Thomas The Tank Engine Toys

What is the most beloved toy engine of all-time? Thomas the Tank Engine Toys of course! This cheeky little blue engine sure knows how to travel as it made its way into the hearts of little kids all over the world. But how did Thomas the Tank Engine came to be?
Thomas the Tank Engine is a quirky steam locomotive and one of the characters of Rev. W. V. Awdry’s fictional book – The Railway Series which was first published in the 1940s. He first appeared as a station pilot in a 1946 book entitled “Thomas the Tank Engine". His main job was to thrust coaches for bigger and sturdier engines. He knew he was better off doing more important stuff like heading an express train, but our little hero has still many things to prove to the world. A British writer and producer Britt Allcroft stumbled upon the book and became interested in producing and bringing the stories to life. With this, Thomas became popular as he became the central character in a television show Thomas the Tank Engine and Friends which later on became Thomas and Friends. As a result, the show became an instant success and was favored by audiences around the world and had a wide range of spin-off commercial products. The first series having 26 stories had its premier in September 1984 in UK and got Ringo Starr as the storyteller. Because of the world wide sensation of Thomas and Friends among children, “Thomas” merchandise also became sought after. Several categories from different toy companies emerged.

The first Thomas the Tank Engine toys was a wooden push-along toy in the early 1940s. This was carved out of a broomstick by Reverend W. Awdry for his son Christopher. But now, different lucrative forms of Thomas the Tank Engine are available to children all over the world.