Thomas the Tank Engine is the number 1 engine in the world! Well according to many fans young and old alike, and it is his steam engine number, after Sir Topham Hatt himself gave it to him. This little blue engine has been steaming across the world across television screens, books, toys, and live events all over. One of these events titled “Day Out with Thomas” is a tourist event, that has taken place across heritage railways and museums, featuring various characters from the “Thomas and Friends” series. One of the many stops happens in Southern California at the Southern California Railway Museum in Perris, California.
Happening only the first two weekend’s in November, November 2nd to the 3rd, and the following Veterans holiday weekend of November 9 through the 11th 2024. Having gotten to attend the second and final weekend was so exciting! Having been a fan of Thomas and Friends since the 90’s up until now in present day, seeing how much this little blue engine has chanted from stop motion steam engine model trains, to CGI to animation, has been eye opening. But now seeing, riding and meeting the train was a surreal experience.
Having arrived at the event that Saturday November 9th a little after 1PM, grabbing tickets online was an option, but so was buying tickets at the door, and you received physical tickets! Receiving said physical tickets was so magical, because since the pandemic no physical form of paper tickets was available, with everything going digital. So getting these in hand was so awesome! After entering the event, there were pop up stations, one featuring bounce houses, bubbles, coloring, tattoos, 2 museums with real life trains and train cars, another museum with train model displays, a petting zoo, merchandise booth. Plenty of food and drink options, restrooms, and the main attractions getting to ride Thomas and his best friend Percy!
Getting to ride Percy first was fun! Music played abroad his ride, with Percy greeting before departure. The ride was roughly twenty minutes, going forward and then backwards, Percy being on the back end of you, if you look at it one way, the seats upon the train were facing either way, so you got to ride Percy going both directions, as it traveled one direction, then reversed going to the other direction but not turning around, if that makes sense. The train ride was fun, hearing the tunes, voices, and hearing Percy toot his horn was utter enjoyment.
Following his train ride would be to ride Thomas, and his train car seating arrangement was about the same set-up, except his seats were more comfortable and more old fashioned, Percy’s seats were similar but Thomas’s was just more relaxing. The Thomas ride had the same set up as Percy’s, going one direction forwards and the other direction backwards. Music was played, with a greeting also made by Thomas the loud sound of his horn tooting proudly! The ride was also just as enjoyable and so much fun to ride along the tracks!
Afterwards came the photographs, with the photos being taken with Thomas shortly after riding him, and then heading over to Percy to grab some photos with him as well. The merchandise booth had various items available, appeal, toys of the trains, hats, keychains, cups, ornaments etc. With the two museums having an array of displayed trains big and small, it was interesting to see how trains were and are today. Seeing everybody’s reaction and expressions upon riding and browsing around was fun, lots of smiles and happiness ever flowing throughout the event.
All in all really, this “Day Out with Thomas” event was one that is quite the distance in travel time, but well worth it at least once. Riding and meeting the famous trains was fun, and experiencing it all first hand even as an adult, made my childhood fulfilled as a fan of the little engine that could.
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