BRIO Magnetic Action Crossing Review

Average Reviews:

(More customer reviews)This nice little addition provides lots of fun for children who want to drive vehicles around and through their train set. The ramps on either side make it easy for trucks to drive over the tracks. The look is realistic enough that children familar with crossings will recognise and appreciate it.
It's not as durable as some Brio train accessories. The plastic arms will not take a lot of abuse. Design-wise, they are appropriate, but if carried around by the gates, I suspect they'd quickly break.
It took a bit of practice for my 3.5 year-old boy to correctly press the buttons to raise and lower the crossing gates. For him, it was well worth the effort to play with this fun toy.
The magnetic trigger that automatically lowers the gates when a train passes has some problems. Although they're not large ones, they're still disappointing to my son.
First, our BRIO Autostop and Start Engine (the green, battery operated engine) doesn't consistently cause the gates to close. This happens frequently, and often for four to five consecutive times. The same problem occurs with other engines and cars, but not to the same extent.
Second, each arm triggers independently. When a train rolls past the beginning of the first gate, the magnetic wheel triggers the first gate to close. So far, so good. Then the train drives all the way across the crossing while the other gate is still up until it reaches the far end of the second gate. The magnetic wheel then triggers the second gate. While this provides a good teaching moment to show the child how the toy works, it is NOT the way a *real* crossing operates. Although I understand why the toy is designed this way, attempting to explain it to a 3.5 year-old proved tricky. It definitely bothers him that it doesn't function the same way the real ones do.
Even with these two problems, my son still enjoys playing with it. When and if I consider buying another crossing, I'll definitely consider Brio's other offerings.

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33750 MAGNETIC ACTION CR SIG

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