June 1-30 Challenge

Day 29 Track Twenty-nine

June 29, 1896. The St. Louis and San Francisco Railroad Company (predecessor of the St. Louis – San Francisco Railway) is incorporated.

In the old Glen Miller song “The Chattanooga Choo Choo” the train departs on Track 29.

Have you ever ridden a train? Write a post about a train. Tell us about train ride you have taken or one you’d like to take. Make up a story about a train or write a poem featuring a train. Share pictures of trains. Your choice!

Thomas the Tank

Thomas_Tank_Engine_1
Photo credit

One of the most endearing toys that my son played with as a boy was Thomas the Tank engine. The show on the TV was wildly popular too, and there was barely a nursery, kindy or creche around the area that did not have a Thomas sitting in the corner, waiting patiently to be taken around the tracks by a child. He had a set of engine friends who chugged around the small hamlet of Sodor with him;  Edward, Henry & Gordon.

Here are some fun facts about Thomas:

  • He is a steam locomotive, designed after the LB&SCR E2 class of engine
  • The story of Thomas was written as part of  The  Railway Series by Reverand Wilbert Awdry in 1945
  • The story follows that Thomas was bought by the Fat Controller to work in Sodor, and became known as a “really useful engine”
  • The Beatles drummer Ringo Starr was the original storyteller in the TV series Thomas & Friends
  • Thomas was the only fictional character to be included in the Independent on Sunday newspaper’s 2009 “Happy List” – for making Britain a better and happier place
  • The 2015 Marvel film Ant-Man features a toy version of Thomas