The Railway Stories
Encyclopedia
The Railway Stories are a series of audio adaptations of The Railway Series
books by the Rev. W Awdry
and his son Christopher
.
Nearly all of the 41 books in the series have been recorded by one of five different narrators: Johnny Morris
, William Rushton
, Ted Robbins
, Michael Angelis
, and even the Rev. W. Awdry himself.
narrated by the Rev. W. Awdry
himself (see photo), with "background effects taken from real engines".
This record, released in 1957 by Chiltern Records of Princes Risborough
, contained two stories – Edward's Day Out and Edward and Gordon – from the first book in the Railway Series: The Three Railway Engines.
Examples of this recording are extremely rare.
and released in the early 1960s by the Delysé Recording Company. Each 7" (45rpm) vinyl record contained two stories, taken from the first eight books of The Railway Series. The recordings were released in mono
.
The front of the record sleeve showed an original illustration from the story in the original book. While on the back, there was a list of the other recordings in "The Railway Engine Series" [sic], together with an introduction from the Rev. W. Awdry
:
The label on the record was also quite distinctive, showing a smiling red engine on a blue/white background. The label was carefully designed so that the record player spindle fitted through the engine's 'nose'! No attempt had been made to make the engine look like one of those from the stories.
Stories from Book 2 - Thomas the Tank Engine:
Stories from Book 3 - James the Red Engine:
Stories from Book 4 - Tank Engine Thomas Again:
Stories from Book 5 - Troublesome Engines:
Stories from Book 6 - Henry the Green Engine:
Stories from Book 7 - Toby the Tram Engine:
Stories from Book 8 - Gordon the Big Engine:
as part of their "World of Children's Stories" series. Each record contained the stories from two complete books, one book on each side. The sleeve notes included the same quote from Rev. W. Awdry (see Delysé recordings, above). The sleeve illustrations were taken directly from the artwork of the original books.
The first eight books were again narrated by Johnny Morris
. The original Delysé recordings were re-used.
Decca was also the owner of the Argo
label, renowned for its audiobooks and other non-music recordings. It was therefore a natural progression to extend the series on this label. New recordings were made for six further books from The Railway Series, starting with Edward the Blue Engine. These stories were narrated by Willie Rushton
and the gaps between the tracks included atmospheric (if not always accurate) steam or diesel sound effects.
The albums were later released on audio cassette under the same labels. Recordings were produced by Peter Johnson ('Peter John Productions'); with Kaye & Ward Ltd and Third Man Music being identified as owners of the works.
Subsequently, Willie Rushton also recorded the remaining books (up to no. 26 Tramway Engines) on the Argo label. These recordings were never released on vinyl, only on audio cassette.
Volume 1: DECCA MONO LP - PA 270 (1972), Cassette - KCPA 270 (19??)
Side 1 (from Book 1: The Three Railway Engines)
Side 2 (from Book 2: Thomas the Tank Engine)
Volume 2: DECCA MONO LP - PA 271 (1972), Cassette - KCPA 271 (19??)
Side 1 (from Book 3: James the Red Engine)
Side 2 (from Book 4: Tank Engine Thomas Again)
Volume 3: DECCA MONO LP - PA 272 (1972), Cassette - KCPA 272 (19??)
Side 1 (from Book 5: Troublesome Engines)
Side 2 (from Book 6: Henry the Green Engine)
(The book Henry the Green Engine was unique in the series by having five stories rather than four.
For the recording, it was the fourth story "Percy and the Trousers" which was omitted.)
Volume 4: DECCA MONO LP - PA 273 (1972), Cassette - KCPA 273 (19??)
Side 1 (from Book 7: Toby the Tram Engine)
Side 2 (from Book 8: Gordon the Big Engine)
Volume 5: ARGO STEREO LP - SPA 559 (19??), Cassette - KCSP 559 (1979)
Side 1 (from Book 9: Edward the Blue Engine)
Side 2 (from Book 10: Four Little Engines)
Volume 6: ARGO STEREO LP - SPA 560 (19??), Cassette - KCSP 560 (1979)
Side 1 (from Book 11: Percy the Small Engine)
Side 2 (from Book 12: The Eight Famous Engines)
Volume 7: ARGO STEREO LP - SPA 561 (1972), Cassette - KCSP 561 (1979)
Side 1 (from Book 13: Duck and the Diesel Engine)
Side 2 (from Book 14: The Little Old Engine)
The case insert for the cassette version lists the story titles as being on 'Side 1' and 'Side 2', but the labels on the cassette itself are marked '5' and '6'. By comparison, the label on cassette KCSP 559 identifies the sides conventionally ('1' and '2').
The Willie Rushton compilation was released again after Decca's acquisition by PolyGram
in 1980, this time as a twin boxed set. The recordings were distributed exclusively by EMI
, which was somewhat ironic as EMI was Decca's main competitor for several decades. In addition to the 'new' Argo logo, the EMI logo was displayed on the spine of the case sleeve.
The sleeve artwork was a heavily-cropped portion of the illustration from the earlier compilation. The picture was based on one from the original books, the artist being credited as "Quick on the Draw". Decca was shown as copyright holder; Kaye & Ward Ltd and Third Man Music were no longer mentioned in the sleeve notes
First release:
The Railway Stories - ARGO - SAY 87/1 - two mono cassettes - (date unknown)
These tapes were marked as 'a Delesé Production.
The Railway Stories - ARGO - SAY 29 - two stereo cassettes - (date unknown)
The cassette label and case insert showed the title as "The Railway Stories", and named the narrator and original author. Apart from this, and the usual copyright data, they were completely devoid of any indication as to the content of the recordings or the people behind them. It is not known whether the cassettes were originally supplied in some form of additional outer case that better described their content.
Second release:
The Railway Stories - ARGO 1058 - Double stereo cassette - (1982)
Sides One & Two – (tape 1 - individually labelled ARGO 1059):
Sides Three & Four – (tape 2 - individually labelled ARGO 1060):
More Railway Stories - ARGO xxxx - Double stereo cassette - (19??)
Sides One & Two – (tape 1 - individually labelled ARGO xxxx):
Sides Three & Four – (tape 2 - individually labelled ARGO xxxx):
Further Railway Stories - ARGO xxxx - Double stereo cassette - (19??)
Sides One & Two – (tape 1 - individually labelled ARGO xxxx):
Sides Three & Four – (tape 2 - individually labelled ARGO xxxx):
recorded most of the stories written by Christopher Awdry
. These were released in the 1990s by Egmont Books, on a series of four audio cassettes. In each case, the 'middle' book was split across the two sides of the cassette:
Thomas and the Twins, and other stories (1994) ( ISBN 1860210007 )
Gordon the High Speed Engine, and other stories (1994) ( ISBN 1860210015 )
Really Useful Engines, and other stories (1995) ( ISBN 1860210139 )
James and the Diesel Engine, and other stories (1995) ( ISBN 186021021X )
A selection of the stories were later released for the Early Learning Centre
, under the title Storytime with Thomas the Tank Engine: "10 classic railway stories with music and sound effects". There were two cassettes released, both using the same Ken Stott-style illustration, the second being labelled 'Volume 2'.
in March 2006. It contained adaptations of the first three Railway Series books, and was narrated by Michael Angelis
. So far, five such CDs have been released, each containing three volumes from the Railway Series. A sixth CD is due to be released in June 2011.
The CDs are more reflective of the Thomas the Tank Engine and Friends
TV series than the Railway Series books. This is evident through the cover art, which uses promotional images from the recent series', the storytelling style, and the splicing of several of the songs from the TV series within the stories.
The first volume of The Railway Stories that Angelis narrated (consisting of The Three Railway Engines, Thomas the Tank Engine, and James the Red Engine) is available for download at the iTunes Music Store as well.
Angelis has also recorded a number of stories for the "Thomas & Friends Audio Range". Each book, which is of a similar form to those in the My Thomas Story Library range, is accompanied by a CD containing the story narrated by Angelis, with sound effects and music. Known subjects include: Thomas, Gordon, Henry, James, Toby, Bertie and Terence http://www.worldofthomas.co.uk/acatalog/Coming_soon.html.
The Railway Series
The Railway Series is a set of story books about a railway system located on the fictional Island of Sodor. There are 42 books in the series, the first being published in 1945. Twenty-six were written by the Rev. W. Awdry, up to 1972. A further 16 were written by his son, Christopher Awdry; 14...
books by the Rev. W Awdry
W.V. Awdry
Wilbert Vere Awdry, OBE , was an English clergyman, railway enthusiast and children's author, better known as the Reverend W. Awdry and creator of Thomas the Tank Engine, who starred in Awdry's acclaimed Railway Series.-Life:Awdry was born at Ampfield vicarage near Romsey, Hampshire in 1911...
and his son Christopher
Christopher Awdry
Christopher Awdry 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. W. Awdry. He has also produced children's books based on a number of other railways, as well as non-fiction articles...
.
Nearly all of the 41 books in the series have been recorded by one of five different narrators: Johnny Morris
Johnny Morris
Ernest John "Johnny" Morris OBE ) was a Welsh television presenter. He is best known for narrating the imported, Canadian-produced Tales of the Riverbank series of stories about Hammy the Hamster, Roderick the Rat, GP the Guinea Pig, and their assorted animal friends along a riverbank and...
, William Rushton
William Rushton
William Rushton may refer to:* W. A. H. Rushton British physiologist* Willie Rushton , British comedian...
, Ted Robbins
Ted Robbins
Ted Robbins is an English comedian, actor, broadcaster, radio DJ, radio personality, voice-over artist and television personalityRobbins currently presents a morning show on BBC Radio Lancashire from 9am - 11am on weekdays....
, Michael Angelis
Michael Angelis
Michael Angelis is an English actor and voice actor.Michael Angelis was one of the stars of the famous 1982 BBC drama serial Boys from the Black Stuff and another Alan Bleasedale drama G.B.H.. He also starred in comedies such as Luv and The Liver Birds, in which he appeared between series 5 and 9...
, and even the Rev. W. Awdry himself.
Rev. W. Awdry recordings
The very first known audio adaptation was a 7" (33⅓rpm) EPExtended play
An EP is a musical recording which contains more music than a single, but is too short to qualify as a full album or LP. The term EP originally referred only to specific types of vinyl records other than 78 rpm standard play records and LP records, but it is now applied to mid-length Compact...
narrated by the Rev. W. Awdry
W.V. Awdry
Wilbert Vere Awdry, OBE , was an English clergyman, railway enthusiast and children's author, better known as the Reverend W. Awdry and creator of Thomas the Tank Engine, who starred in Awdry's acclaimed Railway Series.-Life:Awdry was born at Ampfield vicarage near Romsey, Hampshire in 1911...
himself (see photo), with "background effects taken from real engines".
This record, released in 1957 by Chiltern Records of Princes Risborough
Princes Risborough
Princes Risborough is a small town in Buckinghamshire, England, about 9 miles south of Aylesbury and 8 miles north west of High Wycombe. Bledlow lies to the west and Monks Risborough to the east. It lies at the foot of the Chiltern Hills, at the north end of a gap or pass through the Chilterns,...
, contained two stories – Edward's Day Out and Edward and Gordon – from the first book in the Railway Series: The Three Railway Engines.
Examples of this recording are extremely rare.
Johnny Morris recordings (Delysé)
The first widely-available recordings were narrated by Johnny MorrisJohnny Morris
Ernest John "Johnny" Morris OBE ) was a Welsh television presenter. He is best known for narrating the imported, Canadian-produced Tales of the Riverbank series of stories about Hammy the Hamster, Roderick the Rat, GP the Guinea Pig, and their assorted animal friends along a riverbank and...
and released in the early 1960s by the Delysé Recording Company. Each 7" (45rpm) vinyl record contained two stories, taken from the first eight books of The Railway Series. The recordings were released in mono
Monaural
Monaural or monophonic sound reproduction is single-channel. Typically there is only one microphone, one loudspeaker, or channels are fed from a common signal path...
.
The front of the record sleeve showed an original illustration from the story in the original book. While on the back, there was a list of the other recordings in "The Railway Engine Series" [sic], together with an introduction from the Rev. W. Awdry
W.V. Awdry
Wilbert Vere Awdry, OBE , was an English clergyman, railway enthusiast and children's author, better known as the Reverend W. Awdry and creator of Thomas the Tank Engine, who starred in Awdry's acclaimed Railway Series.-Life:Awdry was born at Ampfield vicarage near Romsey, Hampshire in 1911...
:
The label on the record was also quite distinctive, showing a smiling red engine on a blue/white background. The label was carefully designed so that the record player spindle fitted through the engine's 'nose'! No attempt had been made to make the engine look like one of those from the stories.
Record Details
Stories from Book 1 - The Three Railway Engines:- DEL101 (196x) - 1. Edward's Day Out, 2. Edward and Gordon
- DEL102 (196x) - 1. The Sad Story of Henry, 2. Edward, Gordon and Henry
Stories from Book 2 - Thomas the Tank Engine:
- DEL103 (1961) - 1. Thomas and Gordon, 2. Thomas's Train
- DEL104 (196x) - 1. Thomas and the Trucks, 2. Thomas and the Breakdown Train
Stories from Book 3 - James the Red Engine:
- DEL114 (196x) - 1. James and the Top Hat, 2. James and the Bootlace
- DEL115 (196x) - 1. Troublesome Trucks, 2. James and the Express
Stories from Book 4 - Tank Engine Thomas Again:
- DEL137 (1964) - 1. Thomas and the Guard, 2. Thomas Goes Fishing
- DEL138 (196x) - 1. Thomas, Terence and the Snow, 2. Thomas and Bertie
Stories from Book 5 - Troublesome Engines:
- DEL142 (196x) - 1. Henry and the Elephant, 2. Tenders and Turntables
- DEL143 (196x) - 1. Trouble in the Shed, 2. Percy Runs Away
Stories from Book 6 - Henry the Green Engine:
- DEL150 (196x) - 1. Coal, 2. The Flying Kipper
- DEL151 (1966) - 1. Gordon's Whistle, 2. Henry's Sneeze
Stories from Book 7 - Toby the Tram Engine:
- DEL152 (196x) - 1. Toby and the Stout Gentleman, 2. Thomas in Trouble
- DEL153 (196x) - 1. Dirty Objects, 2. Mrs Kindley's Christmas
Stories from Book 8 - Gordon the Big Engine:
- DEL154 (196x) - 1. Off the Rails, 2. Leaves
- DEL155 (1966) - 1. Down the Mine, 2. Paint Pots and Queens
Decca and Argo recordings
In the 1970s the stories were released on 12" (33⅓rpm) vinyl albums by Decca RecordsDecca Records
Decca Records began as a British record label established in 1929 by Edward Lewis. Its U.S. label was established in late 1934; however, owing to World War II, the link with the British company was broken for several decades....
as part of their "World of Children's Stories" series. Each record contained the stories from two complete books, one book on each side. The sleeve notes included the same quote from Rev. W. Awdry (see Delysé recordings, above). The sleeve illustrations were taken directly from the artwork of the original books.
The first eight books were again narrated by Johnny Morris
Johnny Morris
Ernest John "Johnny" Morris OBE ) was a Welsh television presenter. He is best known for narrating the imported, Canadian-produced Tales of the Riverbank series of stories about Hammy the Hamster, Roderick the Rat, GP the Guinea Pig, and their assorted animal friends along a riverbank and...
. The original Delysé recordings were re-used.
Decca was also the owner of the Argo
Argo Records (UK)
Argo Records was a record label founded in 1951 by Harley Usill , and musicologist Cyril Clarke with £500 capital, initially as a company specialising in "British music played by British artists" , but it quickly became a company primarily specialising in spoken-word recordings and other esoteric ...
label, renowned for its audiobooks and other non-music recordings. It was therefore a natural progression to extend the series on this label. New recordings were made for six further books from The Railway Series, starting with Edward the Blue Engine. These stories were narrated by Willie Rushton
Willie Rushton
William George Rushton, commonly known as Willie Rushton was an English cartoonist, satirist, comedian, actor and performer who co-founded the Private Eye satirical magazine.- School and army :William George Rushton was born 18 August 1937 in the family home at Scarsdale Villas,...
and the gaps between the tracks included atmospheric (if not always accurate) steam or diesel sound effects.
The albums were later released on audio cassette under the same labels. Recordings were produced by Peter Johnson ('Peter John Productions'); with Kaye & Ward Ltd and Third Man Music being identified as owners of the works.
Subsequently, Willie Rushton also recorded the remaining books (up to no. 26 Tramway Engines) on the Argo label. These recordings were never released on vinyl, only on audio cassette.
Individual books
The Johnny Morris albums were identified as 'Volume 1' to 'Volume 4'; while the Willie Rushton recordings omitted any 'Volume' identity on the front cover. For clarity, the recording details below have been identified by volume numbers, regardless of whether these were shown on the sleeve.Volume 1: DECCA MONO LP - PA 270 (1972), Cassette - KCPA 270 (19??)
- Narrator: Johnny MorrisJohnny MorrisErnest John "Johnny" Morris OBE ) was a Welsh television presenter. He is best known for narrating the imported, Canadian-produced Tales of the Riverbank series of stories about Hammy the Hamster, Roderick the Rat, GP the Guinea Pig, and their assorted animal friends along a riverbank and...
Side 1 (from Book 1: The Three Railway Engines)
- Edward's Day Out
- Edward and Gordon
- The Sad Story of Henry
- Edward, Gordon and Henry
Side 2 (from Book 2: Thomas the Tank Engine)
- Thomas and Gordon
- Thomas's Train
- Thomas and the Trucks
- Thomas and the Breakdown Train
Volume 2: DECCA MONO LP - PA 271 (1972), Cassette - KCPA 271 (19??)
- Narrator: Johnny MorrisJohnny MorrisErnest John "Johnny" Morris OBE ) was a Welsh television presenter. He is best known for narrating the imported, Canadian-produced Tales of the Riverbank series of stories about Hammy the Hamster, Roderick the Rat, GP the Guinea Pig, and their assorted animal friends along a riverbank and...
Side 1 (from Book 3: James the Red Engine)
- James and the Top Hat
- James and the Bootlace
- Troublesome Trucks
- James and the Express
Side 2 (from Book 4: Tank Engine Thomas Again)
- Thomas and the Guard
- Thomas Goes Fishing
- Thomas, Terence and the Snow
- Thomas and Bertie
Volume 3: DECCA MONO LP - PA 272 (1972), Cassette - KCPA 272 (19??)
- Narrator: Johnny MorrisJohnny MorrisErnest John "Johnny" Morris OBE ) was a Welsh television presenter. He is best known for narrating the imported, Canadian-produced Tales of the Riverbank series of stories about Hammy the Hamster, Roderick the Rat, GP the Guinea Pig, and their assorted animal friends along a riverbank and...
Side 1 (from Book 5: Troublesome Engines)
- Henry and the Elephant
- Tenders and Turntables
- Trouble in the Shed
- Percy Runs Away
Side 2 (from Book 6: Henry the Green Engine)
- Coal
- The Flying Kipper
- Gordon’s Whistle
- Henry’s Sneeze
(The book Henry the Green Engine was unique in the series by having five stories rather than four.
For the recording, it was the fourth story "Percy and the Trousers" which was omitted.)
Volume 4: DECCA MONO LP - PA 273 (1972), Cassette - KCPA 273 (19??)
- Narrator: Johnny MorrisJohnny MorrisErnest John "Johnny" Morris OBE ) was a Welsh television presenter. He is best known for narrating the imported, Canadian-produced Tales of the Riverbank series of stories about Hammy the Hamster, Roderick the Rat, GP the Guinea Pig, and their assorted animal friends along a riverbank and...
Side 1 (from Book 7: Toby the Tram Engine)
- Toby and the Stout Gentleman
- Thomas in Trouble
- Dirty Objects
- Mrs Kindley's Christmas
Side 2 (from Book 8: Gordon the Big Engine)
- Off the Rails
- Leaves
- Down the Mine
- Paint Pots and Queens
Volume 5: ARGO STEREO LP - SPA 559 (19??), Cassette - KCSP 559 (1979)
- Narrator: William RushtonWillie RushtonWilliam George Rushton, commonly known as Willie Rushton was an English cartoonist, satirist, comedian, actor and performer who co-founded the Private Eye satirical magazine.- School and army :William George Rushton was born 18 August 1937 in the family home at Scarsdale Villas,...
Side 1 (from Book 9: Edward the Blue Engine)
- Cows
- Bertie's Chase
- Saved from Scrap
- Old Iron
Side 2 (from Book 10: Four Little Engines)
- Skarloey Remembers
- Sir Handel
- Peter Sam & The Refreshment Lady
- Old Faithful
Volume 6: ARGO STEREO LP - SPA 560 (19??), Cassette - KCSP 560 (1979)
- Narrator: William RushtonWillie RushtonWilliam George Rushton, commonly known as Willie Rushton was an English cartoonist, satirist, comedian, actor and performer who co-founded the Private Eye satirical magazine.- School and army :William George Rushton was born 18 August 1937 in the family home at Scarsdale Villas,...
Side 1 (from Book 11: Percy the Small Engine)
- Percy and the Signal
- Duck Takes Charge
- Percy and Harold
- Percy’s Promise
Side 2 (from Book 12: The Eight Famous Engines)
- Percy Takes the Plunge
- Gordon Goes Foreign
- Double Header
- The Fat Controller’s Engines
Volume 7: ARGO STEREO LP - SPA 561 (1972), Cassette - KCSP 561 (1979)
- Narrator: William RushtonWillie RushtonWilliam George Rushton, commonly known as Willie Rushton was an English cartoonist, satirist, comedian, actor and performer who co-founded the Private Eye satirical magazine.- School and army :William George Rushton was born 18 August 1937 in the family home at Scarsdale Villas,...
Side 1 (from Book 13: Duck and the Diesel Engine)
- Domeless Engines
- Pop Goes The Diesel
- Dirty Work
- A Close Shave
Side 2 (from Book 14: The Little Old Engine)
- Trucks
- Home At Last
- Rock 'n' Roll
- Little Old Twins
The case insert for the cassette version lists the story titles as being on 'Side 1' and 'Side 2', but the labels on the cassette itself are marked '5' and '6'. By comparison, the label on cassette KCSP 559 identifies the sides conventionally ('1' and '2').
Compilations
In addition to the individual releases, the recordings were re-released together as compilations on the Argo label. The first compilations were released on two pairs of individually-cased cassettes: one pair for the Johnny Morris stories, one pair for Willie Rushton's.The Willie Rushton compilation was released again after Decca's acquisition by PolyGram
PolyGram
PolyGram was the name of the major label recording company started by Philips from as a holding company for its music interests in 1945. In 1999 it was sold to Seagram and merged into Universal Music Group.-Hollandsche Decca Distributie , 1929-1950:...
in 1980, this time as a twin boxed set. The recordings were distributed exclusively by EMI
EMI
The EMI Group, also known as EMI Music or simply EMI, is a multinational music company headquartered in London, United Kingdom. It is the fourth-largest business group and family of record labels in the recording industry and one of the "big four" record companies. EMI Group also has a major...
, which was somewhat ironic as EMI was Decca's main competitor for several decades. In addition to the 'new' Argo logo, the EMI logo was displayed on the spine of the case sleeve.
The sleeve artwork was a heavily-cropped portion of the illustration from the earlier compilation. The picture was based on one from the original books, the artist being credited as "Quick on the Draw". Decca was shown as copyright holder; Kaye & Ward Ltd and Third Man Music were no longer mentioned in the sleeve notes
First release:
The Railway Stories - ARGO - SAY 87/1 - two mono cassettes - (date unknown)
- Narrator: Johnny MorrisJohnny MorrisErnest John "Johnny" Morris OBE ) was a Welsh television presenter. He is best known for narrating the imported, Canadian-produced Tales of the Riverbank series of stories about Hammy the Hamster, Roderick the Rat, GP the Guinea Pig, and their assorted animal friends along a riverbank and...
- Side 1 - The Three Railway Engines
- Side 2 - Thomas the Tank Engine
- Side 3 - James the Red Engine:
- Side 4 - Tank Engine Thomas Again
These tapes were marked as 'a Delesé Production.
The Railway Stories - ARGO - SAY 29 - two stereo cassettes - (date unknown)
- Narrator: William RushtonWillie RushtonWilliam George Rushton, commonly known as Willie Rushton was an English cartoonist, satirist, comedian, actor and performer who co-founded the Private Eye satirical magazine.- School and army :William George Rushton was born 18 August 1937 in the family home at Scarsdale Villas,...
- Tape content is the same as for the 'second release' tapes.
The cassette label and case insert showed the title as "The Railway Stories", and named the narrator and original author. Apart from this, and the usual copyright data, they were completely devoid of any indication as to the content of the recordings or the people behind them. It is not known whether the cassettes were originally supplied in some form of additional outer case that better described their content.
Second release:
The Railway Stories - ARGO 1058 - Double stereo cassette - (1982)
- Narrator: William RushtonWillie RushtonWilliam George Rushton, commonly known as Willie Rushton was an English cartoonist, satirist, comedian, actor and performer who co-founded the Private Eye satirical magazine.- School and army :William George Rushton was born 18 August 1937 in the family home at Scarsdale Villas,...
Sides One & Two – (tape 1 - individually labelled ARGO 1059):
- Book 9: Edward the Blue Engine
- Book 10: Four Little Engines
- Book 11: Percy the Small Engine
Sides Three & Four – (tape 2 - individually labelled ARGO 1060):
- Book 12: The Eight Famous Engines
- Book 13: Duck and the Diesel Engine
- Book 14: The Little Old Engine
More Railway Stories - ARGO xxxx - Double stereo cassette - (19??)
- Narrator: William RushtonWillie RushtonWilliam George Rushton, commonly known as Willie Rushton was an English cartoonist, satirist, comedian, actor and performer who co-founded the Private Eye satirical magazine.- School and army :William George Rushton was born 18 August 1937 in the family home at Scarsdale Villas,...
- Cover picture: Peter SamPeter SamPeter Sam is a fictional steam locomotive The Railway Series children's books by the Rev. W. Awdry and the spin-off TV series Thomas and Friends. Peter Sam lives and works on the Skarloey Railway on the Island of Sodor as engine No. 4....
, from "Special Funnel"
Sides One & Two – (tape 1 - individually labelled ARGO xxxx):
- Book 15: The Twin Engines
- Book 16: Branch Line Engines
- Book 17: Gallant Old Engine
Sides Three & Four – (tape 2 - individually labelled ARGO xxxx):
- Book 18: Stepney the "Bluebell" Engine
- Book 19: Mountain Engines
- Book 20: Very Old Engines
Further Railway Stories - ARGO xxxx - Double stereo cassette - (19??)
- Narrator: William RushtonWillie RushtonWilliam George Rushton, commonly known as Willie Rushton was an English cartoonist, satirist, comedian, actor and performer who co-founded the Private Eye satirical magazine.- School and army :William George Rushton was born 18 August 1937 in the family home at Scarsdale Villas,...
- Cover picture: HenryHenry the Green EngineHenry the Green Engine is a fictional 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 and Friends.Henry lives on the fictitious...
, from "Super Rescue"
Sides One & Two – (tape 1 - individually labelled ARGO xxxx):
- Book 21: Main Line Engines
- Book 22: Small Railway Engines
- Book 23: Enterprising Engines
Sides Three & Four – (tape 2 - individually labelled ARGO xxxx):
- Book 24: Oliver the Western Engine
- Book 25: Duke the Lost Engine
- Book 26: Tramway Engines
Ted Robbins recordings
In association with Reed-Tempo Publishing, Ted RobbinsTed Robbins
Ted Robbins is an English comedian, actor, broadcaster, radio DJ, radio personality, voice-over artist and television personalityRobbins currently presents a morning show on BBC Radio Lancashire from 9am - 11am on weekdays....
recorded most of the stories written by Christopher Awdry
Christopher Awdry
Christopher Awdry 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. W. Awdry. He has also produced children's books based on a number of other railways, as well as non-fiction articles...
. These were released in the 1990s by Egmont Books, on a series of four audio cassettes. In each case, the 'middle' book was split across the two sides of the cassette:
Thomas and the Twins, and other stories (1994) ( ISBN 1860210007 )
- Book 33: Thomas and the Twins
- Book 32: Toby, Trucks and Trouble
- Book 30: More About Thomas the Tank Engine
Gordon the High Speed Engine, and other stories (1994) ( ISBN 1860210015 )
- Book 31: Gordon the High Speed Engine
- Book 36: Thomas Comes Home
- Book 37: Henry and the Express
Really Useful Engines, and other stories (1995) ( ISBN 1860210139 )
- Book 27: Really Useful Engines
- Book 29: Great Little Engines
- Book 38: Wilbert the Forest Engine
James and the Diesel Engine, and other stories (1995) ( ISBN 186021021X )
- Book 28: James and the Diesel Engines
- Book 34: Jock the New Engine
- Book 35: Thomas and the Great Railway Show
A selection of the stories were later released for the Early Learning Centre
Early Learning Centre
The Early Learning Centre is a British chain of shops selling toys for very young children.-History:Originally set up as a mail order company in 1974 and was always based near Swindon; by 1980 it had ten shops; and it has grown to include 215 shops in the UK and over 80 in 19 other countries such...
, under the title Storytime with Thomas the Tank Engine: "10 classic railway stories with music and sound effects". There were two cassettes released, both using the same Ken Stott-style illustration, the second being labelled 'Volume 2'.
Michael Angelis recordings
The first new Railway Stories recording in over 10 years was released on CD by BBC AudiobooksBBC Audiobooks
BBC Audiobooks is a publisher of audiobooks and also a range of spoken word and large-print titles.BBC Audiobooks has published unabridged audio novels, and also the BBC Radio Collection which incorporates dramatisations and non-fiction output derived from BBC Radio programming.In 2010, BBC...
in March 2006. It contained adaptations of the first three Railway Series books, and was narrated by Michael Angelis
Michael Angelis
Michael Angelis is an English actor and voice actor.Michael Angelis was one of the stars of the famous 1982 BBC drama serial Boys from the Black Stuff and another Alan Bleasedale drama G.B.H.. He also starred in comedies such as Luv and The Liver Birds, in which he appeared between series 5 and 9...
. So far, five such CDs have been released, each containing three volumes from the Railway Series. A sixth CD is due to be released in June 2011.
The CDs are more reflective of the Thomas the Tank Engine and Friends
Thomas the Tank Engine and Friends
Thomas and Friends is a British children's television series, first broadcast on the ITV network in September 1984. Until 2003, it was named Thomas the Tank Engine and Friends. This series was shot on 35mm film...
TV series than the Railway Series books. This is evident through the cover art, which uses promotional images from the recent series', the storytelling style, and the splicing of several of the songs from the TV series within the stories.
The first volume of The Railway Stories that Angelis narrated (consisting of The Three Railway Engines, Thomas the Tank Engine, and James the Red Engine) is available for download at the iTunes Music Store as well.
Angelis has also recorded a number of stories for the "Thomas & Friends Audio Range". Each book, which is of a similar form to those in the My Thomas Story Library range, is accompanied by a CD containing the story narrated by Angelis, with sound effects and music. Known subjects include: Thomas, Gordon, Henry, James, Toby, Bertie and Terence http://www.worldofthomas.co.uk/acatalog/Coming_soon.html.
Other Recordings
There have been other audiobooks containing stories from The Railway Series, although most of these are based on stories re-written for the Thomas and Friends TV series.Translations
At least one set of stories has been released in Welsh (Tomos A'r Goeden Nadolig). Published by Cyhoeddiadau Mei in September 1988, it is ISBN 0905775139, but no more is known about this recording.External links
- 'Awdryania' - Description of the merchandise spawned from The Railway Series before the advent of the TV series. Includes pictures of The Railway Stories vinyl singles and albums.
- Profile of the narrators of the TV series and audio recordings