Day Out with Thomas facts for kids

A replica of Thomas the Tank Engine at a special event.

Day Out with Thomas is a fun event where you can meet your favorite characters from the TV show Thomas the Tank Engine and Friends! These special events happen on old train lines called heritage railways. At these events, real trains are decorated to look just like Thomas and his friends. It's like stepping right into the world of Sodor! Mattel is the company that gives permission for these events to happen.

Where Thomas Events Happen

Thomas Down Under: Australia

In Australia, many train lines have hosted Day Out With Thomas events. You can find them in places like New South Wales at the NSW Rail Museum in Thirlmere. In Queensland, the Workshop Rail Museum has also hosted these events. And in Victoria, you might see Thomas at the Puffing Billy Railway or the Bellarine Railway.

Thomas in the Netherlands

Every year, Day Out With Thomas events are held in the Netherlands. You can visit them at the Het Spoorwegmuseum in Utrecht.

Thomas in New Zealand

In New Zealand, a special train that looks like Thomas has appeared in many places. It has been seen at the Britomart Transport Centre in Auckland. Thomas also visits the very popular "Day out with Thomas the Tank Engine" weekends. These happen every two years at the Glenbrook Vintage Railway, which is south of Auckland.

Thomas in the United Kingdom

Many heritage railways all over the United Kingdom have hosted Day Out With Thomas events. Some events feature just Thomas himself. Others, like the Watercress Line and the Llangollen Railway, also have Thomas's friends. You might see Percy, Diesel, Mavis, or Daisy! As of 2020, 14 heritage railways in the UK host these events.

Sometimes, the cost to use the Thomas characters can be high. Because of this, some railways have created their own special events. These events still feature trains with faces, but they are not Thomas characters. For example, the East Lancashire Railway created a character called "Jimmy the Jinty."

UK Railways Hosting Events

• Buckinghamshire Railway Centre
• Bo'ness & Kinneil Railway
• Caledonian Railway
• Ravenglass & Eskdale Railway
• Didcot Railway Centre
• East Lancashire Railway
• Kent & East Sussex Railway
• Kirklees Light Railway
• Llangollen Railway
• Mid-Hants Railway
• North Norfolk Railway
• South Devon Railway
• East Anglian Railway Museum
• Swindon & Cricklade Railway
• Nene Valley Railway (This one is not officially licensed)

Thomas in the USA and Canada

Thomas the Tank Engine on the York-Durham Heritage Railway in Uxbridge, Ontario.

A train rebuilt to look like Thomas on the Strasburg Rail Road.

In the United States, there are seven traveling Thomas trains. One is a real steam train. The other six are "dummy" engines. This means another train pushes them, and the Thomas engine doesn't have its own power. All of these trains were built or rebuilt by the Strasburg Rail Road. The steam Thomas was made from an old train called Brooklyn Eastern District Terminal No. 15.

The dummy Thomas engines usually have a powerful train pushing them from behind. The Thomas engine itself is at the front. Thomas's whistle uses the train's air system. Two of these trains are narrow gauge (meaning their tracks are closer together). The other five are standard gauge. When Thomas travels between events, his face is covered up. The trains are moved on large flatbed trucks.

Many big train museums and tourist railways across the United States host Day out with Thomas events. The same trains are also used for three events in Canada (in British Columbia, Alberta, and Ontario). The National Railroad Museum in Green Bay, Wisconsin, was the first museum in the United States to host a "Day Out With Thomas" event. They showed a small Thomas replica in December 1996.

In September 2014, a full-size replica of Percy was built. This Percy is also a dummy engine. Before Percy arrived, Thomas's original face was changed in April 2014. It now has an animatronic face, which means its mouth can open and close. It also has a speaker for Thomas's voice. The voices for Thomas and Percy are provided by their voice actors from the TV show.

In 2019, Mavis the diesel engine was introduced at the Strasburg Rail Road. One of their trains was dressed up as Mavis for a special event. In 2020, the Strasburg Railroad also introduced Rusty. This train is a repainted Plymouth Gas Locomotive, similar to how Mavis was created. Rusty is usually on display for photos.

Thomas in Japan

A Thomas the Tank Engine themed train in Japan, 2014.

Japan's Oigawa Railway started running Thomas events in 2014. A train called JNR Class C11 (No. 227) was decorated to look like Thomas. Another train, JNR Class 9600 (No. 49616), was decorated as Hiro. It was displayed at Senzu Station. A diesel train was also decorated as Rusty.

In 2015, a train called JNR Class C56 (No. 44) was decorated as James. James ran his own trains alongside Thomas. Also in 2015, an old steam train that no longer ran was turned into a Percy replica. Percy now sits next to the Hiro train.

In 2016, a red bus was introduced. It was decorated to look like Bertie! The Troublesome Trucks also appeared, pulled by the Rusty replica. In 2018, a replica of Winston was introduced. Guests can ride and even operate Winston by pedaling him! A replica of Flynn was introduced in 2019. Bulgy was announced to appear in the events in 2020.

Images for kids

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  Thomas at the Nene Valley Railway

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  Thomas at the Mid-Hants Railway

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  Toby the Tram Engine at the Avon Valley Railway

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  Thomas the Tank Engine at the NSW Rail Transportation Museum