Thomas/Sodor Layout

[linuxtx]

I am fairly new hobby, though considered getting involved for a while. It just so happens my son is a huge Thomas fan. He received the Lionel O Thomas set for his birthday and is in love with it, but I have been itching to set up a good N-Scale layout for myself. With no real particular layout or era I planned to model, I had an idea. Why not model Sodor for my layout, and let my sons run with the Tommix engines and rolling stock there, and I can run the engines and stock I am more interested in when I have time? That said, I have been looking for a reasonable map of Sodor, and what I could actually do on a 4x8 layout. There seems to be little out there (or it is burried under a lot of the wooden railway bits).
Does anyone have information on track plans or detailed operations for the Sodor railways? I know a lof of scale modellers may think it childish, but it is a good way for me to enjoy myself, and spend quality time with my sons as they grow up as well.

Thanks,
Justin

 

[60103]

There are a couple of large format books out there. One is the complete Thomas the Tank Engine series (at least W Awdry's stories) and the other is called "The Thomas the Tank Engine Man" which is a biography.Mine are at least 5 years ols, and were in the $50 range. At least one has a map of Sodor. The biography has pictures of Awdry's various layouts.
And most of us have no objection to any nefarious means that you use to get your children interested in railways.

 

[shortliner]

For a map try http://www.geocities.com/thomaslms2003/sodor75.jpg
HIH
Shortliner(Jack)away up here in the Highlands

 

[shortliner]

http://www.pegnsean.net/~railwayseries/ffarquhar.htm is another suggestion
Shortliner(Jack)away up here in the Highlands

 

[ZeldaTheSwordsman]

There's also a map section on that site. In N scale ya can fit a lot more on a 4'x8'.

 

[MadHatter]

I found two at Wikipedia.