Welcome to the next entry in our discussion of the Railway Series created by the Rev. W. Awdry! This discussion is about the book:

📖 Really Useful Engines

• Author: Rev. W. Awdry
• Illustrator: Clive Spong
• First Published: 12 September 1983
• Read more: https://ttte.fandom.com/wiki/Really_Useful_Engines

This is the the first book written by Christopher Awdry, the first book illustrated by Clive Spong, and the first RWS book to be narrated by Ted Robbins.

Book Cover

📘 Stories in the book:

Stop Thief!

• Thomas discovers a stolen car while working on his branch line. He and his crew manage to alert authorities by passing a message to a signalman, leading to the thieves being caught and the stolen items recovered.

Mind that Bike

• A boy leaves his bicycle too close to the railway. It ends up being run over by a train, though the boy is unharmed. The incident serves as a warning about being careless around the line.

Fish

• Henry is pulling the Flying Kipper with a set of old vans and needs help on a hill. Duck assists, but a loose tail-lamp causes confusion and a collision, leaving Duck damaged and the train delayed.

Triple-Header

• With several engines out of action, Thomas, Percy, and Duck are assigned to pull the Express together. The journey proves difficult—Percy runs low on steam and Duck breaks down—forcing Thomas to bring everything to a stop before they can reach safety.

Key Moments

💬 Your Thoughts!

• Which story/stories did you enjoy the most and why?
• What do you think of the book overall?
• What other thoughts do you have?

Share your memories, favourite moments, and more in the comments below!