Customer Reviews

Thomas & Friends Wooden Railway - A Day at The Works Set

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

 

 

The Thomas train and train collections are durable toys. Their real value, though, is that playing with the toys allows children to act out the great Thomas and Friends children's stories they read and watch.

This is a nice layout that provides far more track than the usual figure 8 layout that gets purchased first. It also provides a scenic mat, a tressle, and a building. But it is very expensive. There is generic track available that costs far less. Our kids haven't noticed the difference. IT IS EASY TO CREATE ELEVATED TRACK AND BRIDGES USING LEGO OR DUPLO PIECES AS SUPPORTS. GENERIC CRANES ARE AVAILABLE FOR MUCH LESS.

Kids' imaginations can remarkably supply buildings and water towers and cranes, etc., so that they won't even miss what might be lacking from less expensive sets. And families can build some of these items themselves out of old boxes, etc.

Purchasing recommendation:
* Choose which type of Thomas trains you will 'standardize' on. There are three kinds: This size of wooden trains from Learning Curve; larger, plastic, battery-operated trains from Tomy; and smaller, die-cast metal trains from Ertl. The wooden trains have the most products and accessories available.

* The clickety-clack (grooved to look like real railroad) track in the Thomas series is great, but it's expensive; I recommend buying generic track. ... You can literally save hundreds of dollars by buying these kinds of sets.

* Buy the Thomas and friends engines separately--and wait for sales. The kids care about the characters, so no short-cutting (ie., Brio or generic trains) here.

* Look for trains bundled with VHS videos. You can get a video and a train (on sale) for about the same price as a train alone.

I bought this for my granddaughter who is 19 months old. She can't leave it alone. The other toys in the house have lost their allure and the trains occupy the bulk of her play time. They are well made, provide her with motor skills improvement opportunities and she loves them. The down side (yes we're indulgent) is that it has led to buying other trains, Thomas & Friends DVD's and books. This is a great starter set and is really all she needs. More track and buildings might be needed when she gets older but she has yet to tire of any of it in the last month and a half. Parents, grandparents, friends, this is a toy that will stand the test of time and worth every penny.

The tracks are overall good, except part of the tracks with the hill doesn't stay together.

Please note that the playmat is a mat and not a board so you will need a hard surface to put your trainset on.

This set is worth every penny - it is heirloom quality and will be treasured for years to come. So nice to have quality wooden toys instead of plastic junk.

I'm in Canada and even with exchange (which is about par these days) and international shipping, this order still came in $75 cheaper than retail here. The only downside - they've included another Thomas train. If you're investing in a set like this, you've likely already got a Thomas; would have been nice to have a different train.

When I buy several pieces of wood for a hundred bucks I expect it to be of top quality. Unfortunately, not the case here.
Tracks do not fit together tightly creating gaps and bumps that cause trains to tip over. Ascents and descents are too steep for trains with carts to stay on rails. Figures and structures are very primitive with dull prints on the sides. Would not recommend it.