... thus the Rev Awdry described Thomas in the first of his books to feature him (interesting potted Thomas history here
He comes to Toddington quite regularly to the delight of children from all over the county, and despite unpaid-for sights of him being heavily policed for casual viewers, I'm usually lucky and manage, by dint of sneakily lurking along the railway cutting, to get some pictures as he goes under the tunnel to the points to change tracks. This is technically trespassing - but I love the bleak scenery along there and you never meet a single person out walking a 'he's-only-being-friendly' attack-mode-dog - always a plus.
I did get a 
from the engine-driver as they passed under the tunnel 
Nice one, Merry! 
My grandson was mad about trains and Thomas in particular when he was little. He'd have given anything to have been standing there and seen that sight.
with your permission, Merry I should like to take these photos into pg to show the lil darlins 
That's a bit miserly preventing the public a view of the engine. Nice pics Merry, and well done for sticking up for train spotters' rights.
oooh of course you may, Chrissie! I would love to do something for the lil darlins', after all this time 
If you want me to email the fullsize versions just let me know.
Thanks Pani and Eccles! I thought they were pretty cute pics myself.
I dread to think how poor Asy opens pages like this with her diallup speeds. I am feeling particularly empathic today to this problem as I presently have diallup speeds myself 
I think if I was on dialup speeds I would have to switch pictures off.
Indeed.
By the way the Thomas used to be just a big smily blue face-plate stuck on the nose of a more dignified engine, it must have felt the indignity very keenly. But this Thomas is now a real engine with blue metal plates bolted on all over, I suspect permanently, though I suppose it's not impossible that one of the station's own proper vintage tank engines is in disguise underneath.