North Western Railway (T&F)

"Connecting people all across Sodor."

- Tagline The North Western Railway (NWR) also known as Sodor Railways (SR) is the main standard gauge rail network on the Island of Sodor.

History
In The Adventure Begins, we first see the construction of the North Western Railway. At the time, the smallest engine on the line was Edward (2) who would shunt in the Knapford Yard. The biggest engine on the line was Gordon (4), the second biggest was Henry (3) and the newest was James (5). James arrived at some point before Glynn (1) the coffee pot was retired. Thomas an LBSC tank engine arrived after Glynn had been reitred and he was given his number 1 and his branchline along with two coaches Annie and Clarabel.

It's implied at the end of The Adventure Begins that the big engines would go on strike and Percy would have to be brought on to help.

Liveries
The steam engines are painted primarily cerulean with red lining (Thomas, Edward, Gordon), secondarily green with red lining (Henry, Percy) tertiarily red with yellow and blue or black lining (James) and quaternary black with red and white lining (Donald and Douglas, but they were painted primarily cerulean with red lining in the Story Library Books). The numbers are painted in yellow with red borders on the side of the cabs, tanks or tenders. From sixth series and up, there is no set colour scheme for the engines.

The coaching stock are primarily painted in dark green and cream with yellow lining, secondarily red and cream with yellow lining, tertiarily dark red, and quaternary orange (Annie and Clarabel)

Secondary carriages are principally painted either orange (Annie and Clarabel), red or dark green with cream window surrounds (Emily's Coaches, Old Coaches) and white wheel rims.

The wagons are mostly painted pink with grey frames, blue with silver frames, or grey, red, or green with black frames.

The brake vans are mostly painted grey or brown with black frames and white fittings.

NWR railway lines

 * The Main Line
 * Norramby Branch Line
 * Kirk Ronan Branch Line
 * Peel Godred Branch Line
 * Brendam Branch Line
 * Ffarquhar Branch Line
 * The Little Western
 * The Loop Line
 * The Headland Line
 * Toby's Branch Line
 * Stepney's Branch Line
 * Coaling Plant Branch Line
 * Ulfstead Branch Line
 * Quarry Branch Line
 * The Main Line Loop
 * Misty Valley Branch Line
 * Killdane Branch Line
 * Harwick Branch Line

Interchanges with other railways
Movements of rolling stock (particularly engines) to and from the narrow-gauge railways is achieved by transporting them on flatbeds on the standard-gauge system, for example, when Rheneas is sent away for repairs.
 * The Main Line - the Skarloey Railway at Crovan's Gate
 * Norramby Branch Line - the Skarloey Railway at the Wharf and the Transfer Yards
 * Stepney's Branch Line - the Skarloey Railway at Bluebell Valley
 * Peel Godred Branch Line - the Culdee Fell Railway at Kirk Machan
 * Quarry Branch Line - the Skarloey Railway at Blue Mountain Quarry
 * Ulfstead Branch Line - Skarloey Railway at Boulder Quarry
 * Ulfstead Branch Line - Skarloey Railway and Estate Railway at Ulfstead Castle
 * The Little Western - the Arlesdale Railway at Arlesburgh West

Trivia

 * In the Thomas & Friends television series, Diesel, Mavis, Bill, Ben and Stepney are owned by the North Western Railway despite being owned by British Railways and private railways respectively in The Railway Series. The Skarloey Railway was under the same management as the NWR from its introduction in the fourth series until the introduction of Mr. Percival in the ninth series.
 * The Adventure Begins marked the first time the name North Western Railway was stated in the Thomas & Friends television series.
 * Some merchandising and promotional material had previously referred to it as Sodor Railways.
 * In Thomas and the Magic Railroad, Harvey to the Rescue, and Respect for Gordon, it was known as the Sodor Railway.
 * Question Time with Sir Topham Hatt has the Fat Controller say that the railway was originally called the North Western Railway before all the railways on Sodor joined together to become Sodor Railways.
 * The railway is shown to have at-least a total of 58 locomotives. Other assets include Marion, Flynn, Elizabeth, Kevin, Cranky, Big Mickey, Carly, Winston, Bertie, & Bulgy, plus a surplus of rolling-stock.
 * Rosie and Rebecca are the only engines to have the railway's acronym displayed on them.