SERIES 1
Released on YouTube from Monday 9 November to Friday 25 December 2020 (The Railway Series's 75th anniversary year), Series 1 of Sodor Railway Tales contains 30 episodes, with Episodes 1-29 adapted from each individual story in Books 1-7 of The Railway Series books (1945 – 1952), all written by Wilbert Awdry himself. Episode 30 is adapted from the 1984 standalone one-off story Thomas’s Christmas Party, also written by Wilbert Awdry.
Episodes 1-4 of Series 1 are taken from the very first Railway Series book, The Three Railway Engines (1945), written by his reverence Wilbert Awdry, illustrated by C. Reginald Dalby and read by George Brind.
Edward is let out of the shed to have a day out, Gordon gets stuck on a hill with trucks and Henry refuses to come out of a tunnel in fear of the rain spoiling his lovely green paint and red stripes...
EPISODE 1: EDWARD'S DAY OUT
EPISODE 2: EDWARD AND GORDON
EPISODE 3: THE SAD STORY OF HENRY
EPISODE 4: EDWARD, GORDON AND HENRY
Episodes 5-8 of Series 1 are taken from the second Railway Series book, Thomas the Tank Engine (1946) written by his reverence Wilbert Awdry, illustrated by C. Reginald Dalby and read by George Brind.
“Dear Christopher,
Here is your friend Thomas the Tank Engine. He wanted to come out of his station yard and see the world. These stories tell you how he did it.
I hope you will like them because you helped me to make them.
Your Loving Daddy”
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EPISODE 5: THOMAS AND GORDON
EPISODE 6: THOMAS'S TRAIN
EPISODE 7: THOMAS AND THE TRUCKS
EPISODE 8: THOMAS AND THE BREAKDOWN TRAIN
Episodes 9-12 of Series 1 are taken from the third Railway Series book, James the Red Engine (1948) written by his reverence Wilbert Awdry, illustrated by C. Reginald Dalby and read by Thomas Brind.
“Dear friends of Edward, Gordon, Henry and Thomas,
Thank you for your kind letters. Here is the new book for which you asked.
James, who crashed in the story of Thomas the Tank Engine, settles down and becomes a Useful Engine.
We are nationalised now, but the same engines still work the Region. I am glad, too, to tell you that the Fat Director, who understands our friends' ways, is still in charge, but is now the Fat Controller.
I hope you will enjoy this book, too.
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EPISODE 9: JAMES AND THE TOP-HAT
EPISODE 10: JAMES AND THE BOOTLACE
EPISODE 11: TROUBLESOME TRUCKS
EPISODE 12: JAMES AND THE EXPRESS
Episodes 13-16 of Series 1 are taken from the fourth Railway Series book, Tank Engine Thomas Again (1949) written by his reverence Wilbert Awdry, illustrated by C. Reginald Dalby and read by George Brind.
“Dear Friends,
Here is news from Thomas' Branch Line. It is clearly no ordinary line, and life on it is far from dull.
Thomas asks me to say that if you are ever in the Region, you must be sure to visit him and travel on his line. 'They will have never seen anything like it,' he says proudly.
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EPISODE 13: THOMAS AND THE GUARD
EPISODE 14: THOMAS GOES FISHING
EPISODE 15: THOMAS, TERENCE AND THE SNOW
EPISODE 16: THOMAS AND BERTIE
Episodes 17-20 of Series 1 are taken from the fifth Railway Series book, Troublesome Engines (1950) written by his reverence Wilbert Awdry, illustrated by C. Reginald Dalby and read by Katherine Gell.
“Dear Friends,
News from the Main Line has not been good. The Fat Controller has been having trouble. A short while ago, he gave Henry a coat of green paint, but as soon as he got his old colour back again, Henry became conceited. Gordon and James, too, have been getting above themselves.
I am glad to say, however, that the Fat Controller has, quite kindly but very firmly, put them in their place. And now the trains are running as usual.
I hope you will like meeting Percy. We shall be hearing more of him later.
The Author”
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EPISODE 17: HENRY AND THE ELEPHANT
EPISODE 18: TENDERS AND TURNTABLES
EPISODE 19: TROUBLE IN THE SHED
EPISODE 20: PERCY RUNS AWAY
Episodes 21-25 of Series 1 are taken from the sixth Railway Series book, Henry the Green Engine (1951) written by his reverence Wilbert Awdry, illustrated by C. Reginald Dalby and read by Jerry De La Rue.
“Dear Friends,
Here is more news from the Region. All the engines now have numbers as well as names; you will see them in the pictures. They are as follows: Thomas 1, Edward 2, Henry 3, Gordon 4, James 5, Percy 6.
I expect you were sorry for Henry, who was often ill and unable to work. He gave Sir Topham Hatt (who is, of course, our Fat Controller) a lot of worry. Now Henry has a new shape and is ready for anything. These stories tell you all about it.
The Author”
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EPISODE 21: COAL
EPISODE 22: THE FLYING KIPPER
EPISODE 23: GORDON'S WHISTLE
EPISODE 24: PERCY AND THE TROUSERS
EPISODE 25: HENRY'S SNEEZE
Episodes 26-29 of Series 1 are taken from the seventh Railway Series book, Toby the Tram Engine (1952) written by his reverence Wilbert Awdry, illustrated by C. Reginald Dalby and read by Cheryl Graham.
“Dear Friends,
Poor Thomas has been in trouble. So the Fat Controller asked Toby to come and help run the Branch Line. Thomas and Toby are very good friends.
Toby is a funny little engine with a queer shape. He works very hard and we are fond of him. We hope you will like him, too.
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EPISODE 26: TOBY AND THE STOUT GENTLEMAN
EPISODE 27: THOMAS IN TROUBLE
EPISODE 28: DIRTY OBJECTS
EPISODE 29: MRS. KYNDLEY'S CHRISTMAS
Episode 30 of Series 1 entitled Thomas's Christmas Party, read by Cheryl Graham, is based on the 1984 standalone book set after the 1952 Railway Series book Toby the Tram Engine, written by his reverence Wilbert Awdry at the request of Britt Allcroft and David Mitton, who wrote the 1984 Thomas the Tank Engine & Friends TV series episode of the same name. The illustrations are by Clive Spong.
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EPISODE 30: THOMAS'S CHRISTMAS PARTY