The Rev. W. Awdry crafts tales of steam engines to entertain his young son, Christopher, who was sick in bed, with puffs of steam imagined as conversations. These stories were told over and over until, pressed by his son to be consistent, Awdry finally wrote them down.

Upon persistence of his wife, Margaret, the first Thomas & Friends book is published - The Three Railway Engines.

We meet Thomas! The most famous of Wilbert’s engines arrives in the 2nd book of the series – Thomas the Tank Engine.

The Island of Sodor is “discovered” after Awdry visits the Isle of Man and takes inspiration from the island’s history. He decided upon the name ‘Sodor’ which lies between the Isle of Man in the Irish Sea and Barrow-in-Furness.

Thomas the Tank Engine & Friends, a new live action series, makes its broadcast debut on ITV in the UK and enjoys instant success, attracting an audience of 8.5 million children and adults.

Next stop, America! Thomas pulls into the USA and debuts on PBS as a part of the program, Shining Time Station. 

The first Thomas & Friends theme park, Thomas Land, opens at Fuji-Q Highland Theme Park in Japan.

The production of Thomas & Friends content switches to full CGI animation as Thomas & Friends: Hero of the Rails debuts.

A 50-foot-long Thomas holding 20,000 cubic feet of helium takes part in Macy’s Thanksgiving Parade for the first time ever, in preparation for the brands 70th anniversary!

Thomas & Friends partners with the United Nations, incorporating five of the Sustainable Development Goals into content in a preschool way, inspiring the next generation of global citizens.

It is the 75th Anniversary of Thomas & Friends with celebrations including a new Thomas & Friends birthday album, audio stories, a birthday tour and lots of exciting new content!