Thomas the Tank Engine is getting a little more interactive for the holidays, with brand owner Hit Entertainment launching a Twitter and Facebook-powered Tracks4Thomas Christmas campaign in partnership with UK toy retailer Hamleys.

The UK and Ireland-based promotion, created with TEA: The Entertainment Agency, will use social media to power Thomas and The Fat Controller’s delivery of presents to children spending time in the hospital over the holidays. Kids, or technically their parents, can show support by logging in via Facebook or Twitter and adding a piece of virtual track to the Thomas & Friends Christmas Journey.

Along the way, The Fat Controller will stop off at selected Hamleys stores for meet-and-greets. There’s also a contest element involved, where kids can be entered to win a family ticket to Thomas Land as well as branded toys.

The campaign launched yesterday at the London-based Hamleys Regent Street, where families were invited to meet Thomas and The Fat Controller as they launched the initiative.

The campaign is steeped in the brand’s roots. The original The Railway Series began as a collection of stories featuring Thomas the Tank Engine, created by the Reverend W. Awdry, to entertain his son Christopher when he was sick with the measles.