Essex Steam Train & Riverboat is gearing up for a new season with two kick-off events-a Neighbor Appreciation Weekend May 1 to 2, followed by "Day Out with Thomas: The Celebration Tour 2010" on the weekends of May 8 to 9 and May 15 to 16.

On Neighbor Appreciation Weekend, May 1 to 2, residents of Essex, Deep River, Chester, Haddam, and Old Saybrook ride free on the Goodspeed Local. This sentimental train only journey, takes the same route as the Connecticut Valley Railroad did back in the 1870s when the train line was the primary means of weekend travel from Hartford to Old Saybrook.

Making all local station stops from Essex to Haddam, Goodspeed Local passengers may choose a 90-minute, round-trip journey or they may elect a shorter trip from one town to another. There will be three trains making departures and arrivals at local stations. For a train timetable, visit

www.essexsteamtrain.com or call 860-767-0103.

Tickets for Neighbor Appreciation Weekend are available for all three departures on a first-come, first-served basis. Adults must present picture identification at the Essex ticket window or to the trainman upon boarding at local stops.

Thomas the Tank Engine

Thomas the Tank Engine comes to Essex for his 65th birthday bash on two consecutive weekends, May 8 to 9 and

May 15 to 16. Event highlights include a 25-minute ride with Thomas and an opportunity to meet Sir Thopham Hatt and Kaboose the Klown, as well as enjoy face painting, temporary tattoos, kiddie rides, music, and imagination station.

This will be the only Day

Out with Thomas event in Connecticut in 2010. Tickets for Day Out with Thomas: The Celebration Tour 2010 are on sale now and available by calling Ticketweb toll-free at 866-

468-7630 or by visiting http://events.hitentertainment.com or www.essexsteamtrain.com. Ticket prices are $18 plus tax for ages two and up (service charges and fee may apply).

Incorporated in 1969, the Valley Railroad Company opened the Essex Steam Train & Riverboat to the public in 1971. Today, the Essex Steam Train & Riverboat attracts 150,000 visitors a year and is one of Connecticut's most vibrant tourist attractions. Tour-goers enjoy a narrated steam train and riverboat journey through the scenic Connecticut River Valley.