Thomas the Tank Engine's origins traced to Birmingham suburb

The beloved children's series Thomas the Tank Engine originated in Kings Norton, Birmingham, where Reverend Wilbert Awdry created the stories to entertain his son Christopher, who was ill with measles in 1942. Christopher Awdry, now 85, recalled that his father drew pictures of locomotives and invented tales about them, starting with Edward, a small engine allowed to pull a train. Other characters included Gordon, inspired by a friend, and Henry, based on a faulty American locomotive. The fourth engine, a blue model with the number one, was built from scraps and given to Christopher as a Christmas gift; he named it Thomas. Wilbert Awdry's wife urged him to write the stories down after failing to find suitable children's books in Birmingham. Through family connections, he reached a publisher in Leicestershire who agreed to publish if he wrote a fourth story with a happy ending for Henry. The first editions were released in 1945 around VE Day, and a second edition was ordered within three weeks due to high demand. The books sold rapidly, leading to more stories tested on Christopher. Thomas Land opened at Drayton Manor in Staffordshire in 2008, attracting millions of visitors.