Customer Reviews

Melissa & Doug Deluxe Wooden Railway Set

5 star:		(102)
4 star:		(36)
3 star:		(7)
2 star:		(2)
1 star:		(2)

 

 

This train set is absolutely awesome -- right out of the box. You can tell it has quality craftsmanship and from the start is a way better deal than the overpriced Thomas Train sets and track. My husband is a hobby woodworker and the first thing he said was "wow, this is much better quality than I was expecting for the price!"

I could not find another set with as many "goodies" as this one has (bridges, supports, roundhouse, two trains, etc), all in one box and WITHOUT a bunch of "extras" that a young child won't play with. Most of the high piece count sets I saw online were 50% people, trees and signs -- but this one is mostly all track, bridges and usable accessories! It comes with 2 trains and a little semi with a 5th wheel trailer that runs on the track as well -- very cute!

The layout plans they send you (4 in the box) are super helpful to combine designs with a little time and effort or use their designs. We spent about $20 at Menards and bought a 4x4 sheet of pre-sanded plywood to anchor this set to. The hubby routed the corners and edges smooth, and trimmed it down to about 4x3' to fit the train set. Then he predrilled and counter sunk screws into the track and the supports so everything is secured down. This is absolutely PERFECT setup for a 2 year old boy being, well, a 2 YEAR OLD! He's rough and still learning fine motor skill control, so it's much more fun to play on a set that doesn't fall over with clumsy, rough play!

So my hubby made some extra risers out of 2x4's and he built a "high rise" section of track to make one big "roller coaster" leg that went from end to end, sending the trains down the hill at a pretty fast clip, and our son giggles when they derail on the other end from such high speed!

We also purchased the Mountain Tunnel Accessory Set that looks not only realistic (way better than Imaginarium from Toys R Us and others we looked at), but also seperates into two pieces: the top comes off to make another tunnel, the bottom piece has two tunnels that criss-cross. Our son LOVES THIS! He can take the top piece off and put it over other places of the track all by himself. It's pretty sturdy, thick and hard plastic, but not indestructible of course. It's stood up to his rough play so far, and we're VERY pleased with the quality and durability. Amazon was the best price and shipping (not free when I bought it) that I found online.

The two trains included with this set run perfectly around the track -- the wheels/axles are placed at the very ends of the cars, which is absolutely necessary in design for the cars to go smoothly over the up or downward curves of hills. Otherwise, the ends of the car will catch on the track and the train will separate. We found this out when we used the big diesel train (3 piece set from Imaginarium @ Toys R Us) on the hills. While the diesel engine and the 3 axle car work fine, the 2 axle car catches because the axles are set farther in from the end. Melissa & Doug sell a very similar set and it will likely have the better design with no problems catching on the hills -- so I recommend their set over the Toys R Us one I bought.

EXCELLENT BUY, EXCELLENT TOY -- ALL the bells and whistles of the more expensive sets but at an affordable price and still a high quality set! Plus it is compatible with the big name cars and track (Thomas, Brio, etc). There are multiple manufacturers for THomas, however, and some of them have different sizes than others, so you have to watch. But if it fits on the regular size Thomas track, the cars AND the Thomas track are compatible with this set -- so very handy. (We did a lot of research into this before buying!)

The roundhouse is VERY GOOD QUALITY, and every bit as good as the Thomas one we saw in Toys R Us. Our local store has a train set (secured to a table) set up at the store for the kids to play with -- so we got a lot of ideas on setup from that, and also could have a hands on quality comparison. ALL THE PARTS to this set are good quality for a wooden set and we are absolutely, completely satisfied with this purchase.

So we recommend for the youngest engineers, that you anchor this set to a big piece of plywood or something, but just use screws and counter sink them, so they're out of the way but you can take it apart later when the child is older and can handle rearranging it and putting together the track by himself. Our little guy can do this and we have other track that he can put together and play with, but the main set is MUCH MORE FUN for him with it secured, until he's bigger and more coordinated!

We already have a little play table for him, so we made a small frame on the bottom of the trainset board to fit snuggly over the table we had and keep it from sliding or moving around. We can move this set to the floor or on the table, and even me, THE WIFE, can pick it up and move it without too much effort!

We added our customer pictures to the product images.

CHOOOOO CHOOOOOOO!

I bought this set because my 5-year-old son has been begging for a Thomas the Train set and I cannot afford those prices! So I took a chance on this one, and I am THRILLED! The roundhouse is very high quality, almost identical to the Thomas the Train one which sells for $80. The set comes with lots of good quality wooden track (no splinters or sharp edges, and it all fits together fine), two bridges, a turntable, two cranes that are easy to operate, two trains, a truck, two people, trees, and signs.

Best of all, you can build the exact display shown on the box and still have leftover track! No disappointment!

My only complaint is that one of the little trains that came with it keeps losing a wheel. Not such a big deal for us, because we bought Thomas the Train engines to use instead (yes, they fit on the track just fine). This set is supposed to be compatible with Brio trains too, but we haven't tried those yet.

After reading other reviews for this product, I had high expectations for the quality of this train set. While it is acceptable for the price paid, it is not up to par with the Thomas train sets. My son already had a Thomas starter set and a few of the Thomas trains and the quality difference between the two sets is obvious.

--> Wheels are wobbly on all of the trains and do not stay on the track well. This is not an issue with the Thomas trains.

--> Paint is not particularly durable. These trains show more wear after a week of use than the Thomas trains do being several months older.

--> Detail is lacking, there is no comparison to the Thomas pieces. Roundhouse, crane, and other structures are very plain, no texture to the tracks and straight track pieces are flat on the underside whereas the Thomas track reverses to be road.

--> Crane/cargo lift doesn't lower with the crank, you have to grab the string and pull it out. It is also assembled and glued crooked so it barely slides on the dowels.

--> Suspension bridge is also not straight and acts like a teeter totter as you try to pass trains over it.

--> At least half of the provided layout ideas don't transfer from the paper to the real wooden track so well. Fit and function isn't quite right with all the pieces.

This set is still a very good value at the price Amazon is offering it at - similar Thomas sets I've seen were at least 5 times the price. I would still buy this set again, just be realistic about what you are buying, especially if you are already familiar with the Thomas trains/sets.

This set is wonderful and wonderfully priced too. We were going to buy the Thomas expansion set for $40 and when we saw this we bought it instead and got so much more! We use it with our Thomas and Brio trains and tracks and for a fraction of the price of the Thomas train sets you get a ton of tracks, trains and accessories. Great deal! We are going to get the Melissa and Doug train table also. It's so much more reasonably priced than most other tables and even has a storage drawer that does not cost extra.

I chose this railway set over Learning Curve because I believe their prices are inflated, and I was not disappointed with it. The set is well made overall, with smooth, well-fitting track and sturdy accessories. My son (3) and daughter (6) have played with the set for hours every day since we got it, both with equal fascination. It fits perfectly with Thomas accessories we already own. I have only three small caveats: 1) Buy some "sure track" clips to use on elevated portions of the track. We use it on a smooth, level surface (hardwood floor), but the clips really enhance the stability for active play. 2) The round turntable did not spin freely when we got it, because the blue center piece was not perfectly round. We drilled out the rivet and removed the blue center piece, sanded down the edges, and replaced it. Now it's very easy for my kids to operate. 3) The trains included have slightly wobbly wheels, compared to Thomas trains. But they are functional, and my kids use the trains interchangeably. It's a great set, and a real bargain.

As I child (in the 1960s) my neighbors had a wooden train set. My favorite thing in the world was going over to their house to play with it. Later I got a cheap imitation plastic one, but still spent hours and hours playing with it. So when I saw this in a local toy store I snagged it for my children last Christmas.

I was very pleased that the track seems to be made of solid oak that will last forever. I like the two trains that came in the set, and how the cars work with the loading and unloading facilities. I like the diversity and quantity of pieces.

I am disappointed with the quality of the turntable. It is hard for a child to turn and jams regularly.

I am really disappointed in the geometry of the pieces. It is supposed to take 8 curved pieces to make a circle so each curved piece should be exactly 45 degrees in curvature. This is not true. Even in the simple circles the short curves require the slop in the connections to make it fit. It really takes 9 pieces to make a nice circle with them. Then there is the turnouts. The curved section of the turnout should match a big curve track exactly. They are short by over 1/8". The straights come in 6", 2", and an odd ball 4.25"? At first I thought this was intentional to make up the difference for a reverse curve coming off a switch track. Unfortunately this is not true with either the short or long curves. The only way to make a nice siding is to use enough pieces that the slack can force the configuration. Properly designed track pieces would make it easy to build standard configurations without the joints straining to make it work right.

Finally the track layouts they provide in the few instruction sheets are difficult to build (especially for young children) and worse to run. It is like the person designing them threw them together because they looked good and consumed most of the pieces in the set. Many of them (including the one on the cover) don't even have the same distance of straight on the opposite sides of the oval. The errors in the usage of curved tracks is even worse. It is impossible to teach a child good geometric concepts using the plans provided with the set.

This is a fabulous train set, suitable for children as young as my grandson, who is not quite two years old. It has a wonderful variety of tracks and cars, as well as lovely trees, street signs and other accessories. It is very, very durable, yet is simple to put together, especially the cars, which simply click together via magnets. Personally, I think it's one of the best toys I've seen for interactive play! You can make a simple circle line or an elaborate railway system, or you can just play with the engines and cars, alone. Such versatility and allowance for imagiative play is refreshing. The wood is smooth (so no splinters) and the colors are very nice. I highly recommend this set, which is moderately priced, for anyone who wants to have years of fun with his/her child(ren).

I bought this toy for a 1 1/2 and 3 1/2 year old. It is a great value for the money. The wood construction is nice. The fact you get 2 trains and a truck with it is great (especially if you have multiple children). You MUST buy the product Suretrack in addition (2 packages = 28 clips) to keep the raised track together with small children.
The turn table does stick a bit, but our kids haven't tried to use it yet, so I don't know if it will be an issue.
The reason I am only giving 4 stars is the poor geometry of the pieces. Another reviewer went into more detail of piece angles and lengths. I don't feel you should have to stress the junctions to make the track fit. We built the design on the cover and the 2 sides of the oval are not equal length. My husband and I consider this poor design and can not give it 5 stars. Our kids are too young to notice and it doesn't decrease their enjoyment of it at all.

I purchased this set after reviewing quite a few different ones. It does come with an ample amount of track, not filled up with trees & stop signs (stuff you don't care about). With reading the reviews, I also purchased the suretrack clips to hold the track pieces together on the elevated areas, since several reviewers mentioned the toddler meltdowns that ensued when the pieces came apart. I purchased 2 sets of the suretrack and we had 2 clips left over after setup. I found that even if you do not have a toddler, the clips are a must. My husband was initially trying to put the set together without using the clips & once you moved something that was already in place (an elevated piece), it would fall down. So I think that the clips are really neccessary for any age. The only bad thing about the suretrack is that on corners, the trains tend to hit the clips & sometimes derail, causing a meltdown!
This set is also nice because it does comes with a few different layout ideas. The wood is good quality, although some of the angled pieces do not sit 100% on the track. There is a tiny bit of warp to them. But not every piece, just a couple. The only complaint I have about the trains is that one of the trains is a truck & it is alittle long and doesn't handle the tight turns very well. It derails almost everytime. Of course, that is the one my son likes best, so I had to hide it because he wants to use that one, and cannot understand why it keeps derailing.
Overall, I think that it is a good train set for the money.

I'd have to say one of the best truths is that it really does come with practically 135 pieces of useful track and not a lot of filler such as trees and signs. I was also given a cheaper brand of track from a hand-me-down and it doesn't even compare. We bought this train set for our 3 year old's b.day and it was (and continues to be) a hit. I'm not sure who has more fun me (mommy) or my son. I'm quite sure that my 3 yr old and his little brother will be having fun with this for years to come. Highly recommend! I would also like to say, to those of you who are on the fence about whether to buy the more popular name brand tracks, save your money; use the savings to buy the name brand train that will be compatible with your M&Doug set.