History YMMV / TheRailwaySeries

** This trope was partly why Christopher Awdry didn't like the story "Drip Tank" due to it involving an outdated phrase.
* VillainDecay / TimeMarchesOn: In the 1960s, books like ''Stepney the Bluebell Engine'' and ''Enterprising Engines'' dealt with the subject of Modernisation; in the former, Percy goes as far as to demonize controllers on the mainland, only for Awdry to set the record straight in the foreword by saying the British Railways officials are not cruel, and are in fact supportive of the preservation movement. Examples are shown in ''Enterprising Engines'' among the controllers who helped keep Oliver, Toad, and Isabel safe. In ''James and the Diesel Engines'', published in 1984, a visiting diesel notes that on BR, "steam engines are kept in their proper places, and aren't allowed out on the mainline without special permission". (referring to the red tape surrounding steam-hauled railtours that has only become stricter as the years passed, due to evolving railway safety standards and environmental laws.)

** NightmareFuelStationAttendant: Culdee to Duncan and Sir Handel about Godred in "Bad Look Out," Duke to Falcon and Stuart about No. 2/Stanley in "Granpuff."

* VillainDecay / TimeMarchesOn: In the 1960s, books like ''Stepney the Bluebell Engine'' and ''Enterprising Engines'' dealt with the subject of Modernisation; in the former, Percy goes as far as to demonize controllers on the mainland, only for Awdry to set the record straight in the foreword by saying the British Railways officials are not cruel, and are in fact supportive of the preservation movement. Examples are shown in ''Enterprising Engines'' among the controllers who helped keep Oliver, Toad, and Isabel safe. In ''James and the Diesel Engines'', published in 1984, a visiting diesel notes that on BR, "steam engines are kept in their proper places, and aren't allowed out on the mainline without special permission." (referring to the red tape surrounding steam-hauled railtours that has only become stricter as the years passed, due to evolving railway safety standards and environmental laws.)

* ValuesDissonance: The boys who made James become a RunawayTrain are described as being [[AbusiveParents "soundly walloped"]] by their parents when they are caught.

* HilariousInHindsight: [[http://tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pmwiki.php/Recap/TheRailwaySeriesB19MountainEngines Mountain Engines]] involves an engine who has his name changed to his [[Series/ThePrisoner YouAreNumberSix number]] [[which is six]] [[Series/ThePrisoner who is later renamed Patrick.]]

* HarsherInHindsight: In ''Old Faithful'', it's quoted that Sir Handel thinks that Skarloey is the "best engine in the world". Yeah, try picturing that in your mind 15 books later...

* VillainDecay / TimeMarchesOn: In the 1960s, books like ''Stepney the Bluebell Engine'' and ''Enterprising Engines'' dealt with the subject of Modernisation; in the former, Percy goes as far as to demonize controllers on the mainland, only for Awdry to set the record straight in the foreword by saying the British Railways officials are not cruel, and are in fact supportive of the preservation movement. In ''James and the Diesel Engines'', published in 1984, a visiting diesel notes that on BR, "steam engines are kept in their proper places, and aren't allowed out on the mainline without special permission." (referring to the red tape surrounding steam-hauled railtours that has only become stricter as the years passed, due to evolving railway safety standards and environmental laws.)

* RonTheDeathEater: An example for a character that didn't appear much, 98462 was stated by Reverend Awdry to have been sent away because he was rude and nasty. In Trainz-based Thomas fan videos, 98462 is often [[IncrediblyLamePun derailed]] into an AxCrazy psychopath who murders (or tries to murder) other engines.

* RonTheDeathEater: An example for a character that didn't appear much, 98462 was stated by Reverend Awdry to have been sent away because he was rude and nasty. In Trainz-based Thomas fan videos, 98462 is often [[IncrediblyLamePun derailed]] into a psychopathic bomber.

* VillainDecay / TimeMarchesOn: In the 1960s, books like ''Stepney the Bluebell Engine'' and ''Enterprising Engines'' dealt with the subject of Modernisation; in the former, Percy goes as far as to demonize controllers on the mainland, only for Awdry to set the record straight in the foreword by saying the British Railways officials are not cruel, and are in fact supportive of the preservation movement. In ''James and the Diesel Engines'', published in 1984, a visiting diesel notes that on BR, "steam engines are kept in their proper places, and aren't allowed out on the mainline without special permission." (referring to the red tape surrounding steam-hauled railtours.)

* VillainDecay / TimeMarchesOn: In the 1960s, books like ''Stepney the Bluebell Engine'' and ''Enterprising Engines'' dealt with the subject of steam power being scrapped. In ''James and the Diesel Engines'', published in 1984, a visiting diesel notes that on BR, "steam engines are kept in their proper places, and aren't allowed out on the mainline without special permission." (referring to the red tape surrounding steam-hauled railtours.)

* {{VillainDecay}}/{{TimeMarchesOn}}: In the 1960s, books like ''Stepney the Bluebell Engine'' and ''Enterprising Engines'' dealt with the subject of steam power being scrapped. In ''James and the Diesel Engines'', published in 1984, a visiting diesel notes that on BR, "steam engines are kept in their proper places, and aren't allowed out on the mainline without special permission." (referring to the red tape surrounding steam-hauled railtours.)

* IAmNotShazam: Commonly called "Thomas the Tank Engine" after the show became popular. It doesn't help the merchandising between the two products sometimes interchanges and some versions of the original novels are even released officially with the Thomas moniker.

* VillainDecay/TimeMarchesOn: In the 1960s, books like ''Stepney the Bluebell Engine'' and ''Enterprising Engines'' dealt with the subject of steam power being scrapped. In ''James and the Diesel Engines'', published in 1984, a visiting diesel notes that on BR, "steam engines are kept in their proper places, and aren't allowed out on the mainline without special permission." (referring to the red tape surrounding steam-hauled railtours.)

* [[VillainDecay]]/[[TimeMarchesOn]]: In the 1960s, books like ''Stepney the Bluebell Engine'' and ''Enterprising Engines'' dealt with the subject of steam power being scrapped. In ''James and the Diesel Engines'', published in 1984, a visiting diesel notes that on BR, "steam engines are kept in their proper places, and aren't allowed out on the mainline without special permission." (referring to the red tape surrounding steam-hauled railtours.)

* VillainDecay/TimeMarchesOn: In the 1960s, books like ''Stepney the Bluebell Engine'' and ''Enterprising Engines'' dealt with the subject of steam power being scrapped. In ''James and the Diesel Engines'', published in 1984, a visiting diesel notes that on BR, "steam engines are kept in their proper places, and aren't allowed out on the mainline without special permission." (referring to the red tape surrounding steam-hauled railtours.)

** How to teach kids AnAesop about vanity: In "The Sad Story of Henry", Henry refuses to come out of a tunnel in case his paint gets scratched, so the Fat Controller orders that he be bricked up in there. ''Forever''. He gets let out weeks later, in a story Awdry only wrote because the publishers wanted him to have all three original engines team up.
*** Actually the publishers also added the stipulation that Henry must receive a happy ending and be released from the tunnel, suggesting even they were creeped out a bit by the story's conclusion.

** How to teach kids AnAesop about vanity: In "The Sad Story of Henry", Henry refuses to come out of a tunnel in case his paint gets scratched, so the Fat Controller orders that he be bricked up in there. ''Forever''. He gets let out weeks later, in a story Awdrey only wrote because the publishers wanted him to have all three original engines team up.
** Actually the publishers also added the stipulation that Henry must receive a happy ending and be released from the tunnel, suggesting even they were creeped out a bit by the story's conclusion.

* IAmNotShazam: Commonly called "Thomas the Tank Engine" after the show became popular.
** It doesn't help the merchandising between the two products sometimes interchanges and some versions of the original novels are even released officially with the Thomas moniker.

** NightmareFuelStationAttendant: Culdee to Duncan and Sir Handel about Godred in "Bad Look Out," Duke to Falcon and Stuart about No. 2/Stanley in "Granpuff."

* IAmNotShazam: Commonly called "Thomas the Tank Engine" after the show became popular.

* NightmareFuel: Many of the books about scrapping, even ''Edward the Blue Engine'', seem to traumatize steam lovers.