Take our train lovers tour of the suburbs

Trains, large and small, seem to be rolling all over the suburbs these days - and we're not just talking about the freight trains that stop traffic or the Metra lines that link city and suburbs.

Railroad fans can find plenty of local places to celebrate their love of trains. They can dine in an old rail car, get a burger delivered along electric tracks and, of course, take a ride just for the fun of it.

Let the adventure begin!

Thomas rolls into Union

The ever-popular children's book and television character Thomas the Tank Engine has left his fictional Island of Sodor home for his annual trek to the Illinois Railway Museum in Union. At the Day Out With Thomas 2009: The Hero of the Rails Tour, guests can chug down the rails on a 15-ton replica of a smiling Thomas. Keep an eye out for Sir Topham Hatt, the controller of the Island of Sodor's railway, mixing and mingling with guests in the train's aisles. Other event highlights include arts and crafts and storytelling.

Bring some spending money for the Thomas merchandise: Everything from Thomas T-shirts and engineer caps to books and miniature characters are available.

Don't forget that along with hosting Thomas, the Illinois Railway Museum offers exhibits and train rides for train enthusiasts. The museum is open seven days a week, from May through September, and weekends only in October. Visit imrm.org for a schedule.

Day Out With Thomas 2009: The Hero of the Rails Tour runs 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Friday, Aug. 14, through Sunday, Aug. 16, and again Saturday, Aug. 22 and Sunday, Aug. 23, at the Illinois Railway Museum, at 7000 Olson Road, Union. Tickets are $18 (plus tax) for ages 2 and older. Note: Some service fees may apply. Call (866) 468-7630, or visit ticketweb.com/thomas or imrm.org.

Chessie's 111 Grille

It's not too hard to find a train at Chessie's 111 Grille in Barrington. Patrons having a drink in the bar can look up to see a miniature train running along a ceiling track. When it's time for a meal, guests can step back in time to eat in a vintage 1927 Illinois Central Railroad car.

Fare includes everything from a baked Brie puff pastry appetizer to burgers, pasta, fish or prime rib.

If you glance down the railroad car's aisle and use a little imagination, you might just feel like you've flashed back to another era.

Chessie's manager Lisa Lesniak says she enjoys seeing the excitement on the faces of patrons as they board the train to dine.

"The kids feel so special when we take them to be seated on the train," Lesniak said. "There's really nothing like it around here. Many of our guests come in and pretend they are on a real train. They will say, 'What's our destination?'"

Chessie's 111 Grille is at 200 Applebee Street, in downtown Barrington. Hours are 11 a.m. to 1 a.m. Mondays through Thursdays; 11 a.m. to 2 a.m. Fridays and Saturdays, and 4 p.m. to 1 a.m. Sundays. Call (847) 382-5020 for information.

The Choo Choo diner

Chessie's isn't the only train-themed restaurant around. For many youngsters (and train lovers of all ages), there is no better way to be served a burger and fries than to have lunch arrive via miniature train.

The Choo Choo diner in downtown Des Plaines has been delivering its patrons their meals on tiny train wheels since 1951.

Guests can get an up-close view of the miniature train zooming by if they sit at the diner's counter. Kids can don paper conductors hats as they wait for their meals. The Choo Choo's menu features lots of finger foods: Burgers, hot dogs, sandwiches, fries and onion rings all come chugging down the line.

If it's your birthday, The Choo Choo staff makes quite a fuss, with a birthday song played over the diner's intercom, and a train-delivered cupcake and whistle for the birthday girl or boy.

The Choo Choo is at 600 Lee St., Des Plaines. Hours are 10:30 a.m. to 3 p.m. Saturdays through Wednesdays and 10:30 a.m. to 8 p.m. Thursdays and Fridays. (847) 391-9815 or visit thechoochoo.com.

2 Toots Train Whistle Grill

Like The Choo Choo restaurant in Des Plaines, the 2 Toots Train Whistle Grill, in both Glen Ellyn and Downers Grove, offers its guests meals on wheels - the tiny wheels of two miniature trains running through the restaurant.

The venue is designed to resemble a cheerful 1950s diner, with a lunch counter. Fare includes burgers, fries and homemade milkshakes.

The 2 Toots Train Whistle Grill is at 450 N. Main St. in Glen Ellyn (630) 858-4300, and at 950 Warren Ave. in Downers Grove (630) 729-0235. Hours in Glen Ellyn are 11 a.m. to 8 p.m. Mondays through Saturdays, and 11 a.m. to 7 p.m. Sundays. Hours in Downers Grove are 11 a.m. to 8 p.m. Mondays through Fridays, and 11 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. Saturdays and Sundays. Visit 2toots.com for information.

Lambs Farm

One popular attraction at Lambs Farm in Libertyville is the miniature train ride. Climb aboard the colorful train for a tour of some of the grounds. As you roll along the tracks, look out for animal figures (live and fake) and other cheery characters - some peeking out from bushes - along the train's route.

Lambs Farm is at 14245 W. Rockland Road, at the intersection of I-94 and route 176 in Libertyville. The farmyard is open from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. daily, April through October and on weekends in March and November. Train tickets are $3 per ride for ages 2 to adult - or you can purchase an event wristband for unlimited train rides and other farmyard attractions. Visit lambsfarm.org.

Model Railroad Garden

The Chicago Botanic Garden's 7,500-square-foot Model Railroad Garden is now in its 10th year of exhibition. This year, the garden's theme is Landmarks of America, and it features 17 garden-scale model trains chugging past famous landmarks including a miniature Seattle Space Needle, Liberty Bell, Grand Canyon and the White House, to name a few. New additions to the garden this year include the Indiana Dunes and a "W" sign on top of Chicago's Wrigley Field.

More than 5,000 small trees, flowering plants, shrubs and ground covers make up the small-scale gardens that surround the trains' routes.

The Model Railroad Garden is open from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. daily though Sunday, Oct. 25, at the Chicago Botanic Garden, at 1000 Lake Cook Road, Glencoe. Special hours of 10 a.m. to 8 p.m. are offered on Monday, Sept. 7 (weather permitting). General admission to the Chicago Botanic Garden is free. Parking is $20 per car. There is an additional $3-$5 charge for admission to the Model Railroad Garden. No strollers are allowed in the Model Railroad Garden, but stroller parking is available near the entrance. (847) 835-5440 or visit chicagobotanic.org/railroad.

Free Metra rides

No train tour would be complete without a ride on the real thing: the rail lines that serve city and suburbs. The Metra railway system covers 495 miles in northeastern Illinois and offers a way for families to travel to locations in Kane, McHenry, Will, Lake, DuPage and Cook counties.

Metra offers family discounts on weekends and select holidays. A limit of three children, ages 11 and under, can ride free of charge on Metra on weekends and on some holidays with each fare-paying adult. Youth, ages 12-17, can ride for half of the regular fare on weekends and holidays. Special weekday family rates are being offered through Friday, Sept. 4.

For details, fares and schedules, visit Metra's Web site at metrarail.com.