RWS No. 38. Wilbert the Forest Engine

Here it comes! Another book of The Railway Series focusing on a tank engine. A real one.

Special thanks to Thomas the Tank Engine Wikia for the images.

38. Wilbert the Forest Engine.
Written by: Christopher Awdry.

Illustrated by: Clive Spong.
Published: 8 August 1994.

The real engine this book focuses on is a blue tank engine named after the creator of the franchise. How does it turn out?

Foreword:
Dear Friends,
Wilbert works in Gloucestershire, on the Dean Forest Railway. He kept asking if he could meet Thomas, and at last the Fat Controller managed to arrange it. The visit was not without its mishaps, but I know that Wilbert enjoyed himself. We hope that you will enjoy the stories of his adventures on the Island of Sodor as much as he and the other engines did.

The Author

Percy's Porridge.

Donald and Douglas are exhausted, so the Fat Controller arranges to borrow an engine, Wilbert, from the Dean Forest Railway. Percy is disappointed to hear Wilbert may not come to Thomas' Branch Line, but forgets it when the weather becomes cold and wet. One day at Elsbridge, the stationmaster and a porter are stacking poorly-sealed sacks of oatmeal on the platform. When Percy comes in, some sacks fall on the ground, scattering oatmeal everywhere. Percy runs into the sacks and is covered in the resulting glop, and Wilbert is quickly re-routed to Thomas' branch line to take Percy's place.

Well, this was a funny way to start the book. Percy getting covered in cold porridge. Makes perfect sense since mixing oatmeal with water makes porridge. Good thing Wilbert came to help out. Clever to mention he's bigger than Percy.

My rating: 9/10.

Cab over Wheels.

Wilbert's first job is at the lead mines. Thomas warns him to follow the rules, but Wilbert, who once worked in a colliery, knows what to do and proceeds to tell the engines the story of Sixteen, a bored engine who worked at a steelworks taking trucks of slag to a place called the "tip". Sixteen wanted to go past a "danger" board and, despite several warnings not to, managed to do so one wet day, attributing it to the trucks. Sixteen's fireman was told to shunt him back, but it was too late: some unsafe rails tilted and Sixteen landed on his side on the ground. He was sent to the shed in disgrace, but, luckily for him, he was bought and now works in the Midlands.

Okay, while it was nice to reference Down the Mine, did Christopher Awdry really have to rewrite it and combine it with Percy Takes the Plunge and Bad Lookout, just to give 16 a story? I mean was he taking ideas from his father? Sure, 16's character was unoriginal, but at least he's more original than Old Stuck-Up. And this story is just Godred's story, but with a happy ending. The story is fine as it is, but the unoriginality lets it down.

My rating: 6/10.

Foaming over the Funnel.

There is a dairy at Toryreck. Wilbert is given the job of taking milk tankers to Knapford each morning. One day, he spends too much time talking to James at Knapford, and has to take on water at the dairy. Unfortunately, he stops at the wrong hosepipe and instead of water being poured into his tank, milk flows in. Thomas takes him back to Ffarquhar, and Wilbert's tank is emptied out.

While this story is funny as it is, with Wilbert taking on milk instead of water, one thing puzzles me. How could Wilbert's crew mistake a milk pipe for a water pipe? Of course it would've been wiser for him to take on water at a station with a water tower. 

My rating: 7/10.

Wired-Up.

Percy returns and Wilbert is sent to the Little Western, where Duck, Oliver and the small engines make him welcome. One day, Wilbert is taking some ballast trucks to Tidmouth when the coupling gear on a truck falls off. Thinking quickly, Wilbert borrows a coil of wire and has it looped around the hole and his coupling. Wilbert gets home safely, and when it is time for Wilbert to return to the Dean Forest Railway the Fat Controller has no doubts about him.

This was a nice way to end the book, have Wilbert return to Dean Forest Railway after helping out with the trucks. Though the wire might seem sketchy, but it was almost as creative as the time Bert's driver glued his coupling. But overall, a great way to end the book. 

My rating: 9.5/10.

Stray observations:

Percy's Porridge was written as an exercise by a class in Abingdon School, in which this book is dedicated to them.

In the 2nd illustration of Wired-Up, Duck is too small! And they blame Jam-Filled for making Oliver too small. 

Final thoughts:

While this book is fine on its own, it didn't feel as strong as the others. Sure it was great of Wilbert to come to Sodor, but one story, the one about 16, was unoriginal at best. But even so, there were funny moments too. Not the worst book, but it's not great either.

My rating: 7.6/10.

RWS Scorecard:

1. The 3 Railway Engines: 9/10.
2. Thomas the Tank Engine: 9.5/10.
3. James the Red Engine: 8/10.
4. Tank Engine Thomas Again: 9.9/10.
5. Troublesome Engines: 9.1/10.
6. Henry the Green Engine: 9.2/10.
7. Toby the Tram Engine: 9.2/10.
8. Gordon the Big Engine: 9.2/10.
9. Edward the Blue Engine: 9.3/10.
10. 4 Little Engines: 9.5/10.
11. Percy the Small Engine: 9.7/10.
12. The 8 Famous Engines: 9.5/10.
13. Duck and the Diesel Engine: 9.2/10.
14. The Little Old Engine: 9.6/10.
15. The Twin Engines: 9.3/10.
16. Branch Line Engines: 9.6/10.
17. Gallant Old Engine: 9.5/10.
18. Stepney the Bluebell Engine: 9/10.
19. Mountain Engines: 9.3/10.
20. Very Old Engines: 9.1/10.
21. Main Line Engines: 9.3/10.
22. Small Railway Engines: 9.8/10.
23. Enterprising Engines: 9.9/10.
24. Oliver the Western Engine: 9.3/10.
25. Duke the Lost Engine: 9.8/10.
26. Tramway Engines: 9.8/10.
27. Really Useful Engines: 9.2/10.
28. James and the Diesel Engines: 7.8/10.
29. Great Little Engines: 8.9/10.
30. More About Thomas the Tank Engine: 8.8/10.
31. Gordon the High-Speed Engine: 9.1/10.
32. Toby, Trucks and Trouble: 9.1/10.
33. Thomas and the Twins: 9.4/10.
34. Jock the New Engine: 8.3/10.
35. Thomas and the Great Railway Show: 8.5/10.
36. Thomas Comes Home: 8.5/10.
37. Henry and the Express: 9.4/10.
38. Wilbert the Forest Engine: 7.6/10.
40. New Little Engine: 5.7/10.


RWS rating so far: 9/10.