the "real thomas" tank engine

last week we took the bean on a special outing - a ride on an actual steam train that looks like thomas the tank engine. it is a quarterly event held at the zigzag railway in the blue mountains and i thought since the bean is so obsessed with thomas, why not an actual train experience?

suffice to say that the bean enjoyed it although it may have been a little overwhelming for her at first. she was also a bit nonplussed about having to sit in the train instead of being where she could stare at thomas's 'face', but the rides at 'tidmouth sheds' made up for the boring real train ride.

but now she calls this the "real thomas", as differentiated from book or tv thomas!