Day Out With Thomas

This popular family event saw hundreds of people flock to the IW Steam Railway across a series of five slightly overcast but beautifully warm days in late July.

Young people were the name of the game and they were greeted by characters from the top British children's TV phenomenon, including the Sir Topham Hatt and Mrs Kyndley.

Super surprises and magical moments

The children's time at the Steam Railway was spent travelling between stations, hopping on and off the trains and vintage buses and finding themselves royally amused at each stage. There of course was Thomas with the ‘troublesome trucks’, Mavis the diesel engine and Rose the traction engine.

There were no crowds, just a pleasant number of happy people strolling around the immaculately-kept Havenstreet station and grounds. The only increase in blood pressure came from the excitement of talking in person to the Fat Controller and from the noise of the hissing, whistling engines. The youngsters even had the opportunity to have their picture taken with both the Fat Controller and the trains themselves!

If the excitement of meeting most of Thomas the Tank Engine's friends wasn't enough to wear the children out, then the fun of weighing themselves on the large baggage scales plus interacting with the clowns on the station platforms and the opportunity to see trains being couple and de-coupled, certainly helped.

A thoroughly exhausting day, but for all the right reasons

Commercial Manager of the IW Steam Railway Jim Loe, said: "Our aim each year is to hold a high quality event where everyone has fun. It was called A Day Out With Thomas, not Ten Minutes With Thomas, so we made sure everyone had an absolutely fantastic day and the kids were absolutely exhausted at the end of it but for all the right reasons."

Another enjoyable act was the firemen squirting water at oneanother - making the children laugh and giggle hysterically. There was plenty more fun to be had inside the main Havenstreet station where children had the chance to have their face painted and tigers, clowns and even little monkeys appeared from nowhere!

A popular choice for most of the younger children was the funfair of small but exciting rides and entertainment plus three bouncy castles for all age groups. The Punch and Judy show which was as noisy as a pantomime, created an entertaining finale to a marvellous day.

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