Y Dyn a Greodd ‘Tomos’
Dechreuodd y straeon am Tomos y Tanc a’i ffrindiau ym 1943 pan greodd y Parchedig Wilbert Awdry, oedd yn frwdfrydig iawn am reilffyrdd, straeon i’w fab tair blwydd oed Christopher, oedd yn gwella o’r frech goch. Cafodd y straeon eu cyhoeddi ym 1945, a’u cyfieithu ym 1950 dan y teitl Y Tri Injan Tren, ac fe’u dilynwyd gan Tomos y Tanc (yn Saesneg i ddechrau) ym 1946. Dilynwyd y rhain gan gyfres lwyddiannus o lyfrau.
Ymunodd Awdry â Chymdeithas Cadw Rheilffordd Talyllyn ym 1951 ac fe ysbrydolodd ei brofiadau fel gwirfoddolwr ar y rheilffordd nifer o lyfrau am Reilffordd Skarloey.
Ym 1979, saith mlynedd ar ôl i’r Parchedig Awdry ysgrifennu ei lyfr olaf am Tomos, gwerthwyd hawliau teledu y straeon a chafwyd y gyfres lwyddiannus Tomos y Tanc a’i Ffrindiau. Lledaenodd brand Tomos ar draws y byd.
Ym 1983 ysgrifennodd Christopher Awdry ei lyfr cyntaf am Tomos, Really Useful Engines. Mae Christopher a’i deulu hefyd yn gweithio ar reilffordd Talyllyn ac ym 1996 daeth yn Llywydd y Gymdeithas.
Stydi’r Parchedig W V Awdry
Yma, mae stydi’r Parchedig W V Awdry yn Stroud, Swydd Gaerloyw wedi cael ei hail-greu’n rhannol, gan ddefnyddio’r dodrefn gwreiddiol. Erbyn iddo symud i Stroud, roedd y Parchedig Awdry wedi ymddeol fel awdur Cyfres y Rheilffordd ac fel Offeiriad Plwyf, ond roedd yn dal i dreulio’r rhan fwyaf o’i amser yn ei stydi, yn ateb llythyrau gan edmygwyr, yn ymchwilio ac ysgrifennu am hanes rheilffyrdd, ac yn cyfansoddi pregethau.
The Man Who Created ‘Thomas’
Stories about Thomas the Tank Engine and friends began in 1943 when railway enthusiast the Reverend Wilbert Awdry created tales for his three year old son Christopher, who was recovering from measles. They were published in 1945 as The Three Railway Engines, and were followed by Thomas the Tank Engine in 1946. A successful series of books followed.
Awdry joined the Talyllyn Railway Preservation Society in 1951 and his experiences as a volunteer on the line inspired a number of books about the Skarloey Railway.
In 1979, seven years after the Reverend Awdry wrote his last Thomas book, sale of the television rights to the stories led to the hit series Thomas the Tank Engine and Friends. The Thomas brand spread worldwide.
In 1983 Christopher Awdry wrote his first Thomas book, Really Useful Engines. Christopher and his family also work on the Talyllyn and in 1996 he became the Society’s President.
Reverend W V Awdry’s study
This is a partial reconstruction of the Reverend W V Awdry’s study in Stroud, Gloucestershire, using his original furniture. Although by the time he moved to Stroud the Reverend Awdry had retired both as a writer of The Railway Series and as a Parish Priest, he still spent most of his time in his study, replying to letters from fans, researching and writing about railway history, and composing sermons.
