The Talyllyn Railway is represented in "The Railway Series" books by the Reverend W. Awdry and the spin-off TV series "Thomas & Friends" as the Skarloey Railway; most of the fictional locomotives are based on real-life equivalents. Awdry visited the line on a family holiday in the early days of preservation and became involved as a volunteer soon afterwards. Several of the stories in "The Railway Series" come from his real-life experiences at the Talyllyn, and some of the books contain full-page illustrations of Talyllyn locomotives.