Drayton Manor Resort

Drayton Manor is the home of Thomas Land, the first Thomas & Friends based theme park in the United Kingdom. Thomas Land was opened there on 15th March 2008.

Rides
The rides in the park are manufacturered by Zamperla, unless noted.

Engine Tours
A steam-outline narrow gauge railway runs from Knapford station to Tidmouth Hault, near Dryaw. The ride is manufacturered by Metallbau Emmeln, and is part of their Park Express ride type. Other Thomas-type narrow-gauge rides at other parks are similar to this one.

When Thomas Land was opened, the line was run by Thomas and Percy, using Annie and Clarabel and the red coaches. In 2009, Rosie was added to the line.

There are also several sidings, with one holding a full-size, sleeping model of James (now has a surprised face and moved to a different position for James and the Red Balloon ride).

Troublesome Trucks Runaway Coaster
Gerstlauer Junior Coaster themed after the Troublesome Trucks. The train of trucks twists and turns around the coaster track, tilting around as it speeds around corners.

It is situated on the former site of the "Super Dragon", and is one of three Thomas-themed roller coasters in the world.

Jeremy Jet's Flying Academy
Jets ride with Jeremy-themed cars. Originally known as "Jeremy's Flying Academy".

The ride was relocated to the Thomas Land expansion in 2015, being located next to the Sodor Airport function rooms.

Terence's Driving School
Driving School attraction where children can drive their own Terence.

It was originally located near Jeremy's Flying Academy, but was relocated to Farmer McColl's Farm for the 2011 season, near the Discover Thomas & Friends exhibition. This was in order to make way for the Blue Mountain Engines ride.

Harold's Heli-Tours
A Samba Tower ride where guests can see a view of Thomas Land aboard Harold.

The ride is located inside Tidmouth Sheds, where stationary models of Edward, Henry, Gordon, Toby and Rosie are kept.

Cranky's Drop Tower
Sky Tower ride where guests ride on Cranky, seeing the views of Thomas Land along the way.

Rocking Bulstrode
Rockin' Tug ride featuring Bulstrode.

Diesel's Locomotive Mayhem
Demolition Derby ride featuring the diesels. Ride vichicles are themed after Diesel, Mavis, Bert, Salty, Dennis and Rusty. Formerly known as Diesel's Locomotion Mayhem.

Bertie Bus
Crazy Bus ride where guests go up and down on a ride with Bertie. It replaced a similar Crazy Bus attraction from Robinson's Land.

Lady's Carousel
Carousel ride featuring Lady and some coaches.

Sodor's Classic Cars
Supercar Track Ride. The ride originally opened in 1972 as the "Veteran Cars", and was the only ride at Thomas Land that was repurposed from Robinson's Land, meaning this is the only ride in Thomas Land not themed to the franchise. Winston refers to them as the "Sodor Cars".

Emily's Adventure Play/Indoor Play
Indoor play area.

Spencer's Outdoor Adventure Play
Outdoor play area for children.

Blue Mountain Engines
Regatta ride that opened in August 2011. It features ride vechicles themed to Skarloey, Rheneas, Sir Handel, Peter Sam and Merrick.

The ride was originally located in the space formerly housing Terrence's Driving School (which relocated to make way for this ride), but was relocated to the Thomas Land expansion in 2015, and Merrick was added. He was moved to the other part in 2017, but he was moved next to the Blue Mountain Engines ride in 2018).

Winston's Whistle-Stop Tour
Aerial Monorail ride that opened in July 2013. Guests ride in Winston and travel over Thomas Land.

Flynn's Fire Rescue
Fire Brigade ride that opened in April 2015 to coinside with the Thomas Land expansion. Guests fight fires with Flynn as they spin around spraying hoses.

Toby's Tram Express
Barnyard ride that opened in April 2015 to coinside with the Thomas Land expansion. Guests ride and spin with Toby on a rickity ride.

Captain's Sea Adventure
Watermania ride that opened in April 2015 to coinside with the Thomas Land expansion. Guests spray water using water cannons at others.

James and the Red Balloon
Samba Balloon ride that opened in 2017, near Blue Mountain Engines. Guests ride in Hot Air Balloons and go on a ride in the air, near a fearful James.

Thomas and Percy's Submarine Splash
Log Flume style ride that will open in May 2023. It will be located in vacant land near Blue Mountain Engines and James and the Red Balloon.

This is the first ride in the park themed after All Engines Go.

Lady Hatt's Tea Party (Cancelled)
A planned ride that wad due to open in the Summer of 2020 as seen in maps and guides, but never materialised due to the pandemic closing the park. It was likely to be a Tea Cups ride.

Discover Thomas & Friends Exhibition
In 2009, HiT Entertainment opened an exhibition with some original models from the television series because of the switch to CGI in that same year.

Engines (Original Layout)

 * Thomas
 * Edward
 * Toby
 * Stepney
 * Harvey
 * Molly
 * Rosie
 * Hank
 * Daisy
 * Class 40
 * Mighty Mac

Engines (Current Layout)

 * Thomas
 * James
 * Percy
 * Salty
 * Spencer
 * Dennis
 * Rosie
 * Flora

Vehicles (Original Layout)

 * Terence
 * Trevor
 * Bulgy
 * George
 * Butch
 * Tiger Moth
 * Thumper
 * Elizabeth
 * Horrid Lorries
 * The Post Van
 * Taxi 2
 * The Fire Engine
 * Sodor Bakery Van
 * A dark red car
 * A green car
 * A blue tractor
 * A rusty tractor
 * Bulstrode
 * Cranky
 * Lord Mountevans
 * Lucinda
 * Reg. of Sodor No. 1
 * Reg. of Sodor No. 2
 * Reg. of Sodor No. 4

Vehicles (Current Layout)

 * Terence
 * Bulgy
 * Cranky
 * Thumper

Rolling stock (Original Layout)

 * Troublesome Trucks
 * Toad
 * Old Slow Coach
 * Rocky
 * Gordon's Special Coaches
 * Six trucks
 * Three red trucks
 * One blue truck
 * Two turquoise trucks
 * Three of Thomas' New Trucks
 * One grey LNER 12 ton van
 * One cattle truck
 * Two Poultry Wagons
 * Three red and cream express coaches
 * Three green and cream express coaches
 * Three Milk Tankers
 * Eight Tar Tankers
 * Two oil tankers
 * Two red Branch Line Coaches
 * One flatbed
 * One conflat
 * One Breakdown Train
 * Two Breakdown Train conflats, including one with the Great Waterton water wheel
 * One BR 20 Ton Brake Van
 * Four mail coaches
 * One raspberry syrup tanker
 * One cream tanker
 * Three ice cream vans
 * The circus trucks
 * Funfair trucks
 * Two balloon trucks
 * Flora's Tram Coach
 * A truck full of cans
 * One jam tanker
 * Two LBSC 8 ton vans
 * Three brown LNER 12 ton vans
 * One livestock wagon
 * One SR 25 Ton Brake Van

Rolling stock (Current Layout)

 * One of the old tenders
 * Toby's museum coach
 * One of Thomas' new trucks
 * One livestock wagon

Humans and Animals

 * Sir Topham Hatt in his beach outfit
 * Lady Hatt
 * Stephen Hatt
 * Farmer Finney
 * Bertie's Driver
 * Jem Cole
 * Top Tipper
 * Dowager Hatt in her birthday outfit
 * A fireman
 * Allicia Botti
 * Farmer McColl
 * Lord Callan
 * The Duchess of Boxford
 * The Storyteller
 * Tiger Moth's Pilot
 * Dusty Miller
 * The Magician
 * The Great Waterton butcher
 * Three workmen
 * Several holidaymakers
 * Two stationmasters
 * A farmer
 * Katie the sheepdog
 * The Bull
 * Some cows
 * Some sheep
 * Some cats
 * Some hens
 * A dog

Areas (Original Layout)

 * Brendam Docks
 * Great Waterton
 * The Fishing Village
 * The Yard

Areas (Current Layout)

 * Brendam Docks
 * Great Waterton
 * Maithwaite
 * McColl Farm
 * Knapford Yards
 * Bulgy's Bridge

Buildings (Original Layout)

 * Dryaw Station
 * Dryaw Footbridge
 * Great Waterton station
 * Great Waterton's clock tower
 * Great Waterton's water wheel
 * Great Waterton Town Hall
 * Waterton Butchers
 * P.L. Groceries
 * Timothy's Tailors
 * Sodor Sweets
 * Reeves & Tola Cycleshop
 * Ben's Books
 * Waterton Post Office
 * Waterton Blacksmiths
 * Ed's Garage
 * Great Waterton Police Station
 * The Water Works
 * Signal box
 * The L-shaped workmen's hut
 * Neptune Refreshments
 * The Antiques and Newsagents shop
 * The cottage next to Maithwaite
 * Cyril's Cottage
 * Various houses from Lakeside, Norramby Fishing Village, Peel Godred and Abbey
 * Bluff's Cove station
 * Toby's shed/Elizabeth's shed
 * The Viaduct
 * The Windmill
 * The Valley Bridge
 * Callan Castle
 * Rolf's Castle
 * Kellsthorpe Castle
 * Rolling River Bridge
 * Stanley's Shed
 * Cabalnoo Maritime Museum/The Library
 * Sodor Flour Mills towers
 * The houses from Rail Bridge over Rail and Canal Runby
 * Lower Tidmouth station
 * The Railhead building from TUGS
 * Black Loch Folly
 * Village Square clock tower
 * The Single-Track Halt/Sports Field Halt

Buildings (Current Layout)

 * Great Waterton station
 * Great Waterton's clock tower
 * Waterton Butchers
 * P.L. Groceries
 * Timothy's Tailors
 * Sodor Sweets
 * Reeves & Tola Cycleshop
 * Ben's Books
 * Waterton Post Office
 * Waterton Blacksmiths
 * Ed's Garage
 * Great Waterton Police Station
 * Two signal boxes
 * The L-shaped workmen's hut
 * The Antiques and Newsagents shop
 * The cottage next to Maithwaite
 * Cyril's Cottage
 * One of the gasometers
 * Bluff's Cove station
 * Toby's shed/Elizabeth's shed
 * The houses from Rail Bridge over Rail and Canal Runby
 * Brendam Warehouse
 * Sodor Shipping Company
 * Rail Under Road Bridge and Signalbox
 * Wellsworth Bridge

Trivia

 * Originally, 'Arry and Derek were to be involved in Diesel's Locomotion Mayhem, but they were instead replaced by Dennis and Rusty respectively.
 * The Rosie train ride strangely has a fourth boiler band added behind her rear dome.
 * Terence's Driving School was originally located at the front of the park, but it was relocated to Farmer McColl's Farm in March, April or May 2011 from where the Blue Mountain Engines ride now resides. Two monuments were in both places until Blue Mountain Engines was re-designed for the expansion in 2015.
 * Rheneas is depicted as a saddle tank engine in the Blue Mountain Engines ride.
 * Rusty is depicted as a BR Class 08 in the Diesel's Locomotion Mayhem ride.
 * In 2014, the park became a filming location for Nativity 3: Dude, Where's my Donkey? Percy with his face removed along with Knapford station made a cameo as well.
 * The Thomas train ride gained a CGI face in autumn 2014.
 * In 2015, the Percy and Rosie train rides also gained CGI faces.
 * Sometime during 2019, the Rosie train ride was updated to her red livery, she gained rivets and a gold headlamp. Her makeup was also removed, but left her freckles faded. The stationary model of Rosie from Harold's Heli-Tours was also repainted red as well.
 * Mavis, Bert, Salty, Dennis and Rusty incorrectly share Diesel's horn sound with Diesel on the Diesel's Locomotive Mayhem ride. However, Mavis' horn sound from Calling All Engines! can be heard when Every Cloud Has a Silver Lining still plays there.
 * According to the 2015 map of Drayton Manor, Diesel's Locomotion Mayhem is renamed Diesel's Locomotive Mayhem.
 * In 2015, the Discover Thomas & Friends exhibition layout was filmed for the 70 Years of Friendship documentary.
 * The Maithwaite Station replica presently serves as a staff/dressing room; a railway line (fitted between the Blue Mountain Quarry tunnel and another "faux" tunnel) was added in 2017 to tie-into a "Thomas Land story" for the James and the Red Balloon ride.
 * Thomas, Edward and Toby had replica face masks with eyes on them.
 * Edward's neutral face was on his television series model in 2009 when he first arrived, only to be replaced by a replica smiling face expression.
 * In 2011, Toby's television series model was stolen from the display. It is unknown where the model’s location is.
 * Toby's grinning face was on his television series model in 2009, when he first arrived, only to be replaced by a replica face.
 * One of Thomas' alternate happy faces was on his television series model in 2009, when he first arrived, only to be replaced with a replica face until early 2020 where he got given back one of his alternate happy faces.
 * Harvey, Bulgy, Trevor, Stepney, Edward and several rolling stock have been removed from the exhibit either to be put on display at various events or to be returned to HiT entertainment/Mattel's Storage Unit in Southampton, England.
 * Thomas was temporarily taken off the layout in early 2020 to be restored.
 * Edward was also removed in early 2020 for restoration by Sean O'Connor and later exhibited at the Clearwater exhibition.
 * In October 2021, George, Butch, Lorries 1 and 3, Elizabeth and the Sodor Bakery Van were moved to different places on the layout and Thomas is now pulling one of the Poultry Wagons and Toad.
 * Sometime in May 2022, Thomas and Molly were moved, with Thomas now pulling two of the mail coaches, a grey LNER 12 ton van and Toad and Molly and the green express coaches a few miles off Great Waterton station
 * Sometime in July 2022, Thomas' brass model was replaced by a replica based on his plastic model (while the brass model was removed to be restored), Molly is now running in the siding that Daisy used to run on and Toad is now seen with his wincing face as well as Daisy and Terrence being removed from the layout entirely before returning to storage.
 * Drayton Manor has come into criticism over the years for its poor handling of, and damage to, the models, they have unfortunately not provided a reason to this, but some changes to the layout have been done directly by Sam Wilkinson and Sean O'Connor removing and swapping out models and faces. The damages are as follows:
 * Thomas is missing his lamp and lamp irons. He was also missing his tail lamp, but it has been put back on him since August 2020.
 * Thomas, Edward and Toby's screen-used faces have been replaced with replicas.
 * Thomas did not have coal in his coal bunker between 2009 and 2011.
 * Edward was missing his right lamp iron, brake pipe, backhead, tender axle boxes, and whistle. His handrail had also been bent at the smokebox.
 * Toby was missing his headlamp and his cab roof was facing backwards.
 * Harvey was missing his hook.
 * Bulgy was missing his front bumper and his left side (viewer's right) had been cracked.
 * Terence's plough was broken, and his stack had snapped off, but were both repaired and glued in around 2019.
 * Stepney's front coupling came off in 2014.
 * Thomas' boiler bands have been bleached white due to sun damage.
 * All of the engines' original chassis and wheels were replaced with replicas.
 * Edward's eyebrows rubbed off circa 2015.
 * Thomas' eyebrows have been rubbed off.
 * Rosie is missing her whistle when the exhibition opened and the back of her left rod broke off in 2017.
 * In 2019, Rosie's motor died out.
 * Rosie was temporarily taken off the layout in early 2020 to be restored.
 * Edward, Rosie and Thomas were repainted entirely in 2020 during their restoration.
 * Thomas and Rosie have chips and scrapes in their paintwork.
 * One of Thomas' splashers is loose.
 * Thomas' eyes have yellowed.
 * The draw bridge from Great Watertown Station had a bent rail, which has since been fixed.
 * One of the green express coaches had one of its buffers broken off.
 * Two of the mail vans had some of their buffers broken off.
 * Class 40's face mask was being held together by black tak but fell off in June 2021. It was put back on at the end of the month, albeit lower than it should be.
 * Daisy's rear side is cracked and her rear buffer is missing.
 * Cranky's right pupil has rubbed off.
 * Hank's front left handrail is broken off.
 * Molly is missing her brake pipe and two of her lamp irons because they have been placed on Thomas.
 * Cranky's left eye was rolled back, but had been fixed in 2021.
 * Daisy is missing one of her front buffers.
 * A GWR Brake Van was given Toad's happy face in February 2020, it now wears his wincing face.
 * Tiger Moth's rotor is scratched as of June 2021.
 * In July of 2022, Thomas' model was taken off the exhibit (for restoration) and replaced with a replica based off his original plastic model.
 * Molly took Daisy's place.
 * Hank took Molly's place.
 * Toad, Rocky, Cranky and one of the trucks' faces were replaced.
 * Daisy, Terence, and Thomas were taken off the layout in 2022, with Terence and Daisy returning to storage, and Thomas being restored.
 * Butch moved spots and is missing his front registration plate.
 * Five of Stepney's wheels were spread around the exhibit, although these were confirmed as replicas. A spare axle from Daisy was also put on the layout.
 * The models are displayed in the state of their last use in filming of the twelfth series and some others. This is why some of the characters have their happy, smiling and content faces:
 * Toby had his grinning face when he first arrived and was put on display.
 * Thomas had one of his alternate happy faces when he first arrived and was put on display. Another one of his alternative happy faces was put back on him in early 2020.
 * Harvey had his happy face when he was on display until 2011 when he was returned to HiT Entertainment for storage.
 * Stepney had his chuckling face when he was on display.
 * Bulgy had his happy face when he was on display at Drayton Manor until early 2020 when it was replaced by his smiling face.
 * Trevor had his happy face when he was on display.
 * Elizabeth had her smiling face when she was on display until early 2020 when it was replaced by her grumpy face.
 * Bulstrode had his shocked face when he was on display from 2009 to early 2020 when it was replaced by his unused happy face.
 * Class 40 has his speechless face.
 * George had his angry face when he was put on display. However in October 2021, this was changed to his current smiling face.
 * Since around the beginning of 2023, the park is has been receiving a major update, a lot of rides and games are being changed to be more All Engines Go styled.
 * A brand new ride called Thomas and Percy's Submarine Splash is being built next to Maithwaite Station.
 * Due to all the criticism the exhibition has gained over the years, it is set to be relocated in 2023 in the exit building to Winston's Whistle Stop Tour. A new layout will be built using the set pieces from the old one. This layout will be smaller than the previous, Great Waterton is set to be on the layout but other stations are likely to be swapped around. The engine props are likely to stay the same with the original Thomas previously on the layout returning alongside one new engine prop either being Salty or a brass Percy.
 * On this new layout only replica models will be running according to employees, with the original engine props present on the layout being static. One of the replica models planned to be on display is James. This is also partly due to how besides one of James brass models (which is currently at Hara Model Railway Museum) and the wharf scale model (which is in storage but too large to be put on the layout), HiT and Mattel have no spare James model in their possession.
 * In addition a narrow gauge section is to be incorporated where a small scale replica of a narrow gauge engine will run as Mattel currently have no access to the small scale narrow gauge props and only the large scale ones. Which wouldn't be able to be used due to the track not being far away enough from the main track and would appear out of scale unlike the previous layout which had it's narrow gauge section far away from the main track to appear narrow gauge from view.
 * On 15th December 2020, a toilet block in a section of Thomas Land caught fire. There was no damage to the park outside of the toilet block.

External link

 * Official website