RWS No. 41: Thomas and Victoria

Now I'm going to do another Railway Series review. The first in 11 years.

Special thanks to Thomas the Tank Engine Wikia for the images

41. Thomas and Victoria.
Written by: Christopher Awdry.

Illustrated by: Clive Spong.

Published: 3 September 2007.

A lot had happened on the course of 11 years after New Little Engine. The Rev. W. Awdry passed on from an illness, Princess Diana died in a car crash, Thomas' 5th season debuted, Thomas and the Magic Railroad went into cinemas and failed in the box office, the Twin Towers were destroyed, George Harrison passed away from cancer, Thomas' 6th season went into production and debuted, HiT took over Gullane. The Railway Series remained dormant for that course, but in 2007, the books went back into production. Was this book worth the wait?

Foreword:

Dear Friends,
Here are four new adventures from Thomas's branch line. In them you will meet up again with several old friends, including, of course, Thomas himself. Oh, and there is a new friend for you called Victoria - we all hope you will like her as much as we do.

The Author

Overloaded.

Bertie is ill and Henrietta has to carry the workmen to the quarry all by herself, but there is not enough room and some have to crowd on Henrietta's balcony. A policeman sees the event while cycling past, and the next day visits the quarry manager to inform him of a by-law forbidding passengers to be carried on coaches' balconies. Both the manager and the Fat Controller have no ideas, but a few days later Thomas' driver sees an old coach in a garden near Elsbridge. Thomas has an idea, and shares it with the Fat Controller...

This was a nice way to start the new book, but was that law about passengers crowding on coach balconies ever revoked? But Thomas the Tank Engine's crew discovered a coach, that'll lead to a follow up carrying on throughout this book.

My rating: 9/10.

Avalanche!

Edward is at the works when he sees a familiar-looking coach. After a conversation, the two discover they know each other from their days on the Furness Railway. Victoria, the coach, worked on a branch line running to Windermere with another coach, Helena, and an engine, Albert, who Victoria notes only ever had one accident. One snowy day after boasting about snow, Albert had stopped outside the mouth of a tunnel while collecting passengers at Haverthwaite. When he started, he gave off so much steam that he caused an avalanche so great he became buried in snow and, although he was rescued the next day, he never bragged about snow again.

Now we're going onto a story about an engine named Albert. And nice callback to Thomas, Terence and the Snow that Edward made. Just goes to show that even with a poor writing team in the TV series, at least the book series didn't mess up. And it was creative to have Edward talk to Victoria since Edward did use to work on the Furness Railway. 

My rating: 9.5/10.

Eels on Wheels.

As summer arrives Daisy often sees grass snakes near the line. When she tells the engines about them Percy is worried, but Daisy simply thinks him silly. Then, some days later Daisy has to take some boxes up to Ffarquhar for a restaurant. One is knocked onto the platform and the cargo - live eels - is spilt onto the rails; to Daisy's horror, some wriggle underneath her wheels. The eels are rescued, but Daisy has blown a fuse and Thomas has to take her passengers while Toby and Percy make jokes about wriggly things.

Get it? Eels on Wheels? Considering it's a pun on "Meals on Wheels", a company that delivers food to old people. Poor Daisy, couldn't catch a break, can she? Especially when she's surrounded by live eels, and sees a snake near the line. A nice story this, and funny too.

My rating: 9.5/10.

Toby's Vintage Train.

Victoria's restoration is completed and Edward takes her to Knapford, where she is coupled up to Annie and Clarabel. At Elsbridge, they are told Terence is in some trouble and go to see what the matter is. Terence, who had been building a barn, had to swerve for a boulder near the tunnel and his trailer fell down the cutting, balancing dangerously on a tree. The trailer is secured and Thomas makes it to Ffarquhar, where Victoria is coupled to Toby and Henrietta, making a train now known as "Toby's Vintage Train".

A nice way to end the book, a nice way to give Terence another role and it was interesting to see Edward pull Victoria. Now Toby the Tram Engine's got more than just Henrietta for his train. And boy was Terence brave to look out for his trailer, and Thomas was too.

My rating: 9.5/10.

Stray observations:

Christopher intended to write this book in 1997, but since Wilbert passed on and Britt bought the full rights to the franchise, and Egmont reformatted the books, but it was held off since the people hated the reformatting. 

Victoria and Albert were named after Prince Albert and Queen Victoria, and Helena may have been named after one of their daughters.

Final thoughts:

Was this book worth the wait? Without a doubt, yes! It was a nice return to the series after that disappointment New Little Engine, and we get a reference to the Furness Railway, making sense since Edward's basis is a Furness Railway class. And Daisy just couldn't catch a break, could she?

You might think I'm stopping here, but I'm not. Just one book to go.

My rating: 9.3/10.

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.
39. Thomas and the Fat Controller's Engines: 8.6/10.
40. New Little Engine: 5.7/10.
41. Thomas and Victoria: 9.3/10.

RWS rating so far: 9/10.