Thomas the Tank Engine thrills thousands

Thomas the Tank Engine 
arrives at the Railway
History Center

It has been a full 20 years since Thomas the Tank Engine first visited the Northwest Railway Museum in Snoqualmie.  While the event is structured differently today, the guest of honor remains the highlight of the event.

Scratch the Cat
visits with Eric Ode 

In 2022, Day Out With Thomas at the Northwest Railway Museum consisted of a shuttle ride with Thomas from the Snoqualmie Depot to the Railway History Center.  After an hour of excitement including live music from Eric Ode, a visit with Sir Topham Hatt, Thomas play tables, railway museum exhibits, model trains, a maze and a selection of Thomas-themed games, guests had an opportunity to get a photo with Thomas and then go on an extended excursion to Snoqualmie Falls, returning to the Snoqualmie Depot shortly thereafter.

Sir Topham Hatt greets
visitors of all ages

Thomas the Tank Engine stories originated in the United Kingdom in 1945.  The Reverend Wilbert Audry created the stories for his son Christopher who was ill at the time.  The popularity of the stories was amplified when they transitioned to television in the early 1980s.  In North America, Thomas the Tank Engine began visiting heritage railways about 20 years ago.  His first visit to the Pacific Northwest was in July 2002 when he traveled to Snoqualmie.

Thomas the Tank stops to
smell the day lilies.

Day Out With Thomas 2022 was fully subscribed and operated without any major disruption.  Stay tuned for announcements regarding Thomas's return in 2023!

Day Out With Thomas with a destination!

Thomas the Tank Engine returned to the Snoqualmie Valley in July, but it wasn't just any visit.  During last year's pandemic closure, the Northwest Railway Museum made many site improvements to the Railway History Center.  This prepared the new campus for its first-ever visit with Thomas the Tank Engine!

Prior Day Out With Thomas events were held in historic downtown Snoqualmie.  The grounds around the Snoqualmie Depot were fenced off, tents were erected, and a variety of event-related infrastructure was set up to support the event.  This resulted in successful events, but the site was smaller than the Museum preferred, and it was costly to provide all the temporary infrastructure.

The "new" Day Out With Thomas was a very different experience: Thomas the Tank Engine took all his guests to a museum.  

Passengers boarded the train downtown at the historic Snoqualmie Depot for a short excursion to the Railway History Center.  They arrived and were greeted with a Thomas-themed museum experience that included a visit with Sir Topham Hatt, live music by Eric Ode on the BIG Cedar Tree Stage, bubble tables, a hay bale labyrinth, outdoor games, model trains and more.  

Guests got to tour the exhibit hall and see steam locomotive 924, the chapel car, and even tour a caboose.  Then they boarded a train with Thomas the Tank Engine for a SECOND excursion that took them to Snoqualmie Falls, and then safely returned them to the Snoqualmie Depot.

The "new" Day Out With Thomas was so successful that a second event is now planned for September 11 & 12, 2021.  Why not let Thomas take you on a trip?  Please visit Thomas.TrainMuseum.org for more details or to purchase tickets.