"Day Out With Thomas The Train" Rides: A Complete Guide (2023)

Last revised: April 28, 2023

Thomas The Train, also affectionately known as Thomas the Tank Engine, has been a pop culture icon since the late 1970s with the TV series Thomas the Tank Engine and Friends.

The television series, written and produced by Britt Allcroft, is actually based off the The Railway Series of books written by Englishmen Wilbert Awdry and his son in the 1940s.

Interestingly, the show even drew some interest from adults due to the superb craftsmanship of the models and layouts depicted. Today, this has largely been replaced by CGI and computer animation.

Thomas himself is based from a real steam locomotive design, the E2 Class, an 0-6-0T ("T" referred to tank) wheel arrangement conceived by Lawson Billinton of the early 20th century. Listed below is the 2023 schedule and dates regarding where Thomas The Tank Engine will be appearing.

Schedule

Information on the upcoming 2023 schedule will be updated as it is made available!

While the history of Thomas the train is interesting, this section looks to highlight the "real life" tank engine which is featured at tourist railroads and museums as special events all across the United States, and other countries, during the operating season.

Thomas the tank engine is also travels around the world to allow visitors, kids especially, to view and sometimes ride behind replica versions of the locomotive.

Thomas the train himself in this regard is licensed by HiT Entertainment, which acquired Allcroft's company (Britt Allcroft Company PLC), and has become an explosively popular draw wherever he goes, especially here in the United States.

Please Note!: While I have striven to make sure the information regarding 2022 locations and dates is accurate, at the same time I cannot say so with complete 100% certainty; as such, I cannot be held liable for errors.

Dates sometimes change and if you have any questions concerning scheduling please contact HiT Entertainment.

Please Note! There are some locations which now also feature Percy. These are designated below using a small thumbnail image.

The information presented is accurate to the best of my knowledge although if there is an error I do apologize. If you do not see (Updated) by each listing, those dates are not for the 2023 calendar year.

Sometimes organizations switch operating dates/times and I will try my best to keep up with any changes. For more information regarding purchasing tickets and where/when Thomas will be running please visit the links above.

California

Colorado

Florida

Georgia

Alabama

Heart of Dixie Railroad Museum (Calera): The Heart of Dixie Railroad Museum has been telling the Alabama's railroad history since 1963 and today offers a wide range of exhibits to see.

The museum also offers excursion train rides from March through October, featuring both steam and diesel locomotives. They host "A Day Out With Thomas" on these dates in the spring:

Alaska

No Events Known.

Arizona

No Events Known.

Arkansas

No Events Known.

Connecticut

Essex Steam Train (Essex): The Essex Steam Train has become one of the more popular train rides anywhere in the country offering a variety of special trips from its home base in Essex, including the ability to make riverboat charters.

They host "A Day Out With Thomas" during select dates in the spring, including special appearances by Percy! Dates:

Delaware

No Events Known.

Hawaii

No Events Known.

Idaho

No Events Known.

Indiana

Whitewater Valley Railroad (Connersville): The Whitewater Valley Railroad based Connersville operates a 19-mile line connecting to Metamora and they use one of several diesel locomotives on the property to power their trains.

The railroad also hosts a number of special events throughout the year such as the Polar Express and "A Day Out With Thomas." Dates:

Iowa

Boone & Scenic Valley Railway (Boone): The Boone & Scenic Valley Railroad is a museum and operating tourist railroad using former Chicago & North Western trackage (it was originally an interurban/trolley line).

Its trains feature both steam and diesel locomotives, as well as restored trolley car #50 (they also have a very extensive collection of non-operating locomotives and cars). They host "A Day Out With Thomas" the tank engine on these dates:

Louisiana

No events known.

Maine

No events known.

Maryland

Baltimore & Ohio Railroad Museum (Baltimore): The Baltimore and Ohio Railroad Museum today is one of the most recognized, respected and highly regarded railroad museums, not only in this country but also the world.

It houses historic railroad equipment (not only from its namesake railroad, the Baltimore & Ohio but also many important historical pieces from other railroads around the country).

Finally, they also offer short excursions on the premises and host "A Day Out With Thomas" on these dates:

Massachusetts

No events known.

Mississippi

No events known.

Missouri

No events known.

Montana

No events known.

Nebraska

No events known.

Nevada

Virginia & Truckee Railroad (Virginia City): The Virginia and Truckee Railway began when it was chartered in 1869 and meant to provide transportation services to the Reno and Carson City areas.

The railroad ceased to exist as a freight line by 1950 but slowly made a comeback as a tourist line over the years.

Today, about 15 miles of the line are operable although rebuilding of the route is not yet complete along with additional restorations of locomotives and equipment.

One of the ways they have attracted ridership is by hosting special events, such as "A Day Out With Thomas" which will be featured this year on...

New Mexico

No events known.

North Dakota

No events known.

Ohio

No events known.

Oklahoma

Oklahoma Railway Museum (Oklahoma City): The Oklahoma Railway Museum offers a wide collection of preserved equipment while also offering excursion trains on a short stretch of trackage. They host "A Day Out With Thomas" on these dates: ...

Oregon

No events known.

Rhode Island

No events known.

South Carolina

No events known.

South Dakota

No events known.

Utah

No events known.

Vermont

No events known.

Virginia

No events known.

West Virginia

No events known.

Wisconsin

National Railroad Museum (Green Bay): Started in 1956, the National Railroad Museum has been recognized by Congress as the "national" such facility in the country, although this is mostly in name only.

The NRM today has a nice collection of rolling stock at their facility in Green Bay and while they do not really offer a true rail excursion they do offer train rides around the property. They host "A Day Out With Thomas" at the start of the summer season running...

Wyoming

No events known.

Canada

Elgin County Railway Museum (St. Thomas, Ontario):

(Updated, 2023) Heritage Park Historical Village (Calgary, Alberta):

May 6 - May 7
May 12 - May 14

York-Durham Heritage Railway (Uxbridge, Ontario):

(Updated, 2023) West Coast Railway Heritage Park (Squamish, British Columbia):

May 27 - May 28

June 3 - June 4

Electro-Motive Database

In 1998 a gentleman by the name of Andre Kristopans put together a web page highlighting virtually every unit out-shopped by General Motors' Electro-Motive Division.

Alas, in 2013 the site closed. However, Don Strack rescued the data and transferred it over to his UtahRails.net site (another fine resource).

If you are researching anything EMD related please visit this page first. The information includes original numbers, serials, and order numbers.

Researching Rights-Of-Way

A popular pastime for many is studying and/or exploring abandoned rights-of-way.

Today, there are tens of thousands of miles scattered throughout the country. Many were pulled up in the 1970's and 1980's although others were removed long before that.

If you are researching active or abandoned corridors you might want to check out the United States Geological Survey's (USGS) Historical Topographic Map Explorer.

It is an excellent resource with thousands of historic maps on file throughout the country. Just type in a town or city and click on the timeline of maps at the bottom of the page!

Schedule