Goulburn’s missing Thomas the Tank Engine - washed away in floods almost three years ago - has been found by police during a search warrant of a suspected drug lab in the east of the city.

The popular kids’ play equipment used to sit at the Goulburn Historic Waterworks Museum on the banks of the Wollondilly River but was last seen floating down the river during the floods of December, 2010.

Thomas the Tank Engine is welcomed back to safety by Goulburn Council's Julianne Salway, acting Local Area Commander Evan Quarmby, Mayor Geoff Kettle and Goulburn Police crime manager Detective Inspector Chad Gillies. Credit:The Goulburn Post

Goulburn detectives located the bright blue engine, measuring 1m by 3m, during a search warrant at a house in Eastgrove last week.

Police had executed the search warrant on suspicion the house was being used to manufacture drugs but they instead found Thomas in a carport.