Thomas the Tank engine

J3a-614 · **Posted:** Mon Jul 16, 2018 11:38 pm

Jennie K wrote:

Rick Rowlands wrote:

Those Vulcan locomotives are historic in themselves. As usually happens at amusement parks, they will be put into storage and replaced by new Thomas locomotives. Might be worth finding out if they may be available soon.

The rumblings are that one of the Vulcans is getting a Thomas body,at least for this year. The other one will be kept in emergency reserve as is, with the possibility of a Thomas body in the future.

In the lengthy "Are Park Trains 'Real' Trains?" thread, John T. came up with this:

Quote:

Here is what I found on the three Kennywood locos:

Vulcan
4255 2/27/1939 B G/M 36” 49hp 20” Herc 10000# 7-61-A5
Trip Around the World, Inc –for-
New York World Fair, New York, N Y
Kennywood Park, West Mifflin, Pa

4256 2/27/1939 B G/M 36” 49hp 20” Herc 10000# 7-61-A5
Trip Around the World, Inc –for-
New York Worlds Fair, New York, N Y
Kennywood Park, West Mifflin, Pa

4257 2/27/1939 B G/M 36” 49hp 20” Herc 10000# 7-61-A5
Trip Around the World, Inc –for-
New York Worlds Fair, New York, N Y
Kennywood Park, West Mifflin, Pa

These three locomotives were constructed to haul visitors around the 1939-1940 New York Worlds Fair. They were lettered “Gimbel’s Flyer” [Gimbels being a major East Coast Department Store]

As the trains traversed the fair grounds, they had a sound system that played
“The Sidewalks of New York

All three units are still around. Two are still at Kennywood, but the third is on display in Oaks, Pa.

Again, from John T in the "Are Park Trains 'Real' Trains?" thread:

Quote:

The third Gimbels Flyer is on display at Oaks, PA.

https://fineartamerica.com/featured/str ... annon.html

The "Park Trains" thread.

viewtopic.php?f=1&t=32198

LVRR2095 · **Posted:** Tue Jul 17, 2018 6:58 am

The Kennywood “Vulcans” were converted to Park Train service for the 1939 World’s Fair by the Cagney Brothers. Vulcan supplied the running gear and the Cagneys built the super structures.

RCD · **Posted:** Tue Jul 17, 2018 8:22 am

ted66 wrote:

The Strasburg Railroad has a real 0-6-0 locomotive; which used to be a Brooklyn Eastern District Terminal loco. I saw that one at Railfair 1999.

ted Miles

Please tell me they kept the orignesl parts so this butcher job could be undone.

70000 · **Posted:** Tue Jul 17, 2018 8:38 am

RCD wrote:

ted66 wrote:

The Strasburg Railroad has a real 0-6-0 locomotive; which used to be a Brooklyn Eastern District Terminal loco. I saw that one at Railfair 1999.

ted Miles

Please tell me they kept the orignesl parts so this butcher job could be undone.

Actually, I thought it looked rather good when I saw it, and certainly wouldn't have classed it as a "Butcher Job" - and that's coming from someone who had two of the "Engines" series books when I was a child, and neither of those, from memory, featured Thomas himself (I was a Toby fan...)

Attachment:

10-1150.jpg [ 180.95 KiB | Viewed 12378 times ]

Would have thought it made a wise commercial choice at the time, with the possibility of hires out to other lines.
Not quite sure what the future holds for TTE in general now though, as Hornby Railways are dropping their "Thomas" OO scale electric train range in the UK at the end of this year, citing a "changing demographic and market trends..." (and presumably an "arm & a leg" for licensing costs to produce them!)

Kelly Anderson · **Joined:** Tue Sep 14, 2004 7:52 am **Posts:** 2477

Rick Rowlands · **Posted:** Tue Jul 17, 2018 9:10 am

As Thomas the Tank Engine, that 0-6-0T is being a "really useful engine" and introducing new generations of children to steam. As a BEDT switcher it would sit in a field and rot away not being useful or even appreciated.

The choice is clear as to which should be preferred.

John T · **Joined:** Sun Sep 14, 2014 5:05 pm **Posts:** 1270

Here are a few more Thomas replicas.

Thomas arrived in Japan last year.
http://www.japantrends.com/thomas-the-t ... arail-toy/

Crude Thomas in 1999
https://www.psrm.org/wp-content/uploads ... THOMAS.jpg

Homemade Thomas.
https://antstrainphotos.smugmug.com/Fra ... /i-qhQ3TCD

Thomas down under
https://cudo.com.au/845130-six-ride-pas ... ine-trains

Rick Rowlands · **Posted:** Tue Jul 17, 2018 9:20 am

From the one news video that I watched, it appears that one of the Flyers will run this year along with the new Thomas train. I assume that is because the second Thomas train isn't ready to go yet.

But I am wondering, are they removing and replacing the original cowling off of the Vulcan mechanisms or are they having completely new locomotives built? Thomas Town opens on July 27 so I guess we will find out then.

RCD · **Posted:** Tue Jul 17, 2018 9:52 am

Rick Rowlands wrote:

As Thomas the Tank Engine, that 0-6-0T is being a "really useful engine" and introducing new generations of children to steam. As a BEDT switcher it would sit in a field and rot away not being useful or even appreciated.

The choice is clear as to which should be preferred.

I don't think the little kids can tell the difference, and if they can they will tell you the real Thomas has no cylinders. With that being said I have a suspicion that haveing it be a real steam locomotive was done more for the grown-ups than it was for the kids.

NS 3322 · **Posted:** Tue Jul 17, 2018 9:53 am

jettrainfan wrote:

I think the last year that the live steam Thomas came to the Cuyahoga Valley Scenic Railroad was 2009. I remember seeing a picture of an awkward looking Thomas replica from the late 90's that was probably half the size of the coaches. It had very small wheels and appeared to be something straight out of an amusement park. Anyone have pictures of that?

Apparently the awkward replica was/is owned by the NRM in Green Bay.
Here is a picture of it at the Boone and Scenic Valley RR in 1999.

According to Wikipedia, "The National Railroad Museum in Green Bay, Wisconsin was the first railroad museum in the United States to host a "Day Out With Thomas" event, unveiling a small Thomas replica in December 1996."

I inquired about whereabouts of the replica a few months ago, and they told me: "It is currently displayed within the McCormick Pavilion. However, since it is not an authorized Thomas the Tank engine, it is no longer displayed with the face adhered to the front of the locomotive." I guess I missed it when I visited the museum in 2010.

NS 3322 · **Posted:** Tue Jul 17, 2018 10:09 am

Entertainment Junction outside Cincinnati has a miniature Thomas Train that runs outside.

From 2007-2011, a few Six Flags Parks (Discovery Kingdom, Six Flags New England, Magic Mountain, Six Flags Over Georgia, Six Flags America) operated a "Thomas Town" at their parks. However these (if not removed) have been converted to "Whistlestop Park," after Six Flags began the process of removing licensed theming from attractions in late 2010.

Before

After

WVNorthern · **Posted:** Tue Jul 17, 2018 10:59 am

Back in 1999, my wife and I took our grandchildren for a ride on the now defunct Laurel Highlands Railroad that ran out of Scottsdale, PA. We had a layover at the turnaround point and found a store that had a Thomas replica out front (doubt if it was an officially licensed version).

Kelly Anderson · **Joined:** Tue Sep 14, 2004 7:52 am **Posts:** 2477

sleepermonster · **Joined:** Sat Sep 12, 2009 5:57 pm **Posts:** 100

The real Thomas has no cylinders?

The real Thomas has INSIDE cylinders!

softwerkslex · **Posted:** Tue Jul 17, 2018 12:27 pm

Here is a great internet find on the KennyWood Gimbels trains.

http://www.worldsfaircommunity.org/topic/11808-39-nywf-legacy/