Thomas and Percy with tiger

Only around the corner a mile away perhaps, Horse Hay's Telford Steam Railway. We've seen Thomas there before. Today there's a special events day, with Thomas the Tank, Percy, The Rocket, Diesel, and one other, who I can't remember. (Must ask Bradley, he's got a head for these train names.)

Bit expensive, I thought for the ride, £14 for the three of us. But, then, all these heplers are doing it for free. So, I don't complain, and fell like I helped in some small way.

The ride we took on Thomas was a bit of a cheat, a bit funny really. They said when I bought the tickets that there was two miles of track, and when we get to 'the other side' there was a tea shop, and a model railway display.
We steamed up the line at about 3 miles an hour. Stopped in what seemed like deep jungle, and started to go back! Eh? Back we came, and stopped at a station, everybody came off, to the tea house and so on. Took me a while to figure where we were, merely the other side of the rail yard! Though to the kids it was 'another town.'

Out of focus, but adding to the cartoon nature of the 'show.' The Fat Controller in the background, while the conductor on the platform yells out the instructions, to the driver, bottom left, who needs to get water into the black train, The Rocket. But the hose pipe's too short. And he looks down it, to get an eye full of water. The small crowd on the platform laugh their socks off.

And when he does get water in there, he find a fish and a duck. This was Bradley's part of the story that he told Manda a couple of times, while laughing to himself, of course.

Esme heard that if water wasn't put into The Rocket quickly, she may blow up. Esme then moves to the back of the crowd, and won't come closer.

Bradley really gets into character, adopting low crouching positions on the train

Esme is more interested in looking out of the window. Bradley can't reach that high

The Snow Queen

The brave tiger wasn't too happy being so high up.