Thomas the Tank Engine events – is it time to think smaller?

A couple of days ago, it was announced that Tyseley Locomotive Depot is to stage its first 'Days Out With Thomas' event – something that I hope will be a roaring success for this oasis of steam in Birmingham.

The announcement got me thinking about the whole concept of such events. We often see heritage lines running Thomas events, but are they sometimes just too big? Anecdotal evidence would tend to suggest that a significant proportion of children, very young one's especially, don't want to spend prolonged periods on a train – where they can't actually see Thomas or other characters. Instead, should Thomas events be more compact and dynamic – such as what is planned at Tyseley? Personally, I believe the latter is more appealing to families, as there is always something going on, be it on the track or in terms of other entertainment.

Tyseley is a relatively small site, yet the programme looks fun packed – including ten minute Thomas rides, the troublesome trucks up their usual antics and an engine race between Thomas and Diesel. Joining Thomas will be Duck (Great Western 7752) and Diesel (class 08), with Thomas being brought up from the Mid Hants Railway. I suspect such compact events are the way forward. Tyseley, like most heritage railways and centres, has had a torrid time during the cost of living crisis so hopefully the Thomas event will see crowds flock to the depot.

The 'Day Out With Thomas'  event runs from Wednesday 3 April to Saturday 6 April. Details here: https://www.quaytickets.com/en-GB/shows/day%20out%20with%20thomas%20at%20tyseley%20locomotive%20depot/events

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