Thomas the Tank Engine and his friends are based on the Railway Series of books written by the Reverend W. Awdry (1911–1997). The stories were created in 1942 to entertain the Reverend's son, Christopher, who...
Toys as a "big business" did not begin until after the 1830's, when steamboats and steam trains improved the transportation and distribution of manufactured goods. Early toymakers used wood, tin, or cast iron...