Railway Series and the Gunpowder Plot

[Nick Theodorakis]

Yesterday my daughter told me that her history teacher said the names of the characters of Awdry's Railway Series of books (of "Thomas the Tank Engine" fame) were taken from the names of people involved in the Gunpowder Plot.

The googles, they do nothing (the only possible link being that the illustrator also illustrated a book on the Plot, but then he did a lot of things). Certainly some of the names are shared -- there are a couple of Thomas's, including one Thomas Percy -- but then Thomas is a pretty common name. On the other hand, there are no characters (afaict) in the Railway Series named Guy, Robert, or Christopher, and there were no conspirators named Edward, Toby, or Gordon (not to mention Diesel or Sir Topham Hatt). There was a Fr. Henry Garnet involved, and I suppose you could argue that "James" is represented by King James I, but that's probably stretching it a bit much.

Has anybody else heard this (possible) UL? Any indication of the truthiness of this story?

Nick

[Embra]

Is the Fat Controller even called "Sir Topham Hatt" in the books? I thought he was renamed for the Thomas animated TV series, so as not to poke fun at the rotund (I don't know what they did with the Thin Controller). THat could of course be a fresh UL on its own!

I have never heard of an Awdry/Plotters connection. There's been a nice little series about illustrated children's books running on BBC Four here recently, and they also omitted to mention it when they did a section on the good Reverend. I think your initial surmise is probably correct

h2g2 has a list of characters. Enjoy working out which Gunpowder plotters were called "Boco", and "Duck"...

[Tarquin Farquart]

Originally Posted by Embra

Is the Fat Controller even called "Sir Topham Hatt" in the books? I thought he was renamed for the Thomas animated TV series, so as not to poke fun at the rotund (I don't know what they did with the Thin Controller). THat could of course be a fresh UL on its own!

It's political correctness gone mad!

[Andrew of Ware]

Originally Posted by Embra

Is the Fat Controller even called "Sir Topham Hatt" in the books? I thought he was renamed for the Thomas animated TV series, so as not to poke fun at the rotund (I don't know what they did with the Thin Controller). THat could of course be a fresh UL on its own!

As an avid reader, in my younger days, of the Railway Series, there indeed was no Sir Topham Hatt in the original books. He was just the Fat Controller. Watching one of the television programmes I noticed that the Fat Controller was still called the Fat Controller. Was he only changed for the American version of the series or was he only changed in a later series?

I have never heard of a Thin Controller. There was a Small Controller who was in charge of one of Sodor's narrow gauge lines. However, calling someone 'small' might be just as politically incorrect these days. (See the introduction to The Railway Series, book 22, Small Railway Engines, 1967.)

I cannot see any link between the Railway Series characters and the Gunpowder Plot, However, according to this page there are gunpowder vans on the narrow gauge lines that the Small Controller is in charge of. After a quick flick through the original books I cannot find any picture or reference to these vans, so were they added for the television series or the modern books that I have seen?

[Eddylizard]

I think the Thin Controller turned up in an episode or two of the post Ringo Starr episodes of the TV series. The ones that were narrated by err I don't remember, Michael someone.

On a hijack I read in a magazine article that Rev. Awdrey claimed that all the events in the books were based on stories told to him as real by actual railway staff.

1. I want to have a gram of what those railway workers were injecting.

2. I never want to travel on any line operated or maintained by them.

[Andrew of Ware]

[Continuing hijack] In a book I have, Thomas the Tank Engine: The Complete Collection by the Rev. W. Awdry there is an article about how Awdry came to write the stories. His first inspiration was as a child when he heard steam engines steaming up the Great Western Line and he thought they each had personalities. The vicarage he lived in (his father was also a vicar) was next to the line.

Later, he had a son of his own and when the boy was two years old he had measles and so Awdry told him stories to keep him entertained. The first was one about a sad engine called Edward. Soon Gordon and Henry came into existence. However, there is no indication that any of the stories are based on true life. (I think it unlikely that a railway company would brick up an engine in a tunnel because it refused to go out in the rain in case it ruined his new coat of paint. )

[Chloe]

I was just reading an article on V for Vendetta that suggests Evey is named for E.V., Eliza Vaux. Slightly more plausible, but I wasn't convinved by that either.

[Dactyl]

Originally Posted by Andrew of Ware

However, there is no indication that any of the stories are based on true life. (I think it unlikely that a railway company would brick up an engine in a tunnel because it refused to go out in the rain in case it ruined his new coat of paint. )

That was one of my favourite episodes as a child. My parents have a collection of the books at home, I'm going to investigate some more next time I'm there.

I used to have a Thomas, Annie and Clarabelle on my OO Gague train set although I really wanted some coal carts to see if they were actually that naughty.

[me, no really]

Originally Posted by Eddylizard

I think the Thin Controller turned up in an episode or two of the post Ringo Starr episodes of the TV series. The ones that were narrated by err I don't remember, Michael someone.

We have a book with the Thin Controller as a character. It was one of the original W Awdry books - from memory it is about Skarloey and Peter Sam and the small engines.

me

[Pudding Crawl]

Wiki sez that the Fat Controller's actual name was mentioned in the foreward to Henry the Green Engine, from 1951.
I don't have access to my copy at the moment (deprived!) but I used to read the books far more than watch the telly version, and I remember knowing it was his 'official' name.

As for the OP, I was hoping for a Plotter named Daisy, Clarabelle, or Mavis. :-(