For 67 years, children have been captivated by the courageous adventures of Thomas and his engine friends.  Pulling out of the station for its 17^th consecutive ride on the rails, the Day Out With Thomas: Mystery on the Rails Tour 2012 will visit more than 45 cities in the United States and Canada.  Day Out With Thomas is the only place for families to take a ride with a 15-ton replica of everybody’s favorite No. 1 engine, Thomas the Tank Engine, and enjoy Thomas-themed activities at the Imagination Station, including stamps, temporary tattoos and hands-on arts and crafts.  Each year the tour grows, traveling to new destinations, adding new activities and welcoming new visitors to the magic of American railroading.

Thomas the Tank Engine, star of Thomas & Friends™, on PBS KIDS® and Sprout® kicks off his Day Out With Thomas: Mystery On The Rails Tour 2012 in March and is expected to welcome more than one million passengers through November.  During Day Out With Thomas, children will ride with Thomas against scenic backdrops while discovering some mysterious surprises!  Day Out With Thomas 2012 activities include:

·         A 25-minute (approximate) ride with Thomas the Tank Engine

·         Games and activities featuring a mystery element

·         The opportunity to meet Sir Topham Hatt™, Controller of the Railway

·         A Thomas & Friends Imagination Station; featuring stamps temporary tattoos, hands-on arts & crafts, train tables, and coloring sheets

·         Commemorative activities, merchandise and giveaways including a special reveal poster previewing new engines and a new destination from the upcoming 2012 Thomas & Friends feature, “Blue Mountain Mystery”

·         Storytelling, video viewing and live music

·         At B&O Railroad Museum activities will include an HO model train layout inside a restored passenger car, an outdoor G-scale model train layout, a new climb-on train, a kiddie train ride through the fictional town of Choo Choo Blueville, activities at Choo Choo Blue Kids Zone, inflatable moon bounces, pony and carousel rides, and much, much more.

The approximately 25-minute train ride with Thomas the Tank Engine will depart every 45 minutes, rain or shine, with departure times beginning at 9:15 am through 4:00 pm each day of the event.  Tickets for the Day Out With Thomas: Mystery On The Rails Tour 2012 are $19 for ages two and up.

Tickets are on sale now by calling toll-free 866.468.7630 or logging onto www.ticketweb.com/thomas.html.  For more information and directions, contact the B&O Railroad Museum at 410-752-2490 or www.borail.org.