Clive Spong is an English illustrator ofThe Railway Series books by theRev. W. Awdry. He illustrated the books written byChristopher Awdry published since 1983.

• Really Useful Engines
• James and the Diesel Engines
• Great Little Engines
• More About Thomas the Tank Engine
• Gordon the High-Speed Engine
• Toby, Trucks and Trouble
• Thomas and the Twins
• Jock the New Engine
• Thomas and the Great Railway Show
• Thomas Comes Home
• Henry and the Express
• Wilbert the Forest Engine
• Thomas and the Fat Controller's Engines
• New Little Engine
• Thomas and Victoria
• Thomas and His Friends

Spong is a graduate of Leicester College of Art, likeJohn T. Kenney andClarence Reginald Dalby, who were among the earlier illustrators of the Railway Series books. He remained the illustrator throughout the run of Christopher Awdry's 14 books, illustrating more titles in the series than any other artist.

Spong was one of the first illustrators to break Wilbert's golden rule about engines having no faces outside of Sodor – he did this in book 32 of the series,Toby, Trucks and Trouble – depicting Toby and his brother with faces whilst outside Sodor; in book 35,Thomas and the Great Railway Show – depictingNational Collection engines such asMallard,Duchess of Hamilton,Green Arrow andIron Duke (complete with a mustache) with faces; and in book 38,Wilbert the Forest Engine – depictingSixteen with a face when on his railway outside of Sodor. He also illustratedpop-up books includingHenry and the Elephant from Troublesome Engines.^[1]

Spong illustrated pop-up books and the spin-offs,Thomas's Christmas Party,Thomas and the Evil Diesel,Thomas and the Missing Christmas Tree, and also The Rev. W. Awdry's extended rewrite ofThomas Comes to Breakfast. Some of his character illustrations were used to depict characters inThe Island of Sodor: Its People, History and Railways

Clive Spong did the illustrations for the My Thomas Story Library book BoCo, along with Jerry Smith. This is the only non-Railway Series book he worked on.