KeithMacdonald Posted March 12, 2020 Share Posted March 12, 2020 Something exciting, especially for the Rivet Police... The Unlikeliest Source: The Historical Reality behind 'Thomas the Tank Engine' A delightful academic paper by Friedrich Newman Quote Among the most popular children's books ever written, few consider the 'Railway Series' by the Rev. Wilbert Awdry to be anything other than juvenile reading. However, behind this assumption lies stories written with exacting technical accuracy regarding railway operation and specific events - so factually accurate that the works become comparable to other social commentaries in fiction such as those by Jane Austen or Charles Dickens. A light-hearted presentation offering an unusual example of the merits that fiction can potentially hold, this paper demonstrates the reality behind the fiction before addressing its potential historical application as a 'barometer' to the reactions of enthusiasts c.1950-70 to the contemporary real-world railway issues of dieselisation, the abolition of steam and early rail preservation. https://www.academia.edu/21959862/The_Unlikeliest_Source_The_Historical_Reality_behind_Thomas_the_Tank_Engine?email_work_card=title You might need to create an account to read the full article. e.g. Quote Most stories were based on anecdotes, books or railway magazines, commonly the section ‘Scrapheap’ in the Railway Gazette; Awdry building up a considerable collection of real tales for inspiration. As a consequence, it is possible to tie certain stories not only to procedures and protocols, but to specific events, collectively demonstrating the reality and accuracy behind these works. 3 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lacathedrale Posted March 12, 2020 Share Posted March 12, 2020 Paging @Corbs 1 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
DCB Posted March 18, 2020 Share Posted March 18, 2020 There is no doubt Wilbert Awdrey's stories have a lot of sound operating practice and most were based on actual events, but sadly the Christopher Awdrey tales are in another category completely. I particularly liked where Perky mistook a combined GC 3 position semaphore for a backing signal., and Daisy's struggles with a trailing load. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rudititanic Posted April 2, 2020 Share Posted April 2, 2020 On 12/03/2020 at 11:52, KeithMacdonald said: A delightful academic paper by Friedrich Newman Surprised to find my paper here but thanks for sharing - glad you enjoyed it. It certainly raised eyebrows at its first academic conference (though by the end everyone was won over)...! 2 1 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
KeithMacdonald Posted April 2, 2020 Author Share Posted April 2, 2020 @Rudititanic Thank you very much for writing your paper. :-) 1 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ahbrazier Posted April 27, 2020 Share Posted April 27, 2020 (edited) I have to admit, I am glad to find another person who is aware of the realism used in the Railway Series. I sometimes feel these days that most people seem to dismiss the franchise as just another fictional creation, when they are unaware that the events Thomas, Percy and the other engines all happened in real life. I myself have always undertaken, whenever I have written a railway-based piece of fiction, to use at least one real railway event as a basis - in fact, during the lockdown, I am even building the sets, writing the script, and hoping to start filming a short film about a branch line intended for closure, and preservationists taking action, based on the Beeching Axe and the preservation movement, as well as the various fundraising appeals that are happening as we speak (I am even doing my own fundraising appeal for the Bluebell Railway by virtually rowing the distance of the English Channel. If anyone wants to like, share and support me, the link is here: https://uk.virginmoneygiving.com/fundraiser-portal/fundraiserPage?pageId=1164230.). I intend to use a combination of kit and scratch-built models, clay/play-doh faces (depending on what's available) and Hornby's new 'Stay-At-Home' Hamper set, to provide the scenery and characters - though since I have neither much space, nor track, I am only using two engines for this, with one of them being a central protagonist (the other hero is a florist, who is unenthusiastic about her profession, and aspires to run a railway, as well as driving an engine). This cements my belief which I am glad you share that the best stories are always based on real life. Edited April 27, 2020 by Ahbrazier 1 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
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