I`ll take 5 please!N3V go home! You're drunk!
*snip*
Blah, have you read the actual book from the actual author? I was fortunate enough to have done so, the true classic never makes any mention to what models they are based off of. However, several hints are made and actual references are made to the Flying Scotsman and there are a few are made directly to GWR, which I believe was/still is an operating RR. As you know, characters Duck and Oliver are both GWR units. I always thought it was funny to have noticed those references to a couple well know areas in the world-wide railroading world.
Do you honestly believe anything that you read on a wiki? The T&F wiki and Wildnorwesters series are an insult to the original author. This was/still is a series for very young children, and I'll say sometimes does lead to young railfans to develop, but the series was never intended for for throwing extreme railway terms into the show. You really expect anybody from about 4-7 to even know what an E2 engine is? Of course not, I think most Americans don't even know what that is, because they A: Are not British/European, and the locomotive model is no longer in production. I think with simple research, you can see what each engine actually is, but since the author produced this before the existence of Trainz (And computers for that matter)he used his imagination to come up with what is a legendary series that has been able to survive this long. However, post-2000 T&F no longer use his original stories. Most of the characters in this time period are not in the book. Molly, Emily, Hiro, the Logging Loco's, and any of those are not in the book. Once again, I have read the original book and know this to be fact.
The only definitive answer would be any comment by Wilbert Awdry or one of his three illustrators. His first illustrator, C Reginald Dalby, was not very interested in trains and they eventually parted. The second, John T Kenny, did draw from real life so his illustrations are more realistic. The third illustrators, Peter and Gunvor Edwards, were more impressionistic. When making historic claims one should always try to go back to primary sources, i.e. the original people or documents. Too often somebody makes an error or gives false information and subsequent authors repeat that mistake and so perpetuate inaccuracies or myths.
Yea and that's the interesting part. Since the series was meant for his son, who was quite young (therefore being meant for the young masses later on) he didn't really make definitive claims on what each model was, because again, I don't think many young children are going to know an E2 or whatever from any other engine. I think through looking at the illustrations, you could probably research and compare and make a inference the models that they are, but you're not going to get a clean answer from the true book. All I was saying is to read the real book, and you'll find that there are discrepancies between the book, and latest T&F series you find here in the US.
