Who wrote the original Railway Series books?

Wilbert Awdry wrote the original Railway Series books.

The Reverend Wilbert Vere Awdry created the series, which began with The Three Railway Engines in 1945. He wrote the first 26 main volumes, ending with Tramway Engines in 1972, and established the characters, railways, and fictional setting that later became the foundation of Thomas & Friends.

Awdry originally told railway stories to entertain his son Christopher during childhood illness. Those stories developed into published books illustrated by artists including William Middleton, Reginald Payne, and C. Reginald Dalby. Christopher Awdry later continued the series, writing 16 additional books between 1983 and 2011.

The wording “original” matters: Christopher was also an author of The Railway Series, but he did not write the original run. Enid Blyton and C. S. Lewis were prominent children’s writers, yet neither created this railway-book series. Wilbert’s brother George also helped develop Sodor’s detailed background, but Wilbert was the original author.