Thomas the Tank Engine has steamed his way into Edaville with the launch of the largest Thomas Land attraction in the world.

Opening on 15 August and boasting 11 rides based on the popular children’s IP, the HIT Entertainment-licensed Thomas Land near Boston, Massachusetts, covers 500,000sq ft (46,500sq m). It includes a 20-minute scenic train ride on a life-sized Thomas locomotive, as well as a Thomas rollercoaster, drop tower, ferris wheel and a soft-play area.

All attractions at the multi-million dollar theme park will feature full-scale working models of the brand’s characters, including Thomas, Diesel, Toby, Cranky the Crane, and Harold the Helicopter, with recreation of familiar destinations including the Tidmouth Sheds, Knapford Station, and Brendam Docks. As with all Thomas attractions, Sir Topham Hatt will be present to welcome guests to the park.

The Edaville USA Railroad already has a working relationship with HIT, with its Days Out With Thomas annual event proving popular among visitors. There are currently two other Thomas Lands, located in the UK and Japan, with the new US version the largest to date.

As part of the Thomas Land expansion, other parts of Edaville are being redeveloped. These include a new Dickens village with shops and an ice cream parlour currently being built near the main entrance, while the dinosaur-themed Dinoland opened last year.

The addition of Thomas is expected to quadruple the Edaville attendance to one million visitors annually, highlighting the influence of the Thomas brand, which is worth £1bn (US$1.6bn, €1.4bn) a year, 70 years after its creation.