Question: What was the middle name of the man who wrote the books that inspired the TV spin-off Thomas and Friends?

full_context: Document 1: Head of Steam: Head of Steam, formerly known as the Darlington Railway Centre and Museum, is a railway museum that is located on the 1825 route of the Stockton and Darlington Railway, which was the world's first steam-powered passenger railway. It is based inside the station building at the North Road railway station. Its exhibits are devoted to the area formerly served by the North Eastern Railway with a particular focus on the Stockton & Darlington Railway and the railway industry of Darlington.
Document 2: Peter Cottontail: Peter Cottontail is a name temporarily assumed by a fictional rabbit named Peter Rabbit in the works of Thornton Burgess, an author from Springfield, Massachusetts. In 1910, when Burgess began his "Old Mother West Wind" series, the cast of animals included Peter Rabbit. Four years later, in "The Adventures of Peter Cottontail", Peter Rabbit, unhappy at his plain-sounding name, briefly changed his name to Peter Cottontail because he felt it made him sound more important. He began putting on airs to live up to his important-sounding name, but after much teasing from his friends, soon returned to his original name, because, as he put it, "There's nothing like the old name after all." In the 26-chapter book, he takes on the new name partway through chapter 2, and returns to his "real" name, Peter Rabbit, at the end of chapter 3. Burgess continued to write about Peter Rabbit until his retirement in 1960, in over 15,000 daily syndicated newspaper stories, many of them featuring Peter Rabbit, and some of them later published as books, but "Peter Cottontail" is never mentioned again.
Document 3: Wilbert Awdry: Wilbert Vere Awdry, OBE (15 June 1911 – 21 March 1997) was an English Anglican cleric, railway enthusiast, and children's author. Better known as the Reverend W. Awdry, he was the creator of Thomas the Tank Engine, the central figure in his "Railway Series".
Document 4: Peter Brown (Oz): Peter Brown is a major character in the Oz novels of Ruth Plumly Thompson, who continued the series of Oz books after the death of their creator, L. Frank Baum. Thompson used Peter as the protagonist in three of her books: "The Gnome King of Oz" (1927), "Jack Pumpkinhead of Oz" (1929), and "Pirates in Oz" (1931).
Document 5: Puffing Billy (locomotive): Puffing Billy is the world's oldest surviving steam locomotive, constructed in 1813–1814 by coal viewer William Hedley, enginewright Jonathan Forster and blacksmith Timothy Hackworth for Christopher Blackett, the owner of Wylam Colliery near Newcastle upon Tyne, in the United Kingdom. It was the first commercial adhesion steam locomotive, employed to haul coal chaldron wagons from the mine at Wylam to the docks at Lemington-on-Tyne in Northumberland.
Document 6: Shining Time Station: Shining Time Station is an American children's television series jointly created by British television producer Britt Allcroft and Rick Siggelkow. The series was produced by The Britt Allcroft Company (now Gullane Entertainment, a subsidiary of HiT Entertainment) and Quality Family Entertainment in New York City for New York City's PBS station WNET, and was originally taped in New York City and later in Toronto. It incorporated sequences from the British television show "Thomas & Friends", which was in turn based on a series of books that had been written by the Reverend Wilbert Awdry. The series aired on PBS from January 29, 1989 until June 11, 1993, and then continued on the network in reruns until June 11, 1998. It aired on Fox Family from 1998 to 1999. It also aired on Nick Jr. in 2000 and on Canadian television networks such as APTN and SCN. Elements from the show were incorporated into the Thomas and Friends film "Thomas and the Magic Railroad."
Document 7: Emily (Thomas &amp; Friends): Emily the Stirling Engine is a fictional steam locomotive from the television series "Thomas & Friends". She was the second female steam engine (Lady was the first female steam engine) and first female steam engine to be featured in the television series (Daisy was the first female Diesel engine and female engine), and became a member of the "Steam Team", as the eight core characters of the series which she became in "Calling All Engines!", and appeared in lots of episodes more often. She is also the only female in the Steam Team. She is painted dark green and has two large driving wheels and a shiny brass safety valve cover.
Document 8: Peter Sam: Peter Sam is a steam locomotive in "The Railway Series" children's books by the Rev. W. Awdry and the spin-off TV series Thomas and Friends. Peter Sam lives and works on the Skarloey Railway on the Island of Sodor as engine No. 4.
Document 9: R. Tom Sawyer: Robert Thomas Sawyer, known as R. Tom Sawyer, (June 20, 1901 - January 19, 1986) was the inventor of the first successful Gas Turbine Locomotive. He also assisted in development of the diesel locomotive while he worked for General Electric, which led him to be known as the "Father of the Diesel Locomotive". Sawyer was the founder of what is now the modern-day "International Gas Turbine Institute" (IGTI), and among industry professionals was known as "Mr. Gas Turbine". Sawyer authored books about Gas Turbines, Locomotives, and Atomic Power., and was awarded three U.S. Patents. The ASME established the "R. Tom Sawyer Award" to honor him for advancing gas turbine technology in all of its aspects for over 40 years. The award in his name is the highest award given by the IGTI, and is awarded annually at their international "Turbo Expo."
Document 10: Thomas and the Magic Railroad: Thomas and the Magic Railroad is a 2000 Manx/British/American fantasy adventure film by Britt Allcroft, its director, producer and writer. Starring Peter Fonda, Mara Wilson, Alec Baldwin, Didi Conn, Russell Means, Cody McMains, Michael E. Rodgers and the voices of Eddie Glen and Neil Crone, the film is based on the British children's book series "The Railway Series" by The Rev. W. Awdry, its televised adaptation of the children's television series "Thomas & Friends", and the American series "Shining Time Station". It was co-produced by Gullane Pictures/The Britt Allcroft Company and the Isle of Man Film Commission. The film was distributed by Destination Films in the United States and Icon Film Distribution in the United Kingdom.
Document 11: R. S. Thomas: Ronald Stuart Thomas (29 March 1913 – 25 September 2000), published as R. S. Thomas, was a Welsh poet and Anglican priest who was noted for his nationalism, spirituality and deep dislike of the anglicisation of Wales. John Betjeman, in his 1955 introduction to "Song at the Year's Turning", the first collection of Thomas's poetry to be produced by a major publisher, predicted that Thomas would be remembered long after he himself was forgotten. M. Wynn Thomas said: "He was the Aleksandr Solzhenitsyn of Wales because he was such a troubler of the Welsh conscience. He was one of the major English language and European poets of the 20th century."
Document 12: Jim Button and Luke the Engine Driver: Jim Button and Luke the Engine Driver (original title: Jim Knopf und Lukas der Lokomotivführer) is a German children's novel written by Michael Ende. Published in 1960, it became one of the most successful German children's books in the postwar era after having first been rejected by a dozen publishers. It received the German Young Literature Prize in 1961 and has been translated into 33 languages. Its huge success later spawned the sequel "Jim Button and the Wild 13" (original title: "Jim Knopf und die Wilde 13").
Document 13: Peter Clover: Peter Clover (b. Islington, North London, 9 June 1952) is an English children's book author and illustrator best known for the "Sheltie the Shetland Pony" series, featuring a young girl, Emma, and her shaggy Shetland pony. In addition Peter Clover has created four other short series: "Rescue Riders", "Hercules", "Donkey Diaries", and "Little Bridge Farm", along with numerous standalone titles.
Document 14: Britt Allcroft: Britt Allcroft (born Hilary Mary Allcroft, 14 December 1943) is an English film, television and live theater producer, writer and director. She is the creator of the children's television series "Thomas the Tank Engine & Friends" (later re-titled "Thomas & Friends"), "Shining Time Station" (with Rick Siggelkow) and "Magic Adventures of Mumfie". She wrote, co-produced and directed the film "Thomas and the Magic Railroad" (2000).
Document 15: Hero of the Rails: Hero of the Rails is a 2009 CGI adventure drama special and film spin-off of the TV series "Thomas & Friends". The film introduces full CGI animation, replacing model work and the addition of a voice cast for the characters alongside the narration to the TV series. The film features the voice of Ben Small and Martin Sherman as Thomas the Tank Engine for the UK and US respectively. It was first released on DVD and to iTunes on 12 January 2010. To promote the film a "Day Out With Thomas 2010: The Hero of the Rails Tour" was held at locations such as the Illinois Railway Museum, where guests could participate in activities such as arts and crafts or ride on a 15-ton replica of Thomas the Tank Engine. A mobile app, "Thomas & Friends: Hero of the Rail", was released in May 2011.
ground_truth: Vere