Sodor Enterprises

Sodor Enterprises was a company set up by Christopher and Diana Awdry to publish and sell books by Christopher.

History
On 25th April 1998, Reed International sold their children's books division to Egmont UK and the copyright of the Railway Series to the Britt Allcroft Company for £13.5 million. As a result, Christopher was unable to publish the Railway Series without the permission of the copyright holder, and the series was suspended.

Christopher still wanted to write stories for children, so he founded Sodor Enterprises in 2001 with his wife, Diana Awdry. Christopher previously wrote down two stories about Rachel and General, two engines on the Eastbourne Miniature Steam Railway. He and EMSR owner, Mike Wadey, thought the stories about Rachel & General would be popular with visitors to the EMSR, and also attract people who hadn't yet visited it. And they were published as two paperbacks in the Eastbourne Series.

After that, Christopher published previously written books and books on Mull Railway, Penrhyn Railway and Wensleydale Railway other than EMSR books.

Christopher repeatedly requested the publishers to reprint "The Island of Sodor: Its People, History and Railways" written by his father the Rev. W. Awdry and his uncle George Awdry, but they did not reprint. So he offered to buy the copyright of the book, but this too has been refused. Christopher decides to write a new information book. It was published as "Sodor: Reading Between the Lines" in May 2005 to celebrate the 60th anniversary of the Railway Series.

The company was closed down around 2010, probably because it was able to publish a new RWS book from Egmont in 2007.

Books

 * The Eastbourne Series
 * General Takes Charge
 * Rachel and the Goose
 * Western and the Lost Ring
 * Oily Keeps Things Going
 * Eastbourne's Wedding Special
 * Oily and the Flood
 * Lady of the Isles
 * LOTI and the Enchanted Forest
 * LOTI and the Lost Locket
 * Penrhyn Railway books
 * Railway For Sale
 * Luke Goes Flying
 * Heave-Ho Hamish!
 * Sodor: Reading Between the Lines
 * Reprints
 * The Chips Express
 * Between the Fires

Trivia

 * The company name has two origins:
 * It takes its name from the “forgotten” half of the diocese of the Bishop of Sodor and Man; historically, it referred to the Sudderies, an area of South-West Scotland.
 * Diana Awdry named it after the Island of Sodor where Thomas the Tank Engine and his friends live.
 * Many books had Christopher's signature.
 * Christopher, along with illustrator Jonathan Clay, published "Hugh Goes Sliding" by the Corris Railway Society on 3rd September 2001.