LEGO Duplo Thomas & Friends - Thomas Load and Carry Train Set

by LEGO

Product Features

• 61-piece set
• Includes Thomas and 16 pieces of train tracks
• 19Lx4-1/2Hx11-1/4W"
• 4Hx11Wx19L"

Product Details

• Product Dimensions: 4.5 x 11.5 x 19 inches ; 3.3 pounds
• Shipping Weight: 3.4 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Shipping: Currently, item can be shipped only within the U.S. and to APO/FPO addresses. For APO/FPO shipments, please check with the manufacturer regarding warranty and support issues.
• Shipping Advisory: This item must be shipped separately from other items in your order. Additional shipping charges will not apply.
• ASIN: B0007PHOYI
• Item model number: 4249295
• Manufacturer recommended age: 24 months - 5 years
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #91,832 in Toys & Games (See Top 100 in Toys & Games)
• Average Customer Review: 4.5 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (23 customer reviews)
• Discontinued by manufacturer: Yes

Product Description

From the Manufacturer

Thomas has a big job to do today! Load him up at the cargo tower, then send him on his way to Tidmouth Station. Includes cargo tower with slide so you can open it to drop cargo. Also features full track, signal, and station. Hours of fun for Thomas & Friends.

Product Description

Thomas has a big job to do today. Load him up at the cargo tower, and then send him on his way to Tidmouth Station. This set includes a cargo tower with a slide, so you can open it to drop cargo. It also features a full track that measures 23" x 35" plus a train signal and station. Hours of fun are just around the bend for Thomas and Friends fans. You'll even get over 7' of running track. It includes 16 track pieces. Set is compatible with the complete LEGO Duplo System.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

78 of 78 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars You get a lot in this set, but more track would be nice., August 10, 2005

By 

Doctor Trance (MA, United States) - See all my reviews
(VINE VOICE)   

= Durability:5.0 out of 5 stars  = Fun:4.0 out of 5 stars  = Educational:4.0 out of 5 stars 

This review is from: LEGO Duplo Thomas & Friends - Thomas Load and Carry Train Set (Toy)

The Thomas set comes with 16 pieces of track, while most of the other train and accessory packs only come with a few pieces. You have to either start with this set, or buy the more expensive all inclusive set, which is at least double this one in price, but if you were to get this one and all the add on sets, the large set would save you some cash, and net you a lot of track.

I bought this set and then found come Duplo City train track packs, which came with 6 more pieces of straight track. I believe all of the track in this set is curved, so getting the straight add-on packs gives you a lot of track layout options (the circle this set makes is pretty small). My son enjoys building and rebuilding the station pieces, but his favorite is laying out the track. I think the price I paid for this set and two track packs was perfect, and it's just enough pieces to keep track of them. He only likes to play with Thomas (even though this set does come with two trains), so I don't really need the extra trains and buildings, as it's just more clutter around the house!

Overall, anyone with children who love trains should enjoy this set. Also, it teaches them about building, as even the trains need to put togther. We have the wooden Thomas table and train set, but he still likes this one and spends a lot of time playing with it, so I wouldn't hesitate buying this if you think the wooden set is enough. Kids can never have too many train sets!!!

41 of 42 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Great starter set, but budget for more tracks., July 13, 2007

By 

Adrian Koit "what I thought" (New Jersey, USA) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

= Durability:5.0 out of 5 stars  = Fun:5.0 out of 5 stars  = Educational:5.0 out of 5 stars 

This review is from: LEGO Duplo Thomas & Friends - Thomas Load and Carry Train Set (Toy)

Summary:
Top quality product from Lego as you have come to expect, allowing for hours and hours of fun (for the kids and parents) but be prepared to buy the other sets and extra tracks.

My Story:
My son was 18 months when I was looking for some sort of train set. I came across this really by chance at a store as I did not realise Lego made a Duplo series train set. Was initially looking at the wooden Thomas the tank engine sets, but those were incredibly expensive. In anycase, I bought this set first as a "tester" to see if my son would like it and also to test the durability of the toy. Passed with flying colours on both accounts.

The box itself is reasonably sized, but mostly filled with air. The Duplo parts are quite chunky. It comes with 1 very thin instruction manual. My initial impression of the tracks were that they were flimsy and didn't connect or stay connected together very well, but I quickly learned that they were pretty robust and the connection mechanisms were perfect for those with developing motor skills. They join together with a jigsaw type link. Thomas comes in 4 parts, the base with the wheels, his face, body and top cover of the body. Again very easy to assemble, great for the learning ones. There are quite few other bits like the train station, signal lights and loading tank.

The assembled set is a reasonable size (23" x 35" or 60 x 90cm) and fitted nicely on my son's play table. But as soon as I expanded the set with the other series and tracks, it has to be spread all over the floor. As a note, 6 curved tracks make a semi circle with a diameter of 23" or 60cm. The tracks work much better on a hard surface. If you put the tracks on carpet they do have a tendency of coming disconnected. The trains stay on the tracks very well (provided the tracks are on a hard surface) and don't often derail. Remember this set is a manual push train set. You can get the motorised 4.5V motorised train set which is also compatible, so that may be a great expansion option for when the kids are older.

Although it says its for 2-5 year, from a parts point of view it is safe as there are really no small parts to really choke on. When I first got it my son just loves to play with Thomas, taking the tracks and the various buildings apart, but after about a week or so he realised that the tracks needs to stay together and he leaves it alone now. After about 2 weeks or so he started putting the tracks together, shortly there after he started to put the Duplo brick pieces together. It will be a while before he actually assembles the tracks and bricks as it is suppose to but regardless, since we got the set, pretty much all his other toys are now collecting dust. I hope to get several years of play with this toy given the expandability and flexibility. Probably store it for a little while and bring it back out, especially during those cold winter months.

Recommendations:
If you are planning to get the extras, I recommend buying some sort of storage containers as they do take up some room. On the note of extras, if you are like me you will be wondering about what expansion options you can get. I have spent many hours researching this so here it a quick low down to save you some time. Firstly there are several of Thomas's friends available. These include Harold the Helicopter (3300), Cargo-Loading Cranky (3301), Percy at the Water Tower (5556), James at Knapford Station (5552) and Toby at Wellsworth (5555, although this doesn't seem to be available anymore in the US). 3 additional friends have just been released. This includes Gordon Express (3354), Spencer and Sir Topham Hatt (3353) and Salty the Dockyard Diesel (3352).

Secondly in terms of track expansion options there are several of these and certainly worth while additions to the already cool set. These are currently available: curved track (6 pack) (2735), straight track (6 pack) (2734), a bridge (3774), a level crossing (3773), and switching tracks (3775).

Thirdly, if you have been looking at the other Lego Duplo train sets (non-Thomas related) you would have noticed that the "Train Starter Set (3771)" has a Cross track (2737). You will then wonder, how can I buy the cross track? Well you can't, not new anymore anyway. This is where the research led me to a couple of things. 1, that there is an unofficial Lego Marketplace where you can find these and other discontinued Lego Duplo train parts. And 2, there use to be the Lego Duplo Intelli-Train series. This was an "intelligent" motorised series of train sets released in 2002 which has since been discontinued. Very cool indeed (as they get older). Just do a search on this to find out more. In any case over the years the Duplo Train series have had a number of supplemental items which we can no longer get, like the Intelli-Train Tunnel (3334) or the Stop/Start Rail (5027) to name a couple.

Finally, just a quick comment with regards to train track layouts. As the number of tracks expand the kids will have a great time working those imagination to come up with innovative and creative track layouts. For the parents, if you are thinking that you can just find example layouts on the internet, don't hold your breath. This will be tough. You will have to use your imagination along with your kids.

30 of 30 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Perfect toy for toddler!, August 18, 2006

By 

Rosemary A. Bertinelli "Freelance Writer" (Carbondale, PA United States) - See all my reviews

This review is from: LEGO Duplo Thomas & Friends - Thomas Load and Carry Train Set (Toy)

One day I realized that my baby is now a toddler and his toys are all...well baby toys! I browsed the toy aisles for the perfect, age apporpriate replacements hating to spend more money on more plastic, yet desperate for anything that will engage him for at least 15 minutes and keep him STILL so I can put clothes away, vacuum, sometimes just SIT and play. This does it!

Reliable duplo/lego quality. Non frustrating because the pieces actually stay together. Easy assembly. Of course my little guy is 22 months so I still have to do the majority of the assembly. I did get this for him at age 19 months and by now he has caught on as to how to put the track together. He tries to put the cars together but still needs my help to lock the pieces in place.

I am constantly amazed at how much toddlers pick up by watching grownups, so keep putting this back together while your little one is present. Luca does love to disassemble the track and it is a challange keeping it together however, over the last month, persistence has paid off and he has figured out how to re-assenmble his little messes. The assembly is easy enough for him to get it on his own!

These chunky toys accomomodate busy little toddler hands perfectly.

This particular set comes with everything necessary for your toddler to "get to work". This set has just enough to busy your toddler without being overwhelming! This set has satisfied my little guy (although I did buy him the Toby (he is just so cute) set too.

My older boys take Tae Kwan Do every night and this set is a staple in the karate bag. It definately keeps the younger .0brothers and sisters busy and off the MATS.

Other add-ons are available but right now, this set, and the Toby have been just enough!

The price sems high for the seemingly few pieces. I am the first to admit it is difficult to commit to a 25$ purchase, but as with Lego/Duplo products, the quality and play/learning value add greatly to the plastic parts making it an excellent purchase!

GREAT GRANDPARENT GIFT! Even a perfect toy to keep at Grandparents house!