North Western Railway

> Please tell everyone that whatever happens elsewhere, Steam will still be at work here. We shall be glad to welcome all who want to see and travel behind, real engines.
>
> Sir Charles Topham Hatt, 1967

The **North Western Railway**, sometimes abbreviated as the **NWR**, is the main standard gauge rail network on the Island of Sodor. From nationalization on January 1, 1948 until privatization in 1997, it was the **North Western Region** of British Railways. It has sometimes been referred to as, **Sodor Railways**. The railway's motto is "Nil Unquam Simile", which is Latin for "There's nothing quite like it".

## **History**

### Early Years

In 1914, the Tidmouth, Wellsworth, and Suddery Railway Company joined together with the Sodor and Mainland Railway company to become one Railway that spanned the Island from Coast to Coast, the North Western Railway. Sodor Tramways decided not to join the others in the creation of the NWR, which soon put them out of business. Topham Hatt was named Controller of the Line, and gained the Nickname "The Fat Director".

On January 1, 1915, The Main Line was Completed, Terminating at Knapford and ending its services at Vicarstown. Later in the year, a Branch Line to Norramby was constructed. The old tracks of the Sodor and Mainland Railway were rebuilt too. By the end of the 1910s, the NWR had 6 Engines, Glynn, Earnest, and 4 Faceless Coffee Pot Engines. In 1916, a Branch Line running from Tidmouth to Arlesburgh was constructed the line was closed shortly afterwards.

In 1920, Earnest was sold to a Railway in the Midlands. Edward, a red engine from the Furness comes. He is painted North Western Blue and given no.2. In 1922, the faceless Coffee Pots stopped working and were all scrapped. Topham Hatt loaned 4 new engines from The Mainland to replace them. He was also conned into thinking that he was buying an Atlantic for a cheap price, but when the engine arrived it was Henry, a poor steamer. In October, Henry was shut up inside Ballahoo Tunnels. In fall of 1922, the NWR purchased a mixed-traffic tender engine named James, originally in black paint.During his absence, a Flashy new A1 Pacific Named Gordon is Purchased. Henry is let out of the tunnel in February 1923. In that same year, an electrified branch line was built from Killdane to Peel Godred. This new branch line would eventually spell doom for the Mid-Sodor Railway.

In 1924, Glynn stopped working and the North Western Railway Purchased Thomas to Replace him. On his first day, he had an accident in Crosby Field. After saving him, Thomas was given the Ffarquhar Branch Line as an award. James was also repainted red.

In 1926, due to the big engines not wanting to shunt their own coaches, Gordon, Henry, and James went on strike. Sir Topham Hatt ended up getting a new GWR Class 65 saddle tank engine. The engine was named Percy and he became the NWR's sixth engine. The big engines soon ended their strike.

### World War II

In 1941, Barrow was Bombed by Germany during the Second World War. The Main Station as Barrow-in-Furness was damaged and 6 Engines had died in the Explosion. The LMS soon approached the NWR with a deal. The deal was that The Fat Director would send his 6 engines to work on the LMS the Station was rebuilt and they got replacements for the 6 engines who died. The Fat Director agreed and the engines were shipped to Barrow. While they were gone, The Fat Director ordered temporary engines to replace them. The first engine of these was a mighty one from Japan named Hiro. The Fat Director never told Hiro about the other engines, and Hiro thought HE was the first engine on the island. Later in December of that year, Britain went to War with Japan, and as such, new replacement parts for Hiro couldn't be ordered. However, this wouldn’t be an issue until June of 1942, when Hiro started to fail, but due to the inability to ship parts from Japan, he is left in a siding for over 65 years.

In 1945, a children's book called The Three Railway Engines is published by railway enthusiast and Sodor Historian, Wilbert Awdry. The book chronicles Edward, Gordon, and Henry's Adventures in 1923. The book series becomes incredibly popular and boosts the railway's profits. Wilbert Awdry would even become publicity manager for a brief time in the 1950s. In 1984, the books would be adapted for television in Thomas the Tank Engine & Friends, increasing the railway's popularity even more.

### Life Under Nationalization

In 1948, all of Britian's Standard Gauge Railways were merged together in Nationalization. The North Western Railway was affected too, becoming the North Western Region on British Railways, though the term "Region" was nary used. The Fat Director became The Fat Controller, and he also gained the title "Sir" Topham Hatt. The Railway also expanded Edward's Line to reach the new China Clay Pits that year.

In 1951, Sir Topham Hatt was taking a trip to East Anglia, where he met a tram engine named Toby. Toby's Railway closed down and Sir Topham Hatt purchased him after Thomas got into some legal troubles.

In 1953, her majesty, Queen Elizabeth II, visited Knapford Station, in a special train hauled by Gordon. This event would have drastic impacts on the NWR, and the amount of tourism on the island would boom to a new high. This led to a new engine from America named Rosie joining the railway. A tourism line is also built from Kirk Ronan to a new station, named Shining Time. Another new engine named Tasha, also known as Lady, is purchased to run the line. Two Mainland Diesels named Splatter and Dodge help with the line's construction.

In 1954, Sir Topham Hatt I retired, and his son Charles Topham Hatt became the new Fat Controller. His first major action was in 1955, where he sent Percy to build a new harbour at Knapford Beach. A new engine from the Great Western Region, named Duck, is purchased as well and becomes the new Knapford Pilot. Percy is also relocated to Thomas's Branch Line.Sir Topham Hatt I would pass away shortly afterwards.

* Culture
* Engines
* Lines