One-Tank Trip for July
12/14
(c) By Jim Fox
Clear the track,
here comes Thomas the Tank Engine.
The star of the
children’s animated television series comes to life, chugging along the tracks
in St. Thomas this month.
Day Out with Thomas: The Thrill of the Ride
Tour happens the weekends of July 18 to 20 and July 25 to 27 at
the St. Thomas-Elgin Memorial Centre (80 Wilson Ave.).
 |
| Wherever he goes, Thomas the Tank Engine attracts a crowd. |
For the first time,
Thomas will “talk to his fans” as he pulls into the station.
Children
can hop aboard for a 25-minute ride and meet railway controller Sir
Topham Hatt.
There is also Thomas and Friends’ themed entertainment,
story-telling, arts and crafts, inflatable bouncers, bubbles, a cool mist tent,
hay bale maze and small animal petting farm.
Admission to the
Elgin County Railway Museum (225 Wellington St.), which is hosting the event,
is included in the ticket price, said manager Dawn Miskelly.
The visit
by Thomas “offers aspiring engineers and their families the unique opportunity
to take a ride with the classic storybook engine at regional heritage
railroads,” organizers say.
Thomas,
the “Really Useful Engine,” has travelled from the fictional island of Sodor to
arrive “right on time” as they say.
The Thomas
& Friends TV show was launched in 1984 in England based on the Railway
Series books by the Rev. Wilbert Awdry and his son Christopher.
The
books deal with the adventures of a group of locomotives and road vehicles with
human features.
Over the years, the
series in the United Kingdom and the U.S. has had a list of notable narrators
starting with Ringo Starr and including, in order, Michael Angelis, George
Carlin, Alec Baldwin, Michael Brandon, Pierce Brosnan and Mark Moraghan.
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| Thomas the Tank Engine will huff and puff into St. Thomas this month. (Mark Girdauskas photo) |
Also in St. Thomas
is a Conductor’s Breakfast with Sir Topham Hatt on July 19 and 26 at 8
a.m. and 9 a.m.
The $10 price (ages
two and older) includes a hot breakfast and drink, viewing the museum exhibits,
story-telling and meeting Hatt.
This takes place at
the museum, about a five-minute drive from where the train trips take place.
Need to know
Tickets to
ride are $25 plus tax (free for ages two and younger), with a limited number of
day passes for unlimited rides each Friday for $50 plus tax. There are discounted
$20 tickets for the early and late trains on Fridays.
All
aboard: The Thomas train departs every 45 minutes starting at 8:45 a.m., with
the last train leaving at 5 p.m.
Guests
should arrive at least one hour before their scheduled departure time and there
is assigned seating on the train.
Free parking is
available adjacent to the site and the event runs rain or shine, with food and
drinks available. Buying tickets in advance is “highly recommended.”
Details and tickets:
ecrm5700.org; 1-888-222-6608
Staying over: The Four
Points by Sheraton hotel in London has a Day Out with Thomas package from $143
a night.
It
includes overnight accommodations in a two-room suite, a Thomas storybook, free
meals for children 12 and younger with adult meals and unlimited use of the
indoor swimming pool.
Book
online at fourpointslondonontario.com/thomas-the-tank-engine-st-thomas or
call 1-866-716-8133 and add Thomas tickets.
For St.
Thomas accommodations and information: railwaycitytourism.com
Railway City rocks
The Iron Horse
Festival in St. Thomas from Aug. 21 to 24 is making a comeback in style.
For its 20th annual
year, the festival has moved to a site adjacent to the Elgin County Railway
Museum instead of Talbot Street.
A special visitor
will be the Port Stanley Terminal Rail train offering “classic” rides and there
is also a new midway with rides and games.
Kicking off the fun
is a performance by April Wine and the festival features two stages for live
music, a rib fest, cruise night, Kid’s Junction, Vendors and Artisan Village
and a battle re-enactment camp for history buffs.
Admission is free,
with April Wine tickets costing $22. The “Festival Boarding Pass” for $30
includes a ticket to all the shows and a discount coupon book. ironhorsefestival.com; (519)
207-4000
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Jim Fox can be reached at onetanktrips@hotmail.com
For more One-Tank Trips: http://1tanktrips.blogspot.ca
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