Thomas the Tank Engine is chugging back into Squamish for the eighth straight year and this year will inject an air of mystery into the fun family train ride.
The Day Out with Thomas: Mystery on the Rails Tour returns to the West Coast Heritage Railway Park on June 2, 3, 9 and 10. It will see the beloved train and his many friends bring a new level of interaction to the ride, organizers said.
"Basically there's a prop that kids will take through the train, clues are given out and it's up to the passengers to help solve the mystery," said Craig McDowell, West Coast Heritage Railway Park event planner. "It's going to be really interactive."
The event is one of the railway park's biggest of the year, with more than 10,000 visitors having taken it in last year. McDowell said the set-up will be similar to last year but there are several new attractions for 2012.
"The Britannia Mine Museum will be on hand and have a tent set up outside for mining gold," he said. "We had it four or five years ago and it was a big hit with the kids. It's similar to what they have at the actual museum but just smaller. We're also expecting the Squamish Fire Department to be there to give kids a chance to take their picture on the fire truck."
McDowell said Squamish Historical Society volunteers will open the historic Wilkie Building for the first time during the Thomas event and will be dressed up in traditional attire to mark the occasion. The Thomas-inspired mini-rail is back. White Spot will also have a mobile "Triple O's" truck on site serving Pirate Paks and other fare.
Ken Tanner, newly appointed general manager of the park, said he's looking forward to experiencing the Thomas phenomenon for the first time.
"I think this is going to be a really neat event," he said. "It's one of the largest events that Squamish sees all year. I've never met Thomas and I'm looking forward to it."
Tickets for the event are available in advance online. For details on how to pick them up, visit www.wcra.org.
