Reviews (2)

Great for 18 months and up! But expensive...
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 PARTICULAR SET IS BASED ON THOMAS AND BERTIE THE BUS' FAMOUS RACE.

The set is uniquely designed to imitate the race. The layout on the box has separate lines for Thomas and Bertie. The lines run parallel part of the time. There also is a unique bridge that supports two lines going over on top. Finally, this is the newer type of Thomas track that has the clickety-clack (grooved) railroad track on one side and striped road on the other side. ANY CHILD WHO HAS SEEN BERTIE AND THOMAS' RACE ON VIDEO WILL LOVE THIS SET. BUT IT IS 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.

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.

Amazing Thomas set!
GET THIS AS SOON AS YOU CAN!!!!! Quite possibly one of the most unique Thomas layouts I've seen so far. This set was made to re-enact "Thomas and Bertie's Great Race". This layout comes with Thomas, Bertie, Annie, Clarabel, and exclusive Race Tunnel and Race Station. You can also combine it with the now retired "Thomas and Bertie's Great Race Charactor Story Pack" by doing the following: Switch the Thomas from this set with the one from the retired pack, add the Knapford Station Platform, and add everything else from the pack (except maybe the Sodor Bay Bridge). So get this set! ... Read more

Editorial Review

Parents looking to teach kids a lesson about safety might want to steer away from this wreck-intensive play set from Hot Wheels. Still, the Zero G track is an awful lot of fun for anyone who enjoys the time-honored tradition of Hot Wheels cars smashing into each other at tremendous speeds. After laying out the numerous pieces of track using the included and relatively easy to follow instructions, rev up the one included car and other Hot Wheels cars and let them fly around the track.  The set features a large red set piece that looks daunting but for the life of us we could not figure out what it was for.--Charlie Williams ... Read more

Reviews (4)

It doesn't do a whole lot
Once you've put this set together -- and it's deceptively difficult for as small as it is -- and fire it up, you and your kid will probably say, "Cool!" 5-10 minutes later, you'll be looking for something else to do. If you buy another Hot Wheels car to put on the track (Matchbox cars don't work, and the box warns that "not all Hot Wheels cars are compatible" either), maybe there is some excitement in hoping the cars will crash at the intersection, causing the little "explosion" the designers have built in at the only possible crash site. However, straight out of the box, what you get is one car, a battery-powered impeller and a tiny track with two possible loop patterns, each of which literally takes less than two full seconds to complete. So you turn it on, drop the car on the track and watch it rocket around this loop and over a tiny (9 cm to be exact) jump again and again and again. If you want to interact, you can push down a lever and make the car take a different loop that is even smaller and has no jump. Is it cool? Initially... but it quickly becomes as interesting as watching the clothes spin around in the dryer.

Mattel are you listening?
This toy is about as much fun as all of the other over-hyped pieces of crap Mattel is foisting on our children nowadays. The greedy misers go out of their way to make sure none of the sets work together or can interconnect (and yes, I've bought a half-dozen or so). What you get is basically a self-contained unit that can only be put together one way. And they won't sell you individual tracks and connectors in stores any longer (though I saw one review that claimed you could get them direct from Mattel). Well, growing up my brother and I had only gravity, but we could put tracks together in a myriad of imaginative ways and create our own race courses, instead of being stuck with some adult's idea of what is supposed to be fun. Now wouldn't that be a great educational and creative "breakthrough" today?

I was able to buy a few spare pieces of track left on a shelf by accident in one toystore, no connectors and the salepeople didn't know what I was talking about. I made my own connectors from plastic milk jugs and my five year old likes the homemade tracks better than all the monstrous junk you can buy.

WAY COOL!
My daughter received this for her birthday and she LOVES it. It only took me about 15 minutes to put together (I thought the directions were fairly easy to follow) and so far it works wonderfully, we have had no problems with the track pieces coming apart. WAY COOL!

Kids loved it; assembly caused adults to grind teeth
I bought this for a five-year old boy. Once we assembled it, he loved it. Toy assembly, however, caused four intelligent adults (one of whom has an engineering degree) to rip their hair out. The directions were so bad and the assembly diagrams so incomprehensible that we really thought we weren't going to be able to put it together. It took several hours and all four adults to piece it together. It also seemed to be very cheaply made. The tracks kept popping apart because the joints weren't made very well. When I was a kid, Hot Wheels were well made. ... Read more

Reviews (7)

Great combination of a train and a puzzle.
My almost 2 year old daughter received this for Christmas this year (1 month ago).

She loves to play with it as a train - she lets her stuffed animals ride it and even tries to ride it herself.

As a puzzle, she has mastered the 'take it apart' aspect, and is learning to put it back together. It is a well designed puzzle that will be challenging for younger toddlers - some of the reasons that you'd choose block X over block Y are subtle - but it is still a serviceable train most ways you can put it together, although it might look odd.

It is very durable and safe. My daughter has sat upon it, stood on it, and dropped it on a wooden floor. So far it is still completely intact. Nothing has chipped or come loose.

This is another great Melissa and Doug product that will be enjoyed for many years, provided we can avoid losing the pieces. Toddlers can play with it on a simple level - it is a train - or a more complex level as a puzzle.

The Stacking Train is HEAPS of fun!
At first, I wondered if the Stacking Train was ever going to entertain my son. You see the cars slide off the linking dowels, if pushed down too hard. Well, at least when traveling on carpet, which is the main playing surface in our home. What's more, the order in which the blocks stack onto the cars is essential for movement. The blocks don't have to stack in perfect order, but certain blocks must be stacked in the appropriate places, otherwise the wheels cannot rotate. My husband and I noticed how aggravated Will became when he first started playing with the Stacking Train; thus, we intervened as the toy frustrated him so. Once he became familiar with the puzzle, (2 weeks later) he began to enjoy playing with it. The Stacking Train soon became a favorite, and now, 7-months later, it still amuses him for 30 minutes or more a day.

I have found that sometimes the age recommendation on toys is not always accurate. This plaything is appropriately labeled for 2 and up, and will probably continue to entertain my son for another 6 months or more. As a side note, the stacking order is quite complex for little minds. Although this does not take away from the fun-factor, it can add to the level of frustration. This mommy had to go on-line to see the stacking sequence so she could teach her son.

The Stacking Train is a well-built puzzle! It has been tossed around, stepped on, and even chewed upon, yet keeps on rolling. There are NO sharp edges on this toy, but we have had a few minor mishaps when my son, who plays rough, has pulled the dowels off the cars. We glued them back with wood glue, and the following day this choo choo is back to rolling around on the floor. Recently, my son lost one of the blue dowels, which links the cars together. I called the customer service number, found on the bottom of the toy, and the company replaced the entire train for nothing. Now that's excellent customer service! Overall, I recommend the Stacking Train as it's engaged my son for hours on end, plus the educational values are significant.

Other Points of Interest:
· No batteries required
· There are NO safety concerns with this plaything, i.e. strangling, smothering, cutting, or swallowing
· Gender neutral plaything
· No assembly
· Lifetime guarantee

Happy Playing,
Mary

reaches for train again and again
My child loves this wooden train set.
She started playing with this at 21 months
and still loves it at 24 months.
Great job guys!!!

Great durable toy
My son ended up getting 2 sets of these trains. I can't tell you how much he loves them. The first set he got as a gift last year when he was 10 months old. He got a second set as a gift a month ago (at 20 mos) and we were going to return it, but he became so excited when he saw them, we let him keep it. I am so glad we did, he has combined the trains, can now sort the blocks by color, "parks" the trains and takes them everywhere. Our Parent Teacher Educator commented that he plays really well by himself, ESPECIALLY with the trains. They look simple, but they are great for children to develop imaginitive play.

Brandon loved this toy
I first saw in the store I didn't buy it because the 2 age was older than my 16 month old, but then he played with it at his cousin's house. I couldn't get him to let go!

He loves this train at 17 months, he plays with it everyday, he takes the blocks off and puts them back on. He also is learning his colors.

Great toy! We have quite a lot of Mellisa and Doug products in our house! ... Read more

Reviews (2)

My son loves it
My son loves anything to do with the space program. We got this shuttle for him and he loves it. He "launches" it while watching the Big Space shuttle movie.

Lauch time!!
We have been searching for a shuttle for a year now and are glad to have found this one. The shuttle itself is durable, yet safe enough for my one year old to play with as well as my older two. They love to fly around, dropping off the rocket boosters and the re-landing on the launch pad. The space vehicle and astonauts are an added bonus, even though they do not fit together. As a first shuttle toy, you can't beat it! ... Read more

Editorial Review

Sir Topham Hatt and his equally robust consort are perky and colorful.Sir Topham Hatt wearshis trademark topper, gray flannels, and a black tailcoat with a rather smart yellow waistcoat; his wifesports a green skirt and a sensible sky blue blouse with lace collar.Their wooden heads sit on top of plasticbodies with movable arms. The legs also move (both together) so that either figure can be seated.Anyrebellious type over the age of 4 is going to find the large Phillips screw in the back of each figure too hardto resist, so early dismemberment is a distinct possibility.But these figures are a lot more lifelike than thetwo-dimensional wooden cutouts that come with many Thomas sets.The box claims they are 3 incheshigh, but they actually measure just under 2.5 inches. --Richard Farr ... Read more

Reviews (1)

The Tophams visits Barbie often
My son Ramsay loves Thomas anything...The Tophams are made very well with moving arms and they can even sit..We have found the Tophams having dinner at the home on Barbie many times..Just shows you how far owning a railroad can take you.... ... Read more

Editorial Review

With all its realistic detailing, you can almost imagine this hard-workingforklift zooming across the warehouse floor. Built with realism and playvalue in mind, the 10-inch-long forklift looks just like the real thing (afront-loading Still R70, to be exact) and is rugged enough for indoor andoutdoor play. German toy-maker Bruder has packed this plastic vehicle with allsorts of realistic features: the lift angles forward and back (for picking upand carrying), a small knob on the side lets kids raise and lower the load, thecab-mounted steering wheel turns the rear wheels left and right, and the wholeseat flips up to expose a detailed diesel engine underneath. The Bruder forkliftcomes with a detachable 3-by-4-inch bin for carrying cargo. --Paul Hughes ... Read more

Reviews (6)

A Favorite!
My 2 1/2 year old LOVES FORKLIFTS, but toy forklifts are very hard to come by. We got this for him for christmas and he loves it so much, he's been sleeping with it every night! It isn't as durable as I'd like, but i explained to him how it was a special toy and he needs to play with it gently, and so far, it's held up nicely.

Bruder breaks 1st day & no refund
Last Christmas we purchased the forklift and 2 other vehicles by Bruder. One arrived with a broken piece and the other 2 broke the first day. I contacted Bruder by email a few days after Christmas. I was told that after 20 days, no returns were accepted. Since I ordered the gifts prior to Christmas, I was out of luck. They never responded any further to my complaints in the quality of their product. Die Cast vehicles have been much more durable. Not only were the products brittle, but moving mechanisms seemed made to crack off so that very quickly the primary function of all the machines was broke.

Fun, but not durable
My 3-year-old son was crazy about watching the fork lifts at Home Depot and was delighted to receive this as a big brother gift when our second child arrived. But alas, as other reviewers have mentioned, it is brittle. The basket was broken into many pieces after being stepped on. The up/down mechanism was too delicate. We still get it out for the second child now and then, but he is too frustrated about the broken parts.

not for rough play
My 3 year old son is crazy about forklifts - so much so that we go to [local store] twice a month just to watch them load and unload lumber. I gave him this for his birthday and he was delighted. It is fantastically detailed and the forks go up and down. I noticed right away however that the plastic is the brittle kind and waited for it to break. As expected, my son was not satisfied just lifting the little crate that comes with the set. No, he tried to lift the sofa, his brother, the refrigerator, etc. (just like a real forklift, Mommy) and broke off the fork assembly. I reattached it with electrical cable ties but now the forks can't move, which has dampened his enthusiasm. Would I buy it again? I don't think so. While the price was lower that other toy forklifts, we would have gotten more play from a more durable toy.

Super Toy
My 2 year old son loves this toy. He can work it easily and it is very durable. ... Read more

Reviews (1)

An absolute MUST for the Thomas lover!
Oh golly, is this set cute!We just received ours and it is just amazing.The three versions of Percy - coal dust Percy and Chocolate Percy are from "Percy's Chocolate Crunch" and Jack Frost Percy is from "Thomas' Snowy Surprise."My little guy just carries these around all day, makes believe all day with them, takes them to bed, you name it.It's just a very cute set.If you're wondering about Jack Frost Percy regarding the icicles, they are made of a soft rubber and are quite bendable so they won't be breaking off and creating a sharp point.I would still pay attention to that age 3 thing though.Grab these trains - you certainly won't be sorry.Very Highly recommend! ... Read more

Reviews (2)

Holds up to 4 boys
I have 4 tractor/truck loving boys ages 2,4,5 and 6 and this truck is still going strong (outside even) after 6 months of abuse, I mean use. We bought several expensive Bruder trucks a couple years ago and they were all in pieces quickly. As far as my boys are concerned trucks are for working in the dirt not inside play. My now 6 yo tried to mix real cement in the now 5 yo's Bruder cement truck which of course did it in. When I saw this Little Tykes truck on the shelf at Walmart last December I knew it was the replacement I'd been searching for at a GREAT price. He loves it and while it is much dirtier now it is all in one piece still. The METAL Tonka's and the Rugged Riggz are the only trucks I allow anymore after all the tears over other trucks.

Little Tikes makes the best trucks...
I can't recommend this truck enough. My son is almost 3 and adores it - his very own working cement mixer! He plays with it every single day. He also loves the 4x4 hauler in the Rugged Rigz. Actually, he loves every toy he owns from Little Tikes. They have great big parts, they come apart but go back together easily for a 3 year old, they have no sharp edges, they have easy working moving parts, and they are lots of fun. As the mother of an active almost-3-year old who ADORES trucks and trains and fire engines, I can tell you that these trucks are big, the wheels are soft (not loud on my hardwood floors!), there are no sharp edges to scrape or scratch my baby, they clean very easily, they are DURABLE (!!!!) and your child will not be able to destroy or mutilate them no matter what torture they put them through! They can go outside or inside. I love Little Tikes toys - they are a Mom's - and a little boys - dream come true. ... Read more

Reviews (5)

Beware: it's die-cast outside but cheap plastic inside!
My wife and I very recently spent a lot of money buying sets and parts of the Wooden Thomas and Friends toys. A blue powered Thomas came in a set and we bought a separate one, the Lady.

The Lady is still playing fine, no problems so far. But the car Thomas went dead after less than three or four days playing. We went back to the Toys R Us store where we bought it and they promptly exchanged it for a powered Percy, since they didn't have a powered Thomas.

My two daughters played very little with the new Percy. I, the father, played more than them. I assembled a circuit and played for some time with the new car, Percy. The next day (one day after getting the new powered car), I was to turn it on again and I found out that the power button was broken. Nobody let it fall. Nobody gave it any mistreatment or misuse. My daughters only play with adult supervision, since it's an very expensive set of toys and we don't want the pieces broken.

So, one day after exchanging a defective Thomas, now I have a defective Percy.

I just wanted to warn that despite the fact that Wooden Thomas and Friends are a nice (and expensive) toy, their so-called die-cast vehicles are cheap plastic inside. They break very easily and you end up with a die-cast toy that simply doesn't work anymore. And I thought that they were supposed to last for years.

Compatible with wood Thomas sets; More durable than plastic
This metal battery operated Percy engine and his metal battery operated companions (Thomas, Lady, etc.) are for use with the wooden track. There are larger plastic battery operated engines that fit both the wooden track and the blue plastic track by Tomy.

This is a great product. Very well-constructed. Very durable. It can be switched on, go forward or backward, and it can be pushed manually--another reviewer complained that it could not be pushed, but it can be pushed.

Purchasing recommendation:
* Wait until appropriate age: Our son started with Thomas when he was 18 months old, but we did not buy any battery engines until he was 3. We wanted for him to use his imagination in pushing and pulling for a while. Now he sometimes sits back and just watches the battery engines, while at other times he pushes them.

* The metal engines are more durable: The metal engines cost more than the larger plastic battery-operated engines, but they are far more durable. They feel solid in the hand. They go both forward and backwards, while the plastic engines only go forward. They pull the wooden cars that your child may already have. They're just a better fit!

Very solid little train
The battery powered Percy is well made and the batteries last forever. I liked that it came by itself rather than with cars, so it was not quite so expensive. The new style buttons are much easier to use than the old slide switch. My kids love all of the Thomas trains. I never realized how much they learned from it, but my 2-3 year olds learned both numbers and colors from Thomas. I can hear them mimicking the videos with voices of trains trying to solve a problem or help each other out. I think the whole Thomas line is great and this is no exception.

Percy has a lot of accidents
My daughter (3 years old) had to get Percy the battery-operated engine. I was trying to limit our engine purchases to just Thomas (battery and wood) himself. What the heck? We'll have two battery engines for our "investment" now. Well, Percy is as cute as a bug in a rug, but he tends to fall off the track at every switch tower, sharp turn, or any gap in the track most likely due to the fact that he only has four wheels (vs. Thomas' six). If he's hauling the other cars, they fall off with him. "Percy's a little accident prone" is what we tell our daughter. She still loves him! Maybe that's the lesson here---you've gotta help the engines get back on the track.

Thomas Delivers
My Grandsons (5 and 2 years) can not get enough of Thomas. They play (together) building a track layout. The oldest examples who things work to the youngest. Wonderful toy for the imagination. The boys get the opportunity to use their creativity. How many toys promote that! ... Read more

Editorial Review

The leading lady of the big screen gem Thomas and the MagicRailroad, Lady is a beautiful magenta-and-gold engine who holds thesecret to the Magic Railroad. She measures a petite 2 inches long andhas exquisite detailing, including a wide-eyed, charming face and hername scripted on the side panels. This high-quality engine is stunningalone, but is also compatible with other wooden railway systems'magnetic train sets. Kids of all ages will love reenacting scenes fromthe movie--or making up all-new adventures. --Melissa Wilson ... Read more

Reviews (7)

After Two years of use it's time for another one
I was really disapointed when I found my Lady's paint chipped off in most places. We need a new one now and that's a bummer becase I have at least 70 thomas trains and most of them survived pretty well .

For 18 months to 8 years: Be prepared to buy them all!
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.

The only problem--if you can call it that--is that you can't just buy one! Your kids will want more and more. These are the most played with toys our son has. The characters are his friends, and we tell stories with Thomas, James, Gordon, and the rest of the gang.

Lady only appears in the Thomas and the Magic Railroad movie. But she is an important character, and the kids adore her. My own three-year old son was so overcome with excitement at the sight of Lady that for a long time he couldn't watch her when she first appeared on-screen and wouldn't play with her when we initially bought him this toy. She is magical, and kids pick up on that. THIS IS AN ESSENTIAL PIECE IF YOUR CHILD HAS SEEN THE THOMAS AND THE MAGIC RAILROAD MOVIE. Note that durability is an issue: the smokestack is very thin at the bottom and can easily snap off.

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.

Good, but not what I expected
When I ordered this item, it was listed at $.... When I received the item in the mail, it was listed at $..., not what was shown on the website. Also, I thought this would be a metal piece, like the Thomas we already have, instead it is wooden.

Very Enjoyable
My kidssimply love this train. It is definatly cool how the magnet on it's front and back sides can link it to other trains, and my kids are just obsessed with doing so. Also, it is very durable.

This toy is a must!

Great for the little sister!
My son has an extensive thomas collection and his little sister is always "messing things up". It was his idea to buy this for her for Christmas. Now when she goes into his room to mess up his track, he gets out lady, builds her a simple circle track and lets her play with her own train next to him. It has worked like a charm....no more "mom, she's tearing up my tracks"! ... Read more

Editorial Review

This complete, self-contained electric train system, featuresenough "Power Loc" track to create a figure-eight layout over 7 feetlong by over 3 feet wide. There's a realistic Union Pacific locomotivewith a working headlight, six assorted carriages or wagons, a bridge, acrossing, and stacks of signs, people, animals, and other accessories.The included power pack has a speed/forward/reverse control. Alsoincluded is a substantial booklet of tips for creating and maintainingrealistic model train layouts. --Richard Farr ... Read more

Reviews (4)

Can Be Sold Less Exspensive
Lifelike Trains are good sturdy trains (...). I bought a Lifelike train set for 9 bucks at my local Albertsons. The tracks are great as long as they're on a flat surface. The engines that come with each set are rather unstable but the best thing about train sets all together is that you can always add on and on. So I recommend buying another engine (...). Oh, and after time buy a new transformer.

In the model railroad world you get what you pay for and it varies on how serious you are or it's something to keep the kids entertained.

To make a long story short. These trains are best for starting out but the prices can be brought down a bit.

We were disappointed......
I purchased this train set for my son for Christmas. The details on the cars, tracks and extras were beautiful and the quality of the set as a whole was great! But....it was SO frustrating to operate. You have to have the cars lined up EXACTLY on the track to make them move. When my husband was having trouble lining up the two sets of wheels on one car to get it to go, I knew we were in trouble. When we finally had things moving, we added a few cars - they fell off around the corners going only at medium speed. Great quality, Poor performance is my rating.

Christmas morning disappointment
I purchased this train for my two sons who wanted nothing else but an electic train set for Christmas. What a disappointment. The lifts for the track do not securely fit into the underside of the tracks which results in the lifts slipping out from under the track and the train falling off the tracks. After attempting to rig up a way to secure the track, we set up the train. The engine arrived broken. The electrical component was loose and was sticking outside of the train. We had to fix the train before we could use it. Each time the boys want to use the train, we have to spend much time rigging it in such a way so it will run. Once we get it going, we're lucky to get the train around the track one time without it falling off. I would NOT reccomend this train set.

best
one of the best train sets i have. it dosen't fall off the track or unhitch it's self or stops moving. ... Read more

Reviews (4)

Get's stuck
My son loves watching the trains come crashing through the tunnel trap door. But the smoke stack on the trains gets stuck in the small hole in the door. I taped a piece of brown construction paper on the inside of the door to fix the problem.

What a fun addition!
My Dad is helping us build up our sons' Thomas train set (everything is so expensive!), and he bought the Quarry Mine Tunnel for the boys last week. So far, it is the accessory they love the most. Comes with the quarry itself and an angled track that slips right into the regular flat pieces. There is also a hatch that opens up when the trains run through. So far, it's pretty durable (and believe me, it's already taken a beating!). A great addition.

A tunnel of fun!
My son has almost every bridge and tunnel made by Thomas, and this one rates among his favorite. He calls it the "spooky tunnel" and belly laughs each time the trains come shooting out the trap door. It is also a goof financial value since it does not cost any more than the basic ones. The only time we have had a problem with trains getting stuck is when we tried to use it with non-Thomas tracks (we have a few from the set out table came with). But with the Thomas tracks, it works fine. Just be warned that you can't back trains in through the door because it only opens one way.

Cute with bad human factors
My daughter chose this as the latest addition to her Thomas collection. However, we found that most of the trains get stuck when going through the tunnel. The smoke stacks stick in the small hole in the door. I managed to fix this for most trains by putting a large piece of tape on the inside of the door. However, it is still disappointing that it does not function flawlessly ... Read more

Editorial Review

Hot Wheels cars and LEGO-style building toys come together in the innovative and challenging Tech Trax series. And that's not all that comes together in this particular set -- the cars do too, spinning around the track before inevitably smashing together in the special "crash chamber". A special motorized power booster intensifies the action while adjustable scaffolding lets you customize the elevation of the setup. Tech Trax are designed to be modular, allowing kids to create the prescribed track set by following the included directions as well as engendering creativity by creating endless possibilities of track configurations limited only by imagination. All Tech Trax items are compatible with this set so entire networks can eventually be constructed. --Charlie Williams ... Read more

Reviews (1)

Fun Tractor
My 4 year old son got this toy for Christmas, and has not stopped playing with it since. It is very durable and has very bright colors. I have not seen another tractor colored like this before. He and his twin brother love scooping up dirt with it. This would be a terrific toy for any little boy who loves tractors!! ... Read more

Reviews (4)

Great drum for your little drummer boy....
We bought this drum for our (now) 3 1/2 year old son about a year ago. He LOVED it!!! He played it every day, but after awhile, the drum head got a lot of little dents in it and it eventually just caved in. But, a year's worth of fun and music is well worth (...)

Super cute, super fun!
We bought this for our 2 1/2 year old Thomas fan. It's really cute and rather reasonably priced. My son loves to bang on his drum, and dance around the living room. He plays it quite often and we've had it for about 6 months, so far we've had absolutely NO problems with the drum falling apart or getting dented up like some of the other reviews have mentioned. Bottom line: great toy for any music/Thomas fan.

Great drum
This is a great drum! It hangs comfortably around the neck of the child & comes with two drumsticks. It has a good tone for a toy drum, and so far it has held up well (6 months) having one small dent on the side. My son plays with it often. Buy the book, "hands, hands, finges thumb" to go with it and your child will be charmed. I will read the book aloud and my son will beat his drum to the rhythm of the story.

almost a great toy
The look of this drum is wonderful, and it is a lot of fun. My son loved to put the strap around his neck and march in his parade. The drum looks like an heirloom toy, but ours will never become one. It completely fell apart (it was not abused) and we were unable to reassemble it. ... Read more

Reviews (11)

Don't Waste Your Time Or Your Money
The battery position makes this plane "nose heavy " and ours never did get off the ground. In addition, the small nuts which hold the rear landing gear loosen up due to the vibration which could lead to losing the wheel. As "first time" R/C enthusiasts, we were very disappointed by the performance of this plane.

2 channels are not enough!
Easy enough to fly and do so in a VERY large field on a very calm day.

Turns done at low altitude readily lead to spins and crashes

Controls let you climb with motor power and make left and right turns that readily turn into spins.

I have crashed plenty as a part of my learning and now I want at least a 3 channel and preferably a 4 channel plane

Lack of proportional controls means turns are done with small corrective left rights otherwise it is spin and crash city.

Thick clear packing tape repairs most of the damage done on the foam wings and tail

Funb Plane
My brother got the Outlaw,but it doesnt fly! Mine did and it was windy also. His flew away mine didnt

Good for beginners
This is my first radio controll ariplane and it was really easy. It took me a few times to get the hang of it but it actually flies for a long time unlike other ones I've had that don't even fly at all! After you use the battery a few times it actually lasts longer. It takes off from the ground which is cool but hand launching is alot easier.

So Easy!
This was my first time ever trying to fly a radio control airplane. I have seen other people doing it and I thought it would be very hard but I tossed it into the air and it flew right up! It is very easy to control. I crash landed a few times but it still flies great! This plane is so much fun! ... Read more

Reviews (15)

Pull Along Thomas is a great toy.
Pull Along Thomas is an adorable toy. By pullling the string, Thomas, Annie and Clarabelle, chug along after your child. You can even turn the sound off if you need a little more quiet. Your child can walk slowly, or race around the house and Thomas, Annie and Clarabelle will follow bouncing along after him/her. The realistic train motion and sound effects helps your child to use his/her imagination while playing with the toy. This is a very durable toy, and will provide lots of fun for any child.

It's Cute, But LOUD
This is a nice little train, although, it does tend to fall over a lot. When you pull the string it makes a chugging train sound then a loud horn noise. It's really really loud and scared my son the first few times. But now he seems to like the noise and occasionally dances to it, stangely enough. But for me, it's annoying. Thankfully there's an on/off switch. I would suggest this toy to die hard Thomas fans only.

The perfect gift for my 2 yr. old nephew
I recently purchased this item for my newphew's second birthday. He pulled it around the room for a full two days after receiving it! My sister says it keeps him busy and out of her hair.
When there is tension on the pull-string (leash), it plays a two-second clip of train noise over and over. It's not very loud, though, since the speaker is on the underside of the train and is aimed straight at the carpet.
The cars wiggle front-to-back, not side-to-side, and the cars are wide, so it doesn't tip over easily. Even when it does tip over, the cars are big and square, so the little guy can fix them on his own.
Even his five-year-old brother loves this one. It's a hit!

A great TOY
I have a cusion and he loved this toy. I cant tell ya'll how much that he loves it because everymorning he wants it and nothing else it is a great toy to have.

Doesn't stay upright
My 1 year old got this toy for his birthday in May and he would probably play with it if the toy wasn't so frustrating! The train will not stay upright for more than a few steps - carpet or floor it doesn't matter - the train will fall over on its side. Also, for the parents the sound can get VERY annoying in a short period of time. Even if your child loves Thomas, save your money and buy something else. ... Read more