6,339 visit Rusk and see Thomas
BY LELAND ACKER STAFF WRITER

Shelby Lynn Hassell (center) had twice the fun seeing Thomas the Tank Engine with her twin siblings, Aubry Ann and Hagen Austin. They are the children of Trey and D'Ann Hassell. This weekend is the final exhibition for the popular children's character.

Rusk was buzzing with visitors as fans of Thomas the Tank Engine turned out en masse to spend "A Day Out with Thomas" at the Texas State Railroad last weekend. According to figures released by American Heritage Railways of Texas, the private operators of the Texas State Railroad, 6,339 people rode the train pulled by Thomas.

"It was so much fun," said Lori Kastrop, marketing manager for the Texas State Railroad. "We had a great turnout, so we added an extra ride on Saturday."

Ms. Kastrop said visitors to the state railroad came from all over the United States. She said travelers came from 19 different states, excluding Texas. Those states were: Alaska, Arkansas, Arizona, California, Florida, Georgia, Iowa, Illinois, Louisiana, Michigan, Missouri, Mississippi, New York, New Mexico, Oklahoma, Oregon, Tennessee, Virginia and Wisconsin.

"We had nothing but compliments that the event was set up very well," She said. "We had great response to our gift shop because we offered so many Thomas items."

Ms. Kastrop said the ticket sales continue to increase for the second and final weekend of "A Day Out with Thomas" at the Texas State Railroad. Tickets can be purchased at www.ThomasandFriends. com, and will be made available at the will-call window.

Ms. Kastrop said tickets may be purchased the day of the event, though availability can not be guaranteed. She said they were able to accommodate same-day ticket sales last weekend.

Rusk Chamber of Commerce Executive Director Bob Goldsberry had his troops positioned to transport Thomas fans from the parking area in downtown Rusk to the depot on U.S. Hwy. 84 west Thomas and Friends attracted more than 6,339 railroad enthusiasts to Rusk during the first weekend. Reservations are growing daily for the final weekend. of Rusk.

"All in all, we moved a ton of people," Mr. Goldsberry said. "We had 300-500 cars (parked) at one point. There was a bunch of people downtown Saturday."

Children lined the track to greet Thomas the Tank Engine at the depot station last week in Rusk.

Mr. Goldsberry said restaurants were pleased with the business. As for retail, he said no one experienced a "stellar" day.

"Gas stations and restaurants are the ones who benefit from these events," he said.

Mr. Goldsberry said he was shocked at how many cars could fit in downtown Rusk.

Marsha and Ben Stephens drove more than 130 miles from Richardson on Saturday to treat their grandson, Jack, and daughter-in-law Wendy, to a train ride.

"It was pretty cool," said Mrs. Stephens. "Jack has some Thomas the Tank toys already, and he had to have even more (from the gift shop) after seeing Thomas in person."

The Stephens said they were amazed at the amount of money that families were spending in the gift shop following the ride.

"A Day Out with Thomas" will continue this weekend, Oct. 26-28, with train runs every 45 minutes beginning at 10 a.m. daily. Passengers are encouraged to arrive one hour early. All runs originate from the Rusk depot.