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Did you know that Wilbert Awdry was born today in 1911? As a child Wilbert Awdry lived near a railway line and he could hear the trains communicating by whistle and the sounds of the train engines as they worked. In 1943, Wilbert Awdry’s son was sick with measles and quarantined in a dark room. To cheer him up, Awdry created stories about trains who worked together. Later, these stories were written down and published as The Railway Series, which takes place on the fictional Island of Sodor. The characters in these books are known and loved by children all over the world – especially Thomas the Tank Engine.

We hope that you have an imaginative day at school today. Remember to think kind thoughts, use kind words, and do kind things. We Love You.

Bonus Facts:
Wilbert Awdry is sometimes known as Reverend W. Awdry.

From 1945 to 1972, Wilbert Awdry wrote 26 books in The Railway Series. His son Christopher has added other books to the series.

Wilbert Awdry was a railway enthusiast. He was involved with railway preservation projects and built model trails and railways. As such, many of the stories in The Railway Series are based off of real-life events, situations, trains, and railways.

Although Thomas the Tank Engine is the most popular character in The Railway Series, he did not appear in the first of The Railway Series books. Henry, Edward, and Gordon were the trains in the first book

Wilbert Awdry also wrote other children’s stories such as Belinda the Beetle, about a car.