Customer Reviews

Grand Canyon Express Remote-Control Train Set - G Scale

5 star:		(13)
4 star:		(6)
3 star:		(0)
2 star:		(1)
1 star:		(3)

 

 

This is an all-plastic, battery-operated, remote-control train set. It is G scale so if you make a circle to put around your Christmas tree, it will be about five feet in diameter. The 6 C batteries go into the tender which plugs into the engine. The engine has a light and a speaker that plays train sounds. The sounds are a little on the loud side, but kids like it. The remote control lets you run the train backward or forward and you can turn the sounds on or off. Despite being plastic, this train set has held up well. The track connections started to get a bit loose after about a year of play. There are not many accessories available to buy separately. Amazon does sell additional track to make a figure 8 for about ten dollars. If you and your kids area really into trains, then you might be better off with the more-expensive electric sets that you could grow into. Otherwise, this is a fun, realistic-looking and affordable set. Also, there are about six versions of this train set. You can see other sets made by Scientific Toys (EZTEC) at scientifictoys dot com.

I initially bought this toy train set to use as a stylish Christmas decoration rather than as an operational train set. Primarily I was looking for table top or mantle piece item that would remind me of the train sets I had recieved at Christmas in the late 1940s and early 1950s without costing an arm and a leg. I wanted a set that I could set up, operate, take down, and pack away until next year with a minimum of fuss. This set more than fills that bill. The quality of the pieces is very high considering the modest sales price. The wife and I were so taken by the fit and finish of the set when we opened the box that we decided to go ahead and set the train up running around the tree. It took only a few minutes to set up a simple circular track, install the 6 "C" cell batteries in the engine tender, and a 9 volt transistor battery in the radio transmitter remote control. This set comes without batteries so you should make sure you have fresh batteries on hand as the train just won't run with weak or run down older batteries as we found out. The large scale make this an easy item for the bifocal set to manage and the radio based remote control allows easy single speed forward, reverse, and stop operation. There is also a preprogrammed set of train sounds that are triggered by the remote. The smoke stack also emits small puffs of smoke just the same as when I was a child. Very nostalgic. I suspect that playing the train sounds once or twice for guests will be enough for most adults but children who are old enough to be fascinated by loud sounds will really love that feature. Sure got the cat's attention. I bought the extra track at the same time as the train set but the track that comes with the set is sure to be enough for most uses. The only potential downside to this set is the rate of battery consumption. The C cell batteries have to operate the engine motor, the head lamp, the train sounds, and the smoke generator so there is potentially a lot of current drain from those batteries. There is no battery charger provided nor mentioned in the instructions so consumption could be an issue if the set is operated on a fairly continuous basis. Overall I would highly recommend this set for the purposes outlined.

As the other reviewers note, this is a large, G-scale train. Each car is roughly a foot long and the track, when all assembled, can form a circle roughly 5 feet in diameter. I had looked all over for a train set with enough track to travel around our Christmas tree, and I'm so happy I found this one. The price is phenomenal for a train that looks so realistic and runs well. It's also battery operated, not electric, and comes with a remote control. The wheels of the train squeaked quite a bit at first, but a few drops of spray silicone on each wheel solved that problem. The train sounds are great for kids. Mine (3 1/2 and 5) can't stop giggling every time we play them. The train conductor says "All aboard", and this is followed by realistic "chugging" sounds. The sounds are pretty loud, but something you would only play once in a while, anyway, so not really a bother. Besides, it's so fun and festive for the holidays -- I don't mind it at all when I see my kids getting so much enjoyment out of it. They also love putting small toys in the empty car to give them a ride around the tree. I'm very pleased with my purchase.

Great for gift giving to children or adults. This item was received as a gift several yrs ago and is now a christmas tradition around our tree. We have'nt replaced or repaired any parts. Customers will love this gift !!! I've been giving these as gifts to families and they enjoy them during the holidays as much as we do.

The first weekend after the train set and extra track I ordered arrived, I set it up and just looked at it without running it. It was better than I could have expected - in quality appearance and durability - especially at the price it was offered for.

The next weekend when my grandson (1-1/2 years old) came to visit, I installed the batteries in the train and remote control unit. With reading through the info once, I tried out the remote operation with the built in sound in the train. It was great. And with the size of it, G-scale (garden size), we both had a great time.

When I ordered this product I never imagined that it would be as big as it was. I ordered it as a Christmas gift for my son and when I received it I was home alone and was very excited. I was trying not to act like a child at Christmastime and gently open the box to ensure that it worked. I spent at least 1hr playing around with this train set. I enjoyed this item and I am sure my son will too!

We bought this to go around our Christmas tree. Our four year old loves it! She hasn't stopped playing with it since we got it. It's large scale so she can put all her little toys inside and give them rides around the tree.

My 3 year old son just got this for Christmas. It is BIG so make sure you have plenty of room. There is so much track that it didn't even fit in his room, we had to put it in our utility room. It is also very loud. the biggest problem I have with it is that it constantly derails! Especially the front wheels on the locomotive.

The kid in me always wanted a Christmas tree train and this fills the bill. For the price I think it's great. It is rather loud and I don't plan on showing the grandchildren how to turn on the whistle and steam sound (although I'm sure they'll figure it out). If it gets too noisy I'll just send it home with them. Grandpa perks. Merry Christmas Y'all.

if you are looking for a year round train you might want to spend a little more and get a better train
but if your looking for something for around the tree
this is a great deal it is a bit noisy but you get used to it or shut it off
we found that the front wheels derailed alot so we just unscrewed them and it runs fine
our 2 year old loves it