Average Reviews:
(More customer reviews)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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