ROLLING ALONG:

Before the Angry Engines became a global megabrand and Ringo Starr's side hustle, The Observer (22 July 1979) went to meet their creator: the Reverend Wilbert Vere Awdry. Then 68, retired and living in Stroud, he appears otherworldly and bemused at his own celebrity, in a surprisingly loud checked jacket, dog collar and tinted specs. [...]

The lucky Observer writer gets access to Awdry operating his model railway in the spare room, like watching Leonardo doodle, I suppose. 'Mr Awdry attached a wooden box to a canvas belt about his waist and proceeded to operate it faultlessly for half an hour.' She devotes a chunk of the article to the Rev's happily absorbed narration: 'This is Ffarquhar, the main terminus on Thomas's branch line. (Gordon thinks branch lines are vulgar.) We will do the section 6.45 to 11.48... 7.25 here's Toby.'

Put on the spot to choose between 'puffed up and boastful' Gordon, 'wilful and disobedient' Henry and 'saucy, plucky' Thomas, Awdry refused to play favourites. 'Suppose you had a family of 10 or 12 children and I asked you which was your favourite? What would you say?'

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