U nless you’ve spent this year hiding under a rock, you should know the following: Thomas is a really useful tank engine who works on Sir Toppham Hatt’s railway. He bears the number 1 and is blue. He is also the subject of a British television show wildly popular with children and if you don’t have children yourself, you’re forgiven for not knowing all this. But, you should know he paid us a visit in July. Early in the year, we knew the event was a “go” and the planning started in earnest. There was a lot to do and some of our regular priorities had to change accordingly. The people who own and promote Thomas have a lengthy list of do’s and don’ts. For example, any three-year-old kid, who can tell you each Power Ranger’s name by color, also knows the details here. If we were to place a name on our cars, they would know it’s not the real car (it’s been done). Meantime, this is not just about offering a train ride. In fact, the schedule calls for Thomas to be on the road for 25 minutes of each hour and 35 minutes in the station for pictures. And there are picture sessions with Sir Toppham Hatt as well. The line for him was usually longer, but then, the photographers were able to work from both sides of Thomas simultaneously and that sped things up. It’s called a “Day Out With Thomas” and that’s because there’s so much to do. Beside the train and photos, there is an entire tent city located beside the platform and in the parking lot above. Imagination Station is where kids can color, paint, get a tattoo and watch model Thomas trains. A story telling tent also features movies on two TVs. A small stage featured Bindlestick Bill, our popular entertainer from the Polar trains. We purchased what is commonly known as a “moon walk” in the shape of a pumpkin. After Thomas, it will be in the corn maze. The Phillipsburg Railroad Museum had a model train layout. There were also concession tents for food and Thomas merchandise. Getting to this point was not easy. However, many of the improvements become a normal part of the operation. For example, eventually, there will be an interpretive display at the Morris Canal arch beside our platform. As part of Thomas, we installed part of the crossing that passes to there from our path to the platform. An identical second was placed a car-length away. They served as loading platforms for our regular train and a place to photograph Thomas. Two “shipping crates” were built to stand children on and were labeled with Bel-Del Railway or Phillipsburg on them. The majority of Thomas customers did not know we exist and these help to Thomas working hard early one morning pulling our LIRR coaches on his 25 minute trip ( 8 times a day). Photo: Ed Kaminski 3
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