Showing posts with label railway sets. Show all posts
Showing posts with label railway sets. Show all posts

Thomas & Friends Wooden Railway - Mountain Overpass Set (Now with James) Review

Thomas and Friends Wooden Railway - Mountain Overpass Set (Now with James)
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This is the set we began with when our children became interested in playing with the Wooden Train Tracks. This is a great set. There are enough pieces that you can do creative things with it (a circle and an oval, a hill over a circle etc).
The pieces are very sturdy and have held up to three children and who knows how many friends playing with the pieces. The mountain is big. Bigger than you might think based on the pictures.
What makes this set so good is that the mountain holds up the hill pieces. With out the hill you would need to get some blocks or something to hold up the hill pieces. For little hands this becomes difficult and if they bump the tracks then everything falls apart. The mountain doesn't present the same difficulties for little fingers and hands.
As one reviewer noted, it does work better on a hard surface. It doesn't have to be a table though, a nice hard floor works great too. However, my children set it up on carpeting and generally don't complain about derailings.
This is well worth the money.
Enjoy.

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This set brings road and rail together to bring the complete world of Thomas & Friends to life! Set features the exciting Mountain Overpass bridge/tunnel. As Percy climbs over the mountain bridge and Butch passes through the roadway tunnel, rail and road sounds magically activate.

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Lionel G-Gauge Track Pack Review

Lionel G-Gauge Track Pack
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This product costs a lot merely to expand your existing Polar Express G-scale layout by a few feet, but it's sturdily built and stands up to our little boys.
My biggest complaint is that there are no crossovers (i.e., X-es) or switches to enable any configurations other than expanded loops, and no way to find any online. I suppose I might be able to create a mold out of clay and somehow mold my own version, but that would be extremely time-consuming. Why Lionel didn't see fit to include some of these is beyond me, as they'd probably have been able to sell a lot more track and cars.

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HO 4-8-4 GS4 w/DCC, SP/Daylight #4446 Review

HO 4-8-4 GS4 w/DCC, SP/Daylight #4446
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This is a fine model. Well detailed. The only gripe I have is that it is a little light and can't pull a very long string of cars without spinning it wheels. Once I added a little lead for weight, it worked well and was able pull the normal consist.

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Thomas & Friends Wooden Railway - Lift & Load Set Review

Thomas and Friends Wooden Railway - Lift and Load Set
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First, we purchased this set with a Thomas table and I cannot imagine the set on the floor. Also, it was purchased on a famed, well-known, auction Internet site. I think you know the one.
This is a terrific set, with many activities for the little engineer. The grain loader is awesome, and the grain car is very clever. The crane comes off easily, but is still fun and can be swapped (with slight modification) for the cargo loader. The Sodor Lumber piece is also excellent. In any case, the interactivity of this set is what drew my wife and I. The focus is squarely on *doing* things with the Thomas engines - not on reenacting television episodes or listening to the new generation of plastic beeping thingys.
On a final note, I recommend switching the location of the grain loader to where the barrel loader is. This makes it much easier to get to the grain loader, which is one of the better pieces in the Thomas universe.

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Lift and load cargo, move grain, barrels, logs and more with the Thomas and Friends Lift and Load Set! This set includes over 100 pieces and comes with a brightly-painted storage box that rolls and tucks neatly under playtables.
This super-deluxe set instantly engages little engineers with its many interactive destinations that lift and load cargo, grain, barrels, logs and more. For easy storage, all pieces fit perfectly in an exclusive Thomas decorated wooden box with rolling wheels.

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Thomas and Friends TrackMaster Thomas at Elsbridge Station Review

Thomas and Friends TrackMaster Thomas at Elsbridge Station
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This is not only a review, but also a warning. I just bought this item at Target for $20.99. This wasn't on sale and it is a current stocked item. However, some people think that they can buy the item at Target (note the "only sold at Target symbol on the box") and then cash in a fortune here. Trackmaster unfortunately does make exclusive deals with Wal-Mart, Target and Toys R Us and certain sets you can only get in those stores. Shop around and do your due diligence before deciding to drop $80 on an item you should be paying $20.99 for.
As for the item itself, I have done quite a bit of research on the Learning Curve wooden Thomas Train sets, the Take Along sets, and Trackmaster. I find that the Trackmaster gives you the most bang for the buck (unless of course you get sucked into a bad deal like this one posted here). With the wooden train sets the choice of 'motorized' train engines is VERY limited, furthermore you can only pull short trains and the trains don't negotiate hills that well. The Thomas Take Alongs don't even offer motorized trains, BUT in a way they are cool for a nice small portable Thomas Train set. But with the Trackmaster I have seen posters on YouTube run trains with more than a dozen cars on them and they have no trouble at all going around corners. The Trackmaster trains are made of plastic and not wood or metal like the Learning Curve products are. However, they are larger. In addition, Trackmaster does make remote control versions of some of thier trains.
Overall, if you are looking to get into the world of Thomas trains and are looking for model railroad excitment but without the cost or fragility of an HO model railway, then this is it.
Trackmaster does offer a bunch of engine and rolling stock add ons for the Thomas line... And just as much as the wooden railway does. But the best thing is that ALL the engines are powered.
Also, I have read that the Trackmaster trains are supposedly backward compatible with the Tomy Thomas track (blue track). So that is a big plus for someone that has an older Tomy track.
The bottom line is that if your child wants to just push trains around, then perhaps the wooden or Take Along trains will be fine. But if your child wants to watch trains run and put together a railway like "Daddy's" big model trains, then this is the system to buy.

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Williams by Bachmann Trains - Norfolk Southern Locomotive Review

Williams by Bachmann Trains - Norfolk Southern Locomotive
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purchased my SD 90 Williams/Bachmann for around $136 & change from Wholesale Trains. Was quite disappointed at first as it tended to jerk at low speeds, headlights were extremely dim, coupler kept uncoupling, horn/bell barely audible when train was moving. Found information online recommending wiring it's two motors in series, giving step by step instructions (very easy process, here's a link [...] this works for any of the new Williams diesel engines, not sure why Bachmann doesn't do it themselves as the engine still has plenty of speed, even with a smaller 80 watt transformer)
The speaker for the horn had come unglued and had fallen out of the sound chamber, was dangling loosely, probably from shipping. I re-glued the speaker, wired the motors in series, made slight adjustment to the spring holding the coupler and now it runs great. Very smooth at all speeds! Great puller! Headlights are much brighter. Horn/bell has good volume. Would have easily given it 5 stars if not for the tweaking, but even that was fun and easy to do.
A good value for the price!

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EMD?s newest and most powerful diesel locomotive! This 6000 H.P. locomotive weighs in at 425,000 lbs. and can generate 170,000 lbs. of continuous tractive force to reach speeds of 75 mph. This 80 foot long monster was designed to do the job of two SD-40 locomotives. Williams offers today?s most popular railroad paint schemes such as Norfolk Southern.

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Thomas and Friends: Sodor Fix-It Station Review

Thomas and Friends: Sodor Fix-It Station
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My 5 year old son got this for his birthday. There are so many different ways to connect the pump. Thomas will whistle, engine will fire up, railway mechanic can brush Thomas clean, clean out his funnel. You can even tighten Thomas' wheels. It's a fun toy. It's a little hard for my son to get the parts into the mechanic's hands, but he has fun using them by himself, without the mechanic. For someone who loves Thomas, this is great!!!

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G Scale Bachmann Straight Train Track Single Piece Review

G Scale Bachmann Straight Train Track Single Piece
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Hi,
What can you say, if you break a piece of your Bachmann Garden G scale railroad track, this is the place to go. Hammond's provided me great service, and sent the track priority mail. It arrived very quickly.
BUT and it's a BIG BUT, they don't include a track clip. If you are replacing track, keep the old clip. If you are extending track, this may be the best deal but you'll need to find the clips that hold the track together elsewhere.
Overall, five star! Just be armed with knowledge. Oh, and I only gave it two stars on durability, because Bachmann track is cheap and cheezy! It's no reflection on the seller. If you want real track for outdoor apps, go with LGB.


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Thomas the Tank Engine & Friends Wooden Railway - Honey Depot Review

Thomas the Tank Engine and Friends Wooden Railway - Honey Depot
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AN ADORABLE ADDITION TO MY CHILDRENS TRAIN COLLECTION!! THE CHILDREN GET A KICK OUT OF THE BUZZING BEES AND THE HONEY POTS BEING DUMPED ONTO THE TRAIN. I LIKE THE OLDFASHIONED TOP NOTCH CONSTRUCTION AND BEST OF ALL, NO BATTERIES!!!!

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Thomas & Friends Wooden Railway - Start Your Engines Race Set Review

Thomas and Friends Wooden Railway - Start Your Engines Race Set
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I purchased this set which is priced pretty steep even for Thomas, To my dissapointment when you press the button for the gates to lift releasing the train, the gates either dont lift enough to release the train or one doesnt lift at all. Haveing many Thomas Destinations I figured it was just a fluke and returned it for another, the new one was even worse! So now i have $100.00 pile of heap, only good from the story is two nice straight pieces with built in buffers.

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Little engineers can now create their own thrilling rides and adventures as they race their favorite engines. The Start Your Engines Race Set is a complete, 21-piece wooden race set featuring a starting gate, exclusive race track risers, Sir Topham Hatt, Thomas, Percy and more. Measures 5.5"L x 20.5"W x 13"H.

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Bachmann Trains Silverado Ready-to-Run Large Scale Train Set Review

Bachmann Trains Silverado Ready-to-Run Large Scale Train Set
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Bachmann is not a toy company - they are a model railroad manufacturer. This is a 1:22.5 scale model of a Baldwin narrow-gauge "ten-wheeler" locomotive like many hundreds that were used in the 19th and early 20th century in many parts of the country - but especially in the west. The "open-ended" passenger coaches cars are also models of real cars that were used in the same time and space. In fact, they're the most accurate models of real wooden coaches available in Large Scale; I use them myself, in Pennsylvania colors. This particular set has extra filigree on the smokestack and other detailing that makes this set particularly compelling. The track that comes with it is made for indoor use only, which means it's fine for a basement or Christmas tree railroad. (Consider Aristo-Craft 6'-diameter or larger curves for outdoors - I use 10'-diameter curves when I have room.) The train itself, though was made to be used outside on garden railroads, and is weather- and rust-resistant. An excellent first choice for a Large Scale railroad. - Paul Race, editor, Family Garden Trains

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Scale, Category: Large Scale - SetsItem No: 90050Name: SilveradoRoadname: Virginia & TruckeeDescription: In the years following the Civil War, the wild west offered hope to a recovering nation. The Comstock Lode promised much-needed wealth to help fund the reconstruction of the Union, but a railroad was needed to carry passengers and freight from remote silver mines to the boomtowns that sprang up around them. The Virginia & Truckee Railroad Company answered the call with trains like our Silverado. This ready-to-run electric train set comes complete with a 4-6-0 steam locomotive (with operating headlight, smoke, and speed-synchronized sound), coal tender, combine with operating door and lighted interior, and observation car with lighted interior and drumhead, 8' 2" x 4' 3" oval of track (20 pieces), power pack and speed controller, illustrated instruction manual, and DVD format video instructions.

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G USA 12" Straight (12) Review

G USA 12 Straight (12)
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This AristoCraft track is an exact match for the high-quality track that comes with AristoCraft train sets. This track is weather-resistant, so you can leave it outside in your garden for years on end. Even if you're running your trains indoors, this is a huge improvement over the all-plastic track or plastic-and-sheet-metal track that comes with some Large Scale trains.
The pieces that come in this set are 12" long. If you have the space, consider using the 24" equivalent: #30060. The ties on this track are made to look like modern American railroads; this track goes great with trains from AristoCraft and USA Trains. If you're running old-timey trains, such as most Bachmann trains, you might consider the "euro/narrow gauge track" equivalent: AristoCraft # 11000 straight pieces.
Paul Race, Editor, Family Garden Trains

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Thomas and Friends Wooden Railway System: Coal Station Review

Thomas and Friends Wooden Railway System: Coal Station
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My two-year-old loves trains, and loves playing with magnetic cargo and cranes. This coal station has the added steps of turning the crank to raise the coal to the top of the belt, and then dropping it into a waiting car -very fun.
The problem is that the crane cannot support the weight of the magnetic cargo and immediately tips over. You have to hold the crane as you turn it and transfer the coal; my son has just dispensed with the crane support and he just lifts the crane itself. I don't know why the designers of this toy did not provide more support for the crane and did not anchor it better (there's just a very short knob to hold the crane in place on the support). If you want to get a crane for magnetic cargo, maybe try the new Cargo Transfer - looks like it has more stable support esp. as you turn the crane.

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Take Along Thomas & Friends - Travel Tote Review

Take Along Thomas and Friends - Travel Tote
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Please note this is a great product, but do not buy if you own the larger wooden trains as they do not fit. This is designed for the smaller "Take-Along" collection.

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This handy Travel Tote is portable, holds up to 18 vehicles and is perfectly-sized for preschool hands. Includes a sticker sheet with engine names. Measures 12" long. Holds up to 18 vehicles (sold separately).

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Brio My First Sets - Shorty the Dog Review

Brio My First Sets - Shorty the Dog
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I bought this for my 15 mo. old son so that he would have some trains of his own to play with while his 2.5 year old brother plays with his trains. It has met that purpose. The two dog cars and the one ball car (the ball rotates while it moves) are great. They are cute and sturdy and the boys know whose cars are whose.
The things to know ...
1. None of the cars fit in the zippered pocket of the plush dog. So if you're counting on that feature know that it's not what it's cracked up to be.
2. The bone leash does a good job of pulling the cars (though my son is not interested in doing that). While there are mangets on the bone and the plush dog the magnets are not strong enough to pull the dog. (You can tuck the bone into the dog collar if that really matters to you)
In summary - the cars are great, so if you're comfortable with the price for 3 cars then I'd recommend this toy. While the plush dog is cute, it doesn't do what it says it will. My son isn't playing with it either. So, if you're drawn to this predominantly for the plush dog, I can't recommend it.



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My First Sets introduce 1 1/2 year olds to rail play. Perfectly sized for little fingers, the wagons can be used on and off the tracks. This set is called Shorty the Dog.

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N Open Excursion Car, Green & Black Review

N Open Excursion Car, Green and Black
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The open excursion looks exactly as pictured. It is well engineered. I am modeling a section of Walt Disney World. With very little mocification the car looks like the photo I took of the Disney excursion car.
One note the ad describes the car as green and black but the car is actually green and red like the picture.

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Thomas Wooden Railway Paint & Play Depot Review

Thomas Wooden Railway Paint and Play Depot
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Learning curve has many great ideas for its buildings, and now you have a chance to make your own building and passenger car.
Here are the steps you'll need to follow:
Step one: Before you begin, put throw-away paper, such as old newspaper underneath your project. Remember, Sir Topham Hatt does not approve of a mess!
Step two: Begin painting! You may use the paints that come with the set, or some paints you already own.
Step three: Wait a while for the paint to dry. (Enough time to watch a Thomas video.)
Step four: When the paint is dry, put your stickers on, and your project will be finished.
Here's what you can do: You can pretend that Toby is taking passengers to the grand opening of the new building.
Overall, 5 stars. Of course, Paint and Play Toby is a must-have for creative Thomas fans.

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