Thomas and Percy rolling into Duluth Guests can experience iconic characters with life-size wonder

BY KEN BUEHLER

What started out as stories told from father to son has grown into one of the biggest shows in children’s entertainment — and two of its stars will visit Duluth this summer.

Half a century ago, the Rev. Wilbert Awdry kept notes about a series of stories he told his son Christopher while the boy was recovering from the measles “in hospital,” as the British say.

The good reverend was a railroad enthusiast, as was his son, and the stories he spun were morality plays where inanimate objects, in this case train engines and their cars, had to resolve real life, human problems working for an imaginary railroad on the Island of Sodor. And that’s how the Thomas the Tank Engine stories began. The Rev. Awdry’s first book was published in 1945.

Since then, Thomas has become one of the most recognized faces in the world. His popularity has been translated into every major language, and his videos are among the very few Western-produced shows allowed to play in mainland China.

Thomas and his friends have been coming to Duluth each summer for a working vacation on the North Shore Scenic Railroad at the Lake Superior Railroad Museum in the downtown Depot. Again this summer, the No. 1 engine from the island of Sodor is bringing his best friend Percy along with their drivers and Sir Topham Hatt for two weekends of fun, Aug. 3-5 and 10-12. Tickets and more information are available at duluthtrains.com.

The Day Out With Thomas event at the museum features train rides with both engines, four inflatable bounce houses, live music, family friendly activities such as face painting, balloon creations, magic shows, several imagination stations, trolley rides, rubber tire train rides, storytelling, character actors and mountains of bubbles. Festival foods and beverages are available, and the gift shop will sell all things Thomas. Of course, all this fun is carried out under the watchful eye of Sir Topham Hatt, the Railroad’s hefty controller.

Last year, 23,000 friends of Thomas and Percy came to visit. For many families, this is the summer’s most anticipated event; visitors arrived from 23 states and Canada. As a practical matter, Thomas has an economic impact on the Twin Ports of about

$8.5 million, just slightly less than Grandma’s Marathon, according to Zenith Research figures from 2016.

Last year in Duluth, Thomas and Percy hosted a Sensory Free Day Out With Thomas for people with autism. Working with Mattel (the Thomas brand manager), Mayor Emily Larson and KC Consulting, through Autism Speaks Minnesota, there was a quiet, subdued Monday morning just for guests on the spectrum. This year, U.S. Bank has joined as a sponsor to support free tickets for our guests and a friend or family member.

Many guests have said seeing Thomas and Percy pull into the station, bells ringing, steam chuffing and whistles announcing their arrival, is magical. You can feel the joy reflected in the beaming smiles of delight on the faces of youngsters as their favorite characters come to life right before their eyes, wide with amazement. Then to be able to climb on board the train and take a ride, it’s a child’s dream come true. — MDT

Ken Buehler is executive director of the Lake Superior Railroad Museum and general manager of the North Shore Scenic Railroad. He wrote this for Moms & Dads Today.