The Adobe Flash Player is required to view this multimedia interactive. Get it here.

Thomas the Tank Engine rides local rails once again

‘Spelling Bee’ musical onstage next weekend
2/5/12
Satchel Paige play joins Black History Month lineup
2/5/12
Arts sampler grows to 3 Saturdays
2/5/12
Playhouse actors 'Speaking in Tongues'
2/3/12
Cities cut giving taxpayer money to festivals
1/31/12
> More headlines

By Eric Robinette, Staff Writer 6:47 PM Thursday, February 4, 2010

WEST CHESTER TWP. — EnterTRAINment Junction becomes EnterTHOMASJunction for all of February as the smiling Thomas the Tank Engine makes his presence known all around the attraction.

The popular children’s character doesn’t get just part of the EnterTRAINment Junction, he gets parts of all it. Every place in the venue, from the main train display to the hobby shop area, has something to do with Thomas, said Bill Balfour, the general manager of EnterTRAINment Junction.

“Thomas takes the whole month. If he’s not the only child’s production with a train character, he’s certainly a big one,” Balfour said. “We put some stuff everywhere. We take everything in the building and theme it to Thomas.”

That includes making Thomas one of the trains in the main display, including Thomas in the kids’ play areas, and having a Thomas the Tank Engine ride in the train expo center.

And Thomas will be highlighted in other ways. The kids’ meal special at the cafe will be themed to Thomas, and all Thomas merchandise in the hobby shop will be discounted 15 percent.

Thomas appeals to kids because “I think for some reason kids are always intrigued by bigger-than-life things. You have a face on the character and all that, and kids find it cool.”

The Thomas events have proven so popular, this will be the third time the junction has been devoted to all things Thomas, after previous runs in February and August of last year.

“As long as it keeps going, we’ll probably keep doing it six months apart,” Balfour said.

Admission to the Junction during Thomas’ month will be $12.99, which buys admission to every attraction, including the main train display, the kids play area Imagination Junction, the American Railroading Museum and the Great Train Expo. Thomas will be stationed from Feb. 1-28.

ontact

this reporter at (513) 705-2836 or erobinette@coxohio.com.