A Day Out With Thomas 2011

Meeting one of your first heroes is pretty momentous for a child. Seeing a beloved character right before your eyes means the world can be a magical place and dreams can, really can come true. My 4-year-old son recently got to meat one of his biggest heroes of all time! (Well… the last 4 plus years anyway).

The Florida Railroad Museum near Tampa recently welcomed Thomas, Sir Topham Hat and all of their helpers. We arrived relatively early in the day, especially considering we had an almost 2-hour drive.

Almost from the moment we went through the gate, my son's eyes were scanning for Thomas. He wasn't quite sure what to expect (and was genuinely concerned how his trip was from Sodor Island!). We made our way to the front of the waiting area and… there… HE… was!

Bright blue paint job: check. Cheerful smile: check. Cheeky comments: were unavailable but, as we pointed out, since magic gold dust occurs only on the Island of Sodor it's understandable we couldn't hear him talk. (Not bad for an on-the-spot comeback, eh?!)

After a photo op, we made our way to the queue for the actual ride. Dad held our spot while my railwayman and I sauntered over to say howdy to Sir Topham Hat.

Unfortunately for us, the Big Man could only spare a few seconds with us (railway business… you understand). We were fortunate enough to snap some pictures before he went off to check buffers, or inspect paint, or chide Diesel 10 for making trouble. 

My son, and some other boys, then proceeded to the play area where, through their imagination, they became the stately stationmaster and voiced the little puffers. I found myself humming The Train Song by Rocknoceros as short engineers made sure trains entered and left the roundhouse without incident. 

"All aboard!" we heard, and hurried up to get on the passenger car right behind The Train  himself. It was, thankfully, open air. We got some great video of our travels and a breeze that put a dent into the Florida heat.

After a great ride on the rails which lasted almost 30 minutes we arrived back into the station. Kids could then do a coloring craft under one tent, create a stamp page, get a temporary tattoo and, of course, visit the obligatory Thomas the Train store. We succumbed to a "Day Out With Thomas" limited edition boxcar and a tote bag. While waiting in line my son "stickered" all the kids around him. We brought with us a pad of Thomas reward stickers, and he had asked if he could bring them to share. (Gee, let me think… Of course! Sharing is awesome, and for kids his age we want to promote it at every opportunity!)

Following a tractor-led hay ride or two and a few trips around the property on a kid-sized train, we'd enjoyed our Day Out With Thomas in about a half a day. We could easily have stayed longer, but we had to factor in the trip home and the time-awake-to-no-nap ratio. 

Back home my little track master chug, chug, chugs around his train table for hours on end. With endless imagination he creates stories for the tanks and acts them out (usually with the voices). And with the exception of a brief infatuation with Diesel 10 and the Troublesome Trucks (LOL!), our experiences with the Engines has been one of joy, creativity, and fun. 

I'm not privy to Thomas' 2012 schedule, but rest assured if he's within a few hours drive we'll make tracks to be there.


There are plenty of dates in 2011 to attend A Day Out With Thomas. Click here for dates. On the date page there is a link to purchase tickets. Read more about the "Leader of the Track Tour, 2011" here.