Days Out with Thomas



Day Out with Thomas is a trade name licenced by HiT Entertainment for tourist events that take place on heritage railways and feature one or more trains decorated to look like characters from "Thomas the Tank Engine and Friends".

History
The Nene Valley Railway at Peterborough in England was the first railway in the world to possess a full-scale replica "Thomas". This was an industrial tank engine built by Hudswell Clarke that had been nicknamed "Thomas" due to its blue livery and resemblance to the famous tank engine. In 1971 the Reverend W. Awdry made the name official. HiT Entertainment later tried - unsuccessfully - to sue the Nene Valley Railway on the grounds that the engine was breaching their trademark. The case was dismissed as the name was given by the Reverend W. Awdry.

Since then, other tank engines around the world have been dressed up as Thomas. Some railways have gone so far as to rebuild locomotives in order to produce a better replica. This has divided preservationists: those opposed claim it disfigures historic locomotives and trivialises the preservation movement; those in favour claim they draw visitors and can kindle an interest in children.

Some railways have developed a further source of income in the hire of "Thomases" to railways that do not have a "Thomas" of their own.

In 2008/2009 several railways lost their licenses to hold Day out with Thomas Events after Hit Entertainment changed the license, telling all artists appearing as The Fat Controller to go on last minute training and also demanding CRB checks on all workers and volunteers.

UK Heritage Railways including East Lancinsure and North York Moors lost their licenses.

United Kingdom
Many railways now host Day Out With Thomas events. Some feature just Thomas, while others feature other engines like Diesel, Percy, Donald and Douglas, Duck, Oliver, James, Henry, Toby, Bill and Ben, Spencer, Fergus, Daisy and Mavis.

United States
There are seven travelling "Thomases", all standard gauge except for two narrow gauge engines. While travelling between events, the engines are disguised. Thomas appears in full dress at Day Out with Thomas events hosted by railroads in arrangement with HiT Entertainment. Many of the larger railroad museums and tourist railroads host Day Out with Thomas events periodically. There are 2 real engines (1 coal fired, 1 oil fired) and 5 dummies.

New Zealand
Mainline Steam's Bagnall tank engine has appeared as "Thomas" on a number of different locations, including the extremely popular biannual "Day Out with Thomas the Tank Engine" weekends at the Glenbrook Vintage Railway. In the Hutt Valley, the Silver Stream Railway has a Thomas-like engine on display at its entrance.

Australia

 * In Victoria, the 2ft 6in Puffing Billy Railway has decorated their 0-4-0st pekett as "Thomas".
 * In Queensland, The Workshops Rail Museum adds faces to vintage steam engines, coaches and road vehicles resembling James, Edward, Lady, Donald, Douglas, D199, Annie, Clarabel, Trevor, and George from Boxing Day to 26 January each year. They also have a life size Thomas replica which is a dummy.

Netherlands
In the Netherlands, the "Zuid Limburgse Stoomtrein Maatschapij" (South Limburg Steam Engine Railway) has a "Day out with Thomas" once a year. For this event, they get a steam engine, which look like Thomas, from the United Kingdom. They use different engines, depending on the engine they get each year. They use their own engines as Thomas' friends.