Oliver (RWS)/Behind the Scenes

The Railway Series
Oliver is a fictional standard gauge tank locomotive created by the Rev. W. Awdry. Oliver lives and works on the North Western Railway. He carries the number 1436.

He first appeared in The Railway Series book, Enterprising Engines, which was published in 1968. His last appearance was in Wilbert the Forest Engine, published in 1994.

Front of Oliver:

Oliver is based on the Great Western Railway 14xx Class 0-4-2T.

Oliver is named after Oliver Wicks, who was a much respected member of Stroud Baptist Church. He was the Rev. W. Awdry's next door neighbour in Rodborough, Stroud. Oliver's name may have also been inspired by Bulliver, a member of his class preserved on the Dart Valley (now South Devon) Railway, which is mentioned at the beginning of Oliver the Western Engine.

Awdry's model
Awdry's model of Oliver was built from a K's kit to be used as reference for illustrations. The model is inconsistent with the illustrations, lacking a top feed and having "GREAT WESTERN" painted on the side tanks rather than the "shirtbutton" emblem. It was used occasionally to pull enthusiast trains on the Ffarquhar Mk2 Layout and is currently at the Narrow Gauge Railway Museum in Tywyn, Wales.