The Talyllyn Railway will be celebrating the life of Rev. W. Awdry through its Awdry Extravaganza.

Awdry was the creator of Thomas the Tank Engine and one of Talyllyn’s earliest volunteers. 2025 marks 80 years since the first Railway Series book, which was published in 1945.

The three-day event, which will take place between the 18th and 20th July 2025, will celebrate not only his success with the Railway Series but also his time as a volunteer guard on the Talyllyn Railway.

His time as a member and volunteer inspired the fictionalised version of Tayllyn, Skarloey Railway, which appeared in “Four Little Engines” in 1955.

The steam engines of this story are based on the real steam engines at Talyllyn, with Sir Haydn as Sir Handel.

Thanks to Ffestiniog Railway and the Ravenglass and Eskdale Railway, ‘Duke the Lost Engine’ and ‘Mike the Small Engine’ will be making the trip, joining Talyllyn’s home fleet for the celebrations.

Across the event, there will be a mix of the normal passenger timetabled trains and pre-booked special trains.

An Explorer ticket will allow all-day travel on standard trains for £28, so passengers can explore the railway and the surrounding areas fully.

Tywyn Wharf will be the centre for activities, with displays and footplate rides on ‘Duke’. The Narrow Gauge Museum will be open, and there will be an exhibition showcasing the origins of the Railway Series book, with the original illustrations for the books and models used for the TV series.

Abergynolwyn Station will have another exhibition, focusing on Rev. W. Awdry’s model railways over the years. There will be models of engines that he built while writing and ones that were used in productions.

On Friday, Tim Dunn and Richard Awdry will host one of Rev. W. Awdry’s lectures on the history of Sodor.

Saturday will see a retrospective of the first book to feature Skarloey Railway will also be presented.

Tickets for the event go on sale on the 19th May, with full information on Talyllyn’s website.