The tales of Thomas the Tank Engine are due to be showsn on the silver screen.#

The story books written by the Reverend Wilbert Awdry took their inspiration from the steam engines at Tywyn's Talyllyn railway where he worked.

The steam engines of the Forties gave the him the idea for a series of bedtime stories to read to his son, Christopher as he recovered in isolation from scarlet fever.

The story of Thomas and the Magic Railroad receives its world premiere in London on Saturday night and Thomas himself will make an appearance.

Llangollen Railway owns one of seven official Thomas trains, and it will be driven down to Leicester Square for the event.

Tywyn's Talyllyn railway, however, operates a train without the official blessing of the Britt Allcroft company, which owns the rights to Thomas.

The railway said the Peter Sam was christened by Reverend Awrdy long before the novels made him famous.

Britt Allcroft, who wrote and directed the new film, said fans of the traditional story books have nothing to fear from the big screen treatment.

The accents may have changed but the stories remain faithful to the originals.

In 1945, the first of the Rev Awdry's Railway Series of books "The Three Railway Engines" appeared.

It was a book, small enough for children's hands, containing three stories, "Edward's Day Out" being the first.

Thomas the Tank Engine did not appear until the second book was published a year later in 1946 .