Christopher taking the reigns in the 1980s and adding 14 stories of his own about the fictional engines.
This series about the railways on the fictional island of Sodor, was the basis for the much-loved Thomas & Friends books and TV series.
The Thomas the Tank engine characters, like the Fat Controller, Gordon and Thomas, remain as popular with children as ever and adults will also love rediscovering the original stories in this classic series.
For young fans, check out the list of new Thomas the Tank Engine books below - from picture books to activity books, there is something for everyone.
All the Thomas the Tank Engine Railway series books in order:
Book 1: The Three Railway Engines (1945)
Book 2: Thomas the Tank Engine (1946)
Book 3: James the Red Engine (1948)
Book 4: Tank Engine Thomas Again (1949)
Book 5: Troublesome Engines (1950)
Book 6: Henry the Green Engine (1951)
Book 7: Toby the Tram Engine (1952)
Book 8: Gordon the Big Engine (1953)
Book 9: Edward the Blue Engine (1954)
Book 10: Four Little Engines (1955)
Book 11: Percy the Small Engines (1956)
Book 12: The Eight Famous Engines (1957)
Book 13: Duck and the Diesel Engine (1958)
Book 14: The Little Old Engine (1959)
Book 15: The Twin Engines (1960)
Book 16: Branch Line Engines (1961)
Book 17: Gallant Old Engine (1962)
Book 18: Stepney the “Bluebell” Engine (1963)
Book 19: Mountain Engines (1964)
Book 20: Very Old Engines (1965)
Book 21: Main Line Engines (1966)
Book 22: Small Railway Engines (1967)
Book 23: Enterprising Engines (1968)
Book 24: Oliver the Western Engine (1969)
Book 25: Duke the Lost Engine (1970)
Book 26: Tramway Engines (1972)
Book 27: Really Useful Engines (1983)
Book 28: James and the Diesel Engines (1984)
Book 29: Great Little Engines (1985)
Book 30: More About Thomas the Tank Engine (1986)
Book 31: Gordon the High Speed Engine (1987)
Book 32: Toby, Trucks and Trouble (1988)
Book 33: Thomas and the Twins (1989)
Book 34: Jock the New Engine (1990)
Book 35: Thomas and the Great Railway Show (1991)
Book 36: Thomas Comes Home (1992)
Book 37: Henry and the Express (1993)
Book 38: Wilbert the Forest Engine (1994)
Book 39: Thomas and the Fat Controller’s Engines (1995)
Book 40: New Little Engine (1996)
Book 41: Thomas and Victoria (2007)
Book 42: Thomas and his Friends (2011)
See also:
Thomas & Friends picture books
Thomas Engine Adventures series
My First Thomas Books
Beautiful hardback edition of The Three Railway Engines In The Three Railway Engines,... MoreThomas the Tank Engine: The Railway Series: The Three Railway Engines
This book allows fans of Thomas to rediscover the original classic stories about the world's best-loved tank engine. In ... MoreThe Railway Series No. 2: Thomas the Tank Engine
Beautiful hardback edition of James the Red Engine In James the Red Eng... MoreThomas the Tank Engine: The Railway Series: James the Red Engine
You will remember that previously Thomas was given a branch line all to himself. Here he is proudly running up and down ... MoreThe Railway Series No. 4: Tank Engine Thomas Again
This book tells how Henry meets an elephant and James spins round like a top, how the Fat Controller deals with the bigg... MoreThe Railway Series No. 5: Troublesome Engines
Henry the Green Engine has now recovered from his silly habit of staying inside tunnels whenever it rains, but he is sti... MoreHenry the Green Engine
With Henrietta and some trucks rattling behind him, Toby ran along beside roads and through villages and fields with pas... MoreThe Railway Series No. 7: Toby the Tram Engine
Gordon, that proud and pompous Express Engine, appeared in all the earlier books in this series, but this is the first t... MoreThe Railway Series No. 8: Gordon the Big Engine
Thomas and his friends remain as popular as ever, loved by millions all over the world; the original Railway Series book... MoreFour Little Engines
Thomas and his friends remain as popular as ever, loved by millions all over the world; the original Railway Series book... MoreThe Railway Series No. 12: Eight Famous Engines
Thomas and his friends remain as popular as ever, loved by millions all over the world; the original Railway Series book... MoreThe Railway Series No. 13: Duck and the Diesel Engine
Thomas and his friends remain as popular as ever, loved by millions all over the world; the original Railway Series book... MoreThe Railway Series No. 14: the Little Old Engine
Thomas and his friends remain as popular as ever, loved by millions all over the world; the original Railway Series book... MoreThe Railway Series No. 15: The Twin Engines
Eight volumes from the original Railway Series. Each book contains an exciting adventure which is beautifully illustrate... MoreThe Railway Series No. 16: Branch Line Engines
Thomas and his friends remain as popular as ever, loved by millions all over the world; the original Railway Series book... MoreThe Railway Series No. 17: Gallant Old Engine
Thomas and his friends remain as popular as ever, loved by millions all over the world; the original Railway Series book... MoreThe Railway Series No. 18: Stepney the "Bluebell" Engine
Thomas and his friends remain as popular as ever, loved by millions all over the world; the original Railway Series book... MoreThe Railway Series No. 19: Mountain Engines
Description Eight volumes from the original Railway Series. Each book contains an exciting adventure which is beautifull... MoreThe Railway Series No. 20: Very Old Engines
Thomas and his friends remain as popular as ever, loved by millions all over the world; the original Railway Series book... MoreThe Railway Series No. 21: Main Line Engines
Thomas and his friends remain as popular as ever, loved by millions all over the world; the original Railway Series book... MoreThe Railway Series No. 22: Small Railway Engines
Thomas and his friends remain as popular as ever, loved by millions all over the world; the original Railway Series book... MoreThe Railway Series No. 23: Enterprising Engines
Thomas and his friends remain as popular as ever, loved by millions all over the world; the original Railway Series book... MoreThe Railway Series No. 24: Oliver the Western Engine
Thomas and his friends remain as popular as ever, loved by millions all over the world; the original Railway Series book... MoreThe Railway Series No. 25: Duke the Lost Engine
Thomas and his friends remain as popular as ever, loved by millions all over the world; the original Railway Series book... MoreThe Railway Series No. 26: Tramway Engines
The Reverend Awdry created Thomas the Tank Engine for his son, Christopher Awdry, who continued his father's work by wri... MoreThe Railway Series No. 27: Really Useful Engines
The Reverend Awdry created Thomas the Tank Engine for his son, Christopher Awdry, who continued his father's work by wri... MoreThe Railway Series No. 28: James and the Diesel Engines
The Reverend Awdry created Thomas the Tank Engine for his son, Christopher Awdry, who continued his father's work by wri... MoreThe Railway Series: Great Little Engines
The Reverend Awdry created Thomas the Tank Engine for his son, Christopher Awdry, who continued his father's work by wri... MoreThe Railway Series No. 30: More About Thomas the Tank Engine
The Reverend Awdry created Thomas the Tank Engine for his son, Christopher Awdry, who continued his father's work by wri... MoreThe Railway Series No. 3: Gordon the High-Speed Engine
The Reverend Awdry created Thomas the Tank Engine for his son, Christopher Awdry, who continued his father's work by wri... MoreThe Railway Series No. 32: Toby, Trucks and Trouble
The Reverend Awdry created Thomas the Tank Engine for his son, Christopher Awdry, who continued his father's work by wri... MoreThe Railway Series No. 33: Thomas and the Twins
The Reverend Awdry created Thomas the Tank Engine for his son, Christopher Awdry, who continued his father's work by wri... MoreThe Railway Series No. 34: Jock the New Engine
The Reverend Awdry created Thomas the Tank Engine for his son, Christopher Awdry, who continued his father's work by wri... MoreThe Railway Series No. 35: Thomas and the Great Railway Show
The Reverend Awdry created Thomas the Tank Engine for his son, Christopher Awdry, who continued his father's work by wri... MoreThe Railway Series No. 36: Thomas Comes Home
The Reverend Awdry created Thomas the Tank Engine for his son, Christopher Awdry, who continued his father's work by wri... MoreThe Railway Series No. 37: Henry and the Express
The Reverend Awdry created Thomas the Tank Engine for his son, Christopher Awdry, who continued his father's work by wri... MoreThe Railway Series No. 38: Wilbert the Forest Engine
The Reverend Awdry created Thomas the Tank Engine for his son, Christopher Awdry, who continued his father's work by wri... MoreThe Railway Series No. 39: Thomas and the Fat Controller's Engines
The Reverend Awdry created Thomas the Tank Engine for his son, Christopher Awdry, who continued his father's work by wri... MoreThe Railway Series No. 40: New Little Engine
With four new stories and Clive Spong's stunning illustrations of Thomas and the new vintage coach, Victoria, this book ... MoreThe Railway Series No. 41: Thomas and Victoria
Covering the years 1957 to 1959, this fifth volume of the Complete Collection brings together in its 144 pages three vol... MoreThe Complete Collection
This was a good read but unfortunately this was from the part of the series that wasn't adapted into the TV Series hence the 4-star rating....
This is an excellent little book which features more action on the Skarloey Railway. There are some very entertaining stories including when Peter Sam...
From 1964 this was the second book to be illustrated by Peter Edwards with scenes drawn from life around Mt Snowdon in Wales. Another story of pride, ...

