Gordon the Big Engine

Railway Series #8

by W. Awdry

Gordon, that proud and pompous Express Engine, appeared in all the earlier books in this series, but this is the first time that he has had a book named after him.

OFF THE RAILS
Gordon is horrified to find himself pulling trucks and does everything he can to sabotage the job.

LEAVES
Gordon is in disgrace, so James gets to pull the Express, ignoring Gordon's warning about leaves on Gordon's Hill.

DOWN THE MINE
Thomas mocks Gordon for his accident, but soon suffers one of his own and needs Gordon's help.

PAINT POTS AND QUEENS
The Queen is coming to visit the Railway and the engines vie to pull the Royal Train.

Genres: Childrens, Fiction, Picture Books, Fantasy, Adventure, Trains

62 pages, Hardcover

First published January 1, 1953

About the author

Wilbert Vere Awdry, OBE, better known as the Rev. W. Awdry, was an English clergyman, railway enthusiast and children's author, and creator of Thomas the Tank Engine, who starred in Awdry's acclaimed Railway Series.

The characters that would make Awdry famous, and the first stories featuring them, were invented in 1943 to amuse his son Christopher during a bout of measles. The first book (The Three Railway Engines) was published in 1945, and by the time Awdry stopped writing in 1972, The Railway Series numbered 26 books. Christopher subsequently added further books to the series.

Reviews

[Bookworm Blogger]

Some amusing stories in this book. I particularly liked Paint pots and Queens.

[Philip]

As the plot goes from the kindely’s Christmas party with a missing scene was leaves also coming to the starting of season two is paint pots and queens in the between the years Queen
Elizabeth the second did came to sodor as royal visit for meeting topham’s engines the season
is wrong anyway from representing the fact that I want to be honest Gordon and
Thomas is heading back the sheds with the winch is still on Gordon’s buffer beam what I am seeing
is that all that is true since James couldn’t climb well on hills because of leaves is
on the tracks that’s explains the course is


The season is the wrong as the years went in between that is way plot goes from starting season two
Amy raising is very poor because the season is so off I have to give it as one and half stars
for this book I sorry I just take it

[Lynn Maitlen]

A pretty solid addition to the series. Gordon gets into some deep shit and spends the rest of the stories redeeming himself and proving himself a useful engine again. One of the best.

[Sophie Crane]

Great to get a book just about Gordon, excellent stories with great pictures to look at, would recommend this book.

[Philip]

What I think is that the plot is wrong because the paint pots and queens is part of season one
not season for it seems to me that the sequence goes in order like of the rail down
the mine and last final scene of season one is paint pots and queens that is the way it goes
not other way around.

and I declare to will remake the paint pots and queens scene into season one

[Meowcats TV]

Another good one. However I think there's not really enough Gordon for a book named after him. (Down the Mine is a Thomas story, and Leaves is a James story.)

[Bree]

Notes:
we read these books so many times
the classic series is the only way to enjoy Thomas