Annie and Clarabel (RWS)/Behind the Scenes

Background Information
Annie and Clarabel are fictional standard gauge coaches created by the Rev. W. Awdry.

They first appeared in The Railway Series book, Thomas the Tank Engine, which was published in 1946. Their last appearance was in Thomas and his Friends, published in 2011.

Illustrations of Annie and Clarabel:

Awdry's models
The coach that was to be the basis for Annie was first built by a teenage Wilbert Awdry as part of his and his brother's model railway layout, in 1927. Many years later in 1948, after a long hiatus from modelling, a brake coach was built to match so that the Reverend's Thomas model would have a complete train. It was at this time that the two coaches were also given their names: Annie and Clarabel. These models are preserved at the Narrow Gauge Railway Museum in Tywyn, Wales, located near the Talyllyn Railway.