Reviews (7)

Caleb loves it
My son (3 yo) has had this for about 8 months now and still loves it. Whenever his friends come over to play, they all inevitably end up inside the toy and take other toys in to play with. It is fairly durable and has been fought over and pulled from room to room many times. If your child loves Thomas, this is a good (if fairly large) toy to have.

Kids LOVE it!
I have not had the bad experience as the customers below. My son got it a year ago when he turned 3 and my daughter was 1 and they both love it. So does the kids that come over to play. Now a year later and they still love it, also it's still in great shape. I am now getting it for a friends son. I find that it's easy to fold up, although the kids don't leave it like that very long.

This tent is AWESOME!!!
My husband and I ordered this for my daughter's 2nd birthday. Let's just say she doesn't come out of it much. She Loves It!!! It is so cute and worth every penny. She has gotten so many hours of enjoyment out of it. She likes to take her books and her Thomas trains in there as well. If your child loves Thomas, they will love the tent.

HIGHLY DISAPPOINTED
I bought this for my 14-month old because he likes to crawl under tables, chairs, etc. I couldn't believe my eyes when I opened it - what a piece of GARBAGE!!! It is made of some paper-like product (like a Bounty paper towel) and it smells horrible. My son had ink all over his fingers after playing in it for just a few minutes. I am definitely returning this item. How annoying that the material of this product is nowhere to be found on the box or in the online description.

confusing
My 2 year old son got this for a gift, he loves it, but it falls over very easliy, and I spent half the time standing it back up, also the directions on how to fold it and put it back in the bag are not very clear, ... Read more

Reviews (13)

Expensive, but great quality
I was really torn over whether this table justified it's price; especially since it doesn't include the play top, which you have to buy seperately. Despite the price, I do have to say, I'm very happy with the quality of the product.

When the table arrived the box was dinged, but thankfully the contents inside were well packed with styrofoam and cardboard protecting each piece.

The wood is high quality with easy to connect fastners. Very stable. The train images on the side of the table and on the legs are great. They weren't stickers, but actually some kind of high quality painted image that has a very durable finish on it. Some of the train images even have a full plastic face piece for Thomas and each of his friends.

The table is well designed for a toddler's height and the allows them to reach to the center.

Needless to say my 2 year old son loves it! He wakes up in the morning, says choo choo and runs out to go play at the table.

Not a sturdy table
My sister in law bought this table for her 2 yr old son for Xmas....it is way overpriced for what it is....i wanted to buy one for our sons but could not see spending that much money on such a cheap table. So my husband ended up buying plans to build your own train table and built our sons their own with built in drawers and (...) and it is way nicer and sturdier than the Thomas one. Yes they can all stand on it...! We painted it in Thomas colors and decorated it and it is the nicest looking table i have ever seen and all the kids love it!!!! you can build one in about 8 hrs or so....worth it!!! this will be handed down to the next generations...

Substitute for the table/frame/
We admired the table for really long time and saw that it's worth spending money but decided to figure out smth cheaper. So we painted our old coffee table almost the same Thomas blue color and attached the board to it. Our 2year son loves it and doesn't really care if it's the same table/frame/or not. We spray painted the table and hope it will work for a long while.

AWESOME TABLE!
Toys r us had a super deal where you buy the table and get the top free. With the price being so high, we feel we got a GREAT deal. My son loves this table. We got for him for his 2nd birthday. It was simple to put together and is so durable. Not like the other cheap pine/particle board tables you see. The graphics are so bright and my son is always pointing to the sides and saying choo choo. Great investment.

Expensive - but worth the money for it's durability
I umm and aahh about spending this sort of money on a train table for my children but after doing my homework I decided this is the one I would buy.

Other train tables I have seen in stores are often wonky and seem quite unstable - and this is after they've been played on in the stores. So after seeing poorer quality tables for similar prices I decided to save up for the Thomas branded one (also bought the one-sided play table board to go with it).

Yes, it's expensive, but as with all any "brand", it's the name you are paying for. If you want a Thomas collection of trains and accessories you are going to have to pay. I'm just starting our collection and am buying the "Thomas" trains and buildings, but found a compatible generic track for less than half the price. I was lucky enough to get this table at almost half price at a after Christmas sale. It's worth waiting for sales and price comparing.

Having said all that - we have found the table to be excellent. It's at the right height for all our children (4, 3 and 1 year old) and me when I'm sitting on the floor playing with them. There is also plenty of room underneath to have some good sized storage containers for all your pieces of train track and other accessories.

The table frame is packed very well to protect the 3D train faces that are on two sides of the table. It's beautifully painted and when it's put together is extremely strong (although I wouldn't recommend standing on it).

Now that we have this table I no longer have to nag the kids about getting their train tracks off the lounge room floor, they can leave their "town" up for days until they want to change it. We also have a great table for their other car/train sets, or Little People towns or Duplo Creations.

It's up to you to spend to decide if you want to spend this sort of money but I see this as something I won't ever have to replace and it's something my son can keep for his children. Toys like this will last! ... Read more

Reviews (4)

Nice picture making for an easier puzzle
My 2 year old daughter has this puzzle and thinks its wonderful.

Unlike many puzzles, with just one character on it, the picture is brilliant having lots of different trains, etc on it. It is easy to fit togehter, with parts of a different character or scene on every piece. She can easily put Thomas, the sheds, Harold, etc together thus eventually making the whole puzzle.

This is by far her favourite puzzle. For one, it's Thomas! And for 2, it's well-made and 'easy' to work out how to put together.

Most Beloved Toy
My son who just turned 4 years old in December received this for Christmas. I'm amazed at the beauty and durability of the pieces. He put it together about three times (with help) the first time we opened it! I never seen him so excited about a toy and to my greater surprise--a puzzle! Each time he placed a new piece in (sometimes with my assistance and sometimes not), he'd ask me to turn around and then ask me to look. When I looked I praised him for his accomplishment and he squealed with excitement. He literally jumped up and down almost after each piece was placed! He told me this was his favorite gift for Christmas and believe me he had quite a few more that were more expensive. I'll be buying more Thomas puzzles from this company in the near future as I'm very impressed.

Easy enough for young kids to solve by themselves
My son and I have been doing puzzles together since he was two, but most of the puzzles that claim to be for kids are too complicated or have pieces that are a little too small for him to work with; so he usually "helps" me by talking with me as I do the puzzle and occasionally placing a piece. He likes this big Thomas puzzle because, at age 4, he can do it all by himself. The pieces are big, which not only makes it easier to grasp and manipulate, but easier to comprehend the shape and the picture pattern as well. Of course, he likes that it is Thomas, and he even likes the "cool" box it comes in.

So this puzzle has a lot of replay value, because whenever we start a puzzle session, he will eventually move to this one to show mommy and me that he can do it all by himself, and that makes him feel good.

Big, bright puzzle
My son has enjoyed this puzzle since he was 3! It features a bright picture of his favorite engines. The pieces are large and easy to handle- perfect for a younger child who loves puzzles. It has been great for spacial learning. My son would put this together, again and again. He is almost 5 now and still plays with this. The pieces have lasted for almost 2 years and still look new! (They are a heavy cardboard.) ... Read more

Reviews (4)

Cool but I only wanted the construction cars
What I meant by my title is that I already had Rusty and I just wanted the Construction Cars. The cars sway from side to side and they can survive a lot of damage. I was suprised at how durable these were. The sets are a lot of fun because you don't need any additional things to go with it for immediate fun. These toys are really good for a car trip to keep a child busy when they are bored. I would higly recommend getting this set but don't buy Rusty first.

Rusty is good
Rusty is great. i got him as a present for christmas one year he has 3 cars - rusty a dumper and a cement mixer you can use him with cranky or anything with a magnet. he is also in some episodes on a video.

Rusty & Construction Cars!!
The Thomas & Friends wooden railroad gives you Rusty and 2 Construction Cars. This set provides hours of fun for your children because they can use this set to recreate stories about Rusty and his construction fun. Its educational value shows children how man-made things are built and they will probably use this set with thier Lincoln Logs and other construction kits. This is also a very sturdy set, but sometimes the mixer's top will come off and will need a frequent fix-up! Other than that, it's a wonderful set and a great gift idea!

Great addition to Thomas collection
If your child likes thomas the tank, they will love this little set. My son is crazy about it. He makes little construction sites out of his lincoln logs along his track and then delivers the necessary supplies for building with these trains. What fun! ... Read more

Editorial Review

After longs days of travel and adventure, Thomas the Tank Engine and friends need a place to rest. The Roundhouse is built in exactly the same way as it was when part of the British Railway, solidly constructed in wood and decorated with brick decals. Five trains fit inside the wooden train shelter, and the green plastic doors open and close. It connects to any of the Clickity-Clack Tracks from the Thomas Wooden Railway System with a five-way switch track. There are almost as many pieces to this line of train sets (sold separately) as there are books in the Thomas the Tank Engine series--all contained in carrying cases. All of these toys allow children to engage in imaginative, thoughtful play. --Lynne Sampson ... Read more

Reviews (11)

Excellent, durable, fun
As an avid Thomas fan, my son (4) loves this roundhouse. For the unenlightened, this is the house where the trains "sleep." It is durable and easy to put together and immediately adds to the complexity and fun of any track combination. It allows my son to engage more easily into pretend play, as he can put differnt trains back to the roundhouse to take a rest while he plays with others. The only minus of this building is its size--it is quite big and cannot be put apart. But again, as all the Learning Curve Thomas series toys, it is durable (wood), fun, easy to put together and a long term favorite.

Fantasic but Pricey!
When I ordered the roundhouse I believed that the red 5-way switch track was also included, especially when it is pictured on the box, but was disappointed to find that it wasn't. As my 4 year old son believes, as I am sure most do, that this is a very necessary piece of the building he will have to wait until his birthday to receive it (...). A little upsetting.
Apart from this one thing the Roundhouse is a fantastic piece to have on any Thomas layout, my son loves it and plays with it for hours.

ROUNDHOUSE FUN!!!!!
This is a fun piece. You can put your trains to sleep behind 5 different doors (the Special Engine Shed only has room for one train). It is fun to open and close the doors. You can play hide and seek!

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.

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. BUT I HAVE YET TO MEET KIDS THAT LOVE THOMAS THAT DIDN'T WANT A ROUNDHOUSE.

This is the 'official' Thomas roundhouse, but it is very expensive. YOU PROBABLY CAN FIND A GENERIC ROUNDHOUSE FOR A LOT LESS (MAYBE EVEN 2/3 LESS!) WITH A LITTLE LOOKING.

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.

* Only buy the official accessories (buildings, tables, etc.) if you cannot find generic substitutes for less or cannot make them yourself.

Comes as Shown in the Picture
My kids absolutely love playing with this, and we had no issues with missing parts. The biggest issue with it is the cost. Face it, it's a lot of money. However, if your kids are beginning to get into Thomas, then you're better off buying this than buying more and more of the trains. You can easily spend the same buying four or five of the lesser known trains, but I think that your children will have more fun with this.

I also looked at the Roundhouse by Brio. The Learning Curve Roundhose is less expensive and it is very solid. The Brio Roundhouse has doors at the back of the Roundhose whereas this is open. My children don't mind one bit that it is open in the back. ... Read more

Editorial Review

While Thomas the Tank Engine and his various friends have been featured quite nicely in a variety of toys, games, stories, videos, books, and pajamas, it's as a train set that Thomas really makes the most sense. And this sprawling ensemble is certain to delight any Thomas fan. Measuring 62 by 90 inches when laid out in full, it features Thomas and several of his pals including Percy, Harold, Annie and Clarabel, Terrence, Trevor, and Cranky, all of whom are motorized. Tunnels, bridges, and houses add to the authenticity of the set as do three engine sheds positioned around a large turntable with directional switch. 26 pieces of road let you arrange the town according to the prescribed plan or design your own unique layout. --Charlie Williams ... Read more

Editorial Review

Toot-toot! All aboard for lunch with the very functional Thomas the Tanklunch box, which is made of durable plastic and comes in the traditional Thomasblue with a red handle. Inside the generous container are an 11.5-ounce canteenand a Pecoware double-deck sandwich container, which measures 5 by 5 by 3inches. Both are adorned with Thomas scenes. On the front of the lunch box is anifty front panel--decorated with another happy Thomas scene--that clips open.This compartment is big enough to accommodate another sandwich or is the perfecthiding place to tuck away a secret goodie for your child. Press a button on theside of the canteen, and the cover pops up, revealing a straw. No muss, no fuss.The lunch box measures 9 by 7 by 4.5 inches and can hold a lot of food--forchildren or adults! --Diane Tuman ... Read more

Reviews (5)

Most Adorable Lunchbox
This Thomas Train Lunchbox is GREAT! My three year old son was so excited when he saw it for the first time. It is spacious and well constructed. The compartments are large and there are multiple options for use with each piece. The kids (ages 3-5) in his preschool class went crazy when he brought it to school. It is a one of a kind.

Retro cool
I gave this 5 stars for fun, because my son loved it from day one, and would not leave the store without it. He played with it for days while we waited for school to reopen after Christmas.

I rated it 5 stars for educational value, because it made him want to go to school, which is a significant educational achievement indeed.

Unfortunately, I had to mark it down, because the water bottle is already broken at the point where the button to press it open meets the cap. Also, the straw is hard to clean, especially after a young child eats a cheesy snack and nibbles on the straw.
Lastly, the front compartment is very difficult to open, especially for a young child, so you end up not using that section at all.

Other than these, it's tough, it's cute, and it's a retro look that parents remember all too well. Substitute another bottle, and enjoy.

now in its fifth year of use and still going strong!
This is THE lunchbox to get! My six year old son received this as a gift for his first birthday. I didn't think much of it at the time. HA! Little did I know how much we would use this durable and practical lunch box set! I can pack his lunch everyday without one piece of plastic wrap or one plastic baggie! A sandwich fits perfectly in the tray provided and stays fresh and soft until lunch time! Under the sandwich I pack fruit, pretzels or other snacks....again without any plastic wrap or baggy! I LOVE THIS PRODUCT!!!

Cute item for your Thomas fan, but...
A friend of mine bought this lunchbox for my son and he loved it as soon as he got it. He's 4 and not in kindergarten yet, so this only gets used from time to time when we go out to lunch, etc. It can also be used to carry along small toys, trains, or whatever. Another reviewer has said hers cracked after it was dropped. I can't really comment too much on that since ours hasn't been dropped (yet). The lunchbox is pretty roomy on the inside and even has a side compartment too! There's a snack box inside with a little tray which basically divides it into two compartments. I usually put a sandwich on top and put other things underneath. The biggest problem with the whole set is the cup that comes with it. It is really cute, but leaks into the lunchbox frequently and is a MAJOR PAIN to clean. There's a little spring loaded straw that pops up when you open the top, and goes back down when you close it. You basically have to disassemble these parts each time you clean it and let them dry, then put the whole thing back together again. I think they could've included a simple thermos or something that would have been much easier to use and clean. My son loves the design of the box, so I would recommend this lunchbox. However, I would leave the cup at home and throw in a juice box or something instead!!

The Thomas Lunch Box
My 3 year old son has this lunchbox and he dropped it and it cracked. It's not very durable. Also, it has a compartment for an ice pack, but didn't come with one. It is very difficult to find an ice pack for the size of the compartment. On a good note, he loves the drinking cup and snack box. ... Read more

Editorial Review

James the Red Engine is one of the Thomas the Tank Engine series of train cars and is made of real wood. James has a cheery, smiling face on the front of the engine, promising an adventure as soon as the train leaves the station. James the Red Engine pulls his own coal car, so he won't run out of fuel. The cars attach to each other with magnets. This is a toy that encourages imaginative play and requires no batteries. Engine with attached coal car measures 5.75 inches in length. --Margaret Quinn ... Read more

Reviews (11)

Better than Thomas
Although my 3 year old loves Thomas on TV, for some reason he loves the James toy more than the Thomas one. The coal car is a big deal to him. His 18 month old brother loves it too. These toys withstand two boys playing with them better than any other I can find. I bought the tracks & engine at Christmas & they still play with it EVERY day!

Hooray for James
James does a great job pulling the coaches along the track. He can pull pretty much anything at a fast pace. I've had my Jame sfor 9 years and it looks almost new. He's a great engine and you can live the episodes with these trains.

Grandma's Magic Accident
I purchased Thomas the engine without realizing that it was not battery operated. I gave it to my 2 year old grandson for his birthday because I had nothing else to give, and the twinkle in his eyes let me know I had hit upon a winner. The adventures for Thomas and his friends have not ended. I have since purchsed, Skarloey, Ben & Bill, Douglas, Percy, Toby and Bertie. The adventures just don't seem to end for my grandson. He plays with this toy for hours. His vocabulary has increased at the same pace as his adventures. The fact that this is not battery operated is the joy of the toy. I need not turn on the television to keep him occupied, he has Thomas and his many friends and that is good enough for me.

JAMES IS GREAT!!!!!!!!
James is one of my favorite engines he is a big engine and the same length as duke edward and mike and he is in a lot of stories like james goes buzz buzz.

Best Investment I Have Ever Made
My 2 year old son loves his James. He likes him best because of the bright red color. His Thomas the Tank train set is the only toy he plays with period and he plays with it everyday. Other than Thomas Trains, he plays outside. When we have guests, he takes them all to play with his train set. To any first time buyer of Thomas trains you will notice the prices seem high for a toy of this size but you have to remember that these toys are not plastic but are made of solid maple and have a lifetime warranty. People have asked me why I buy these trains when they most of the set is not battery powered. The reason is because it has been my experience that children get pretty bored just watching a train go around a track. With Thomas the Tank Trains your little loved one gets to actually participate by moving the trains. All the trains have different colors, numbers and names which help promote memory skills and recognition while having fun. The Thomas Tank Engine books and DVD's teach lessons and morals on hard work, kindness, accepting responsibility, etc, etc, etc...... As your child ages they can begin to build their own track layouts so the toy grows with them. The makers of this series have also included items in the series that are good for people with a tighter budget. If your child likes the trains but you can't buy a full track set, you can always buy a play mat that has track printed on them or you can get Thomas the Tank engine felt boards and stick-ups. I hope this review helps!!!!!!! ... Read more

Editorial Review

Gordon is a long, blue express locomotive who supplies water for Thomas and tows a coal tender.

Based on the award-winning PBS television series Shining Time Station by the Rev. W. Awdry, the Thomas the Tank train system is the perfect child's train set. Each wooden vehicle has a different name, character, and face. The magnetic bumpers make linking up easy. Friendly characters will engage your child in hours of imaginary play. Designed to support your child's development, the system encourages the use of new motor and cognitive skills. --Sandy Hirsch ... Read more

Reviews (9)

Gordon sure can pull a lot of coaches at once
When my sister plays express with Gordon and all the coaches she sometimes has a hard time pulling them. Then when I help her I realize how many coaches Gordon can pull. It amazes me how strong gordon really is. Like all Thomas trains the magnet is very durable and it can be used for hours of use.

Express Engines
Gordon is a big express engine who is fast. He is the same size as He is in some story stops like Gordon takes a dip and Henry and the elephant. He has a tender with the number 4 on it.

Perfect
This huge toy is loved by many; you can roll it around, make a train, play games, and lots of other stuff with it.

Also, it is very durable.

This toy is great!

Here Comes the Express!!
Gordon is the large express engine. He's bigger than the other Thomas the Tank Engine toys. His bright blue paint and smiling face make him a joy to play with. My son just recently got Gordon, and he has quickly become one of his favorites. He likes to attach all of his other cars to Gordon and have him pull them. As with other trains in this family, Gordon is strong and durable and will provide hours of fun, interactive play. Pick Gordon up today for your child; they will thank you for it.

Great toys from a wonderful set of stories.
My 2 1/2 year old son loves the Thomas and Friends trains (and all trains in general). He received a starter set for his second birthday, and since then I've added a number of track expansions, cars, buildings, and a couple of storage boxes to his set. He now has so much that we've filled a large Rubbermaid plastic storage box. His train set is easily his favorite toy; his large collection of "Little People" toys from Fisher-Price are now a distant second.

They have been very durable, surviving many accidental falls off the coffee table in our living room, (now officially the "Train Table"), suffering only a few minor dings and some chips in the paint. (I reduced my rating for durability by a star because of the tendency of the paint to chip from a fall, but we have a hardwood floor, however a vinyl floor, and certainly a carpet, may not cause this.) Even with my son's vigorous, energetic play, not one car, or piece of track has broken in almost two years now of frequent play. The only exception to this is our "Wellsworth Station", where the internal mechanism that moves the passenger and sets the stop sign finally failed, although this was due to my son's zealous pounding on the tower of the station which engages the mechanism. The tracks and buildings are solid wood, very durable, and seem like they will last for years. With the exception of this one failure, all of the parts have been exceptionally durable.

These toys have been wonderful for my son, helping his imagination and creativity, his learning to sequence and order things, the properties of objects as he puts pieces of track together, and using numbers in learning the characters and building trains for playing out his ideas. Many of the buildings have a mechanical action feature that indirectly teaches him about mechanics and physics, such as when he plays with the turntable, Cranky the Crane, or the Coal loader.

We have the new 'improved' track with rails on one side and road on the other, allowing us many options in building tracks and roads for play. We cover our table with a large piece of brown felt, and use other small pieces of different shapes and colors to add roads, fields and crops, mountains, lakes, and rivers to our scenarios. This adds a great deal of extra depth and possibilities to our play, and more opportunities for imagination, creativity, and learning. Playing out scenarios from the stories and inventing our own has provided us many, many hours of quality time together as Dad and son. I feel good knowing that I'm buying good quality toys for him that will last and provide a constructive and positive learning environment, rather than the typical lousy and cheap plastic action figures that glorify conflict and violence. I especially like it when we play out scenarios from the stories that have morals about cooperation, friendship, responsibility, and hard work, etc.

I would not recommend these toys for a child less than 2 years of age as they require more developmental ability than even an older infant possesses, but they are perfect for toddlers. The individual toys and buildings themselves have age ratings on them, varying between 2 to 3+ years, making it easy to pick ones appropriate for your child, and allowing the toy to grow and expand as your child does. As my son has developed new skills and abilities, I've been able to increase the complexity of the layouts we build, and in the choices I make in what new items to add to his set. From my experience with my son, even a small Thomas set and a little bit of imagination will go a long way with a child, and provide hours of good wholesome fun. ... Read more

Reviews (1)

Every Fireman needs a Station
I purchased this Thomas Fire Station for my son last Christmas (age 5). He loves all his Thomas the train items and this Fire Station was icing on the cake for my little fireman. He enjoys setting up the track with his Fire Station. As his other engines/trains circle the track a fire surpisingly occurs, than here comes the Fire Engines to put out the fire. This is a must have accessory to add to your set, if you little man loves being a Fireman. At age 6 he is looking forward to Christams and adding more accessories/builings/track/engines to add to his collection. ... Read more

Reviews (2)

Holds up to daily playtime!
Santa brought this set for my 3 year old son last Christmas and he has played with it everyday since. With daily use, this wooden set is holding up to his rough play. His favorite piece is Cranky the Crane. It's easy to add onto as we have added the hospital and another bridge. We purchased a Nilo table to put the train on so it will stay together. Well worth the money!

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 is a nice layout that provides far more track than the usual figure 8 layout that gets purchased first. 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. ... Read more

Editorial Review

Kindhearted but noisy, Harold the Helicopter likes to drop in on the Island of Sodor to visit his railway friends. This 4-inch sturdy wood helicopter is white with a sleek red racing stripe above his name. With a rotating propeller and plastic landing pontoons, Harold is ready for action. Based on the popular Thomas the Tank Engine series by Reverend W. Awdry and the PBS television show Shining Time Station, this flying fellow is part of the much-loved wooden railway system, which is compatible with other magnetic train sets. You can reenact all the exciting stories in the series or make up new ones. Thomas fans won't want to miss out on any of these fun, well-built railway characters. --Emilie Coulter ... Read more

Reviews (12)

Lots of fun, but easily broken
My 3 year old son did chores around the house to buy this toy himself. We were very disappointed when one of the rotors broke off within a month. I was with him when it broke. He was not doing anything rough with it. He didn't even drop it. We did not realize there was a guarantee. We've glued it back together at least 10 times. I don't know if that voids the guarantee or not.

Otherwise, it is a great toy. My son carries it all over the place. He says it is his favorite.

I guess the older propellers work better
I've noticed a bunch of complaints regarding the proplellers on Harold the Helicopter. My Harold is over eight years old and it still has his propellers in fine working order. My problem with Harold is the fact that there's not much to do with him. The new hospital track gives him a place to land but he gets boring quickly. Still a good buy though.

love it!
My son has this toy. He loves it. The plastic rotors keep breaking off,(we are on our 3rd Harold and have to get a 4th now.) I have had a hard time trying to find out who to contact for replacement now that the company has switched hands.

Harold's propellers break easily
I have a normal active three year old boy, who loves his Harold. However, the propellers are made of a hard plastic that snap if they are stepped on or smacked around - hard to avoid with a 3 yr old boy! Thank goodness for the lifetime replacement guarantee - that's why I continue to buy this brand. Harold has been replaced twice - my son thinks he goes to the repair shop! Overall the Thomas wooden train system is incredible, but like any brand, it does have it's glitches.

Great toy but breaks easily
My kids have several Thomas toys from Imaginarium and they LOVE them. This one is the least durable of the bunch. 2 blades have broken off of Harold, so his flying is a little lopsided these days. I think they need to try another approach for the blades. ... Read more

Editorial Review

Watch out for falling rock! Railroad construction ahead!Thomas the Tank Engine and Friends Big Loader will bring out the train conductor in any child. When the big loader is running, use the control buttons on the track to make the train change direction. Itsy-bitsy engineers control whatever it does next. The track includes hoppers, loading docks, and transfer ramps. The motorized chassis fits under Thomas, Percy, and Terrance, the toys' included companions. After parents take a few minutes to read the simple instructions, make sure a 2-by-2-foot space is available for construction. Requires one AA battery for operation. --Andrea Linsky ... Read more

Features

• Thomas, Percy, and Terrence cars included
• Requires at least a 2-by-2-foot space

Reviews (85)

Not very happy
We got this train for our daughters 4th Birthday and when we took it out of the box the main train that pulls the rest was broken. We tried to figure out how it goes together and never did so she has not got a chance to play with it! The box was in great condition so I really do not know how it was in so many pieces when we got it! I am not happy about that, but as far as fun...can't say due to it never working!! I hope others that purchase this toy have better luck that we have had.

GREAT GIFT!!!!
My son received this toy for his 3rd birthday- and it is, by far, his favorite gift. He loves watching the trains do their jobs loading and unloading the "rocks." And, after it goes around the correct way a few times, he likes to switch things up and see what happens if he puts the trains in the wrong places. The parents who are complaining that this is not an interactive toy need to realize that it is interactive if you let your kids try different things with it. It doesn't always have to work in the right order for the toy to be fun. As a matter of fact, by putting things in the wrong order to see what happens, my son gets a great lesson in cause and effect.

Took a while to assemble but IT WORKS!
My son is 2 and a half. I'm a 34-year-old Network Engineer. I had not heard of the original "Big Loader" toy or how it worked, but my son saw the box in the store with Thomas, Percy, and Terence the Bulldozer - and that was it. He was sold. He didn't care what the toy actually did, as long as it had these three characters. So I figured "What the heck" and purchased it.

First off, I will also agree with many of the opinions - the included instruction page (note: singular) needs some more detail. I also had to resort to the box illustrations for help.

However, I *DID* manage with the instructions. I didn't have any problems with the battery compartment, the tracks fit nicely, and the whole track stayed assembled.

The next challenge was to figure out the motorized routine. After about 10 tries, I finally was able to coordinate the motor's direction, orientation, and the train-cover layout to get it all working.

And me and my son just stared at that toy for ten minutes straight. Whenever the train changed from Thomas to Percy, he would giggle. Same for when the bulldozer activates. He does appreciate the "fragility" of the system by telling everyone to "stand-back" while it runs. I also think a lot of it had to do with me having fun with the toy as well. Since I didn't get (too) frustrated with putting it together, he wasn't afraid or put-off by it either.

Tomy also has an even larger kit that adds-on to this one. I might have to save that for another day....

BOTTOM LINE: Not a typical train-set. Takes some effort to construct *AND* operate. Features 3 popular Thomas characters.

He played with it once & all the pieces are everywhere
My mom bought this for my son. It never really ran right, wouldn't stay on the track, & the pellets go everywhere. He would get frustrated & so did I. We put it away the first day & no one ever asked for it again, thank goodness.

Happy with thomas
Our 3 year old son got this track a year ago and hardly played with it because we only let him watch and touch the levers. However, once we stopped worrying about what happened to the toy and let him be hands on, he has played with it nonstop for two weeks. He doesn't even need the train to be turned on, and will push it around manually. It is incredibly durable to deal with his handling, and after the first couple times to figure it out, very easy to put together-he even knows how it works. Great toy! ... Read more

Editorial Review

Thomas the Tank is the signature bright-blue engine in the Thomas the Tank series. He does light yard work and pulls small passenger cars, such as Annie and Clarabel. Based on the award-winning television series Shining Time Station by the Reverend W. Awdry, the Thomas the Tank train system fulfills all of a child's choo-choo dreams. Each vehicle has a different name, character, and face. It is wooden and 2 inches high with black plastic wheels. The magnetic bumpers at the ends of each vehicle make linkup easy. Children will become friends with each one, developing not only imaginative play but social skills and new motor and cognitive skills as they mature. --Sandy Hirsch ... Read more

Reviews (14)

Very good toy
First, when I bought a Thomas tape, My 3 years old son watched it six times in a line. Then I bought Figure 8 set. He liked it very much. Later I had the Mountain Tunnel Set and a lot of tracks and most of the engines and freight cars and circus cars. Now my three little children play them every day. The two years old twins count the engines and they all learn to share the railway, who goes where; Who passes the crossroad first to avoid crash. They learn to wait patiently because the train is very long. I help them bulid the railway system(I change the layout freqently). Dad sometimes has a race with them. It could be a hobby later in their teen life. My experence, 8 inchs track is never enough when you want to play on the carpet. They are good toys.

The one and only Thomas the Tank Engine
Thomas is great and it's so fun to pull him along the track woth Annie and Clarabel. When I make the big setes In set aside a branch line for Thomas, Percy, and sometimes Lady. Thomas is great but in order to get the experience you need Annie and Clarabel.

Once you start, you can't stop!
When I checked out a Thomas DVD from our local library, I had no idea what I'd get into. My 2 yr old son is now obsessed with Thomas. Plays with them day and night. 4 yr old daughter enjoys them too. They are great toys- building track is good for spatial relations, they teach color and numbers and the stories all have good values- plus he plays with them like action figures. We're keeping these for our grandkids. Also, try eBay for Thomas sets. We got two sets of ten trains for about forty apiece, big savings. But then some track sets are cheaper here than you can find on eBay, so be sure to check both.

SMALL PROBLEM
I ordered this to for my son, and when it arrived in the mail I was shocked! It is so small! I guess I sould have read the size description better. Cute train, but not worth the money for its size.

boy's toys
My soon to be 3yr old son loves these trains, he started with his 8yr old uncles trains, his uncle has had these toys since he was a toddler as well and still plays with them. After i saw how much my son enjoyed the trains i bought him the figure 8 set, i thought at the time that that was all i would get him, i now plan to get him all the trains, he knows all their names and points to pictures of them in the pamphlet you get with the set and asks for them. he calls the pamphlet his book, he reads it often. since buying that set i have bought all the videos i find, some books, some trains, some track. the only bad thing i can think of about them is that they are somewhat pricey, though i know they will last a long time, you cant tell his uncles set is old at all. the only reason i buy them is because he gets so excited about them, he also behaves very well when i threaten to ground him from them, its the only thing he gets upset about losing and its almost the only thing he plays with now besides his trucks and cars. ... Read more

Reviews (7)

No visible scratches had it for 2 years
Most of my trains are pretty old except for the new ones but Percy really hasn't had any scratches and i've had him for nine years. His magnet is still there and it's in working order. Percy is one of everyone's favorite engines and this one is a great buy!

My son loves it!!!
My son is a big fan of Thomas the Tank Engine and Friends. His favorite is Percy. He takes his Percy trains with him wherever he goes (to bed, in the car, around the house, etc.). We even bought an extra for him just in case he loses one of them. If your children love Thomas (and what toddler doesn't?), I do have a piece of advice--get duplicates of the trains. You never know if one will get lost, or forgotten! I got doubles of most of the trains, Percy included, and it can be a real lifesaver when one gets lost or left behind!

Great
This toy is great. My whole family has fun every evening playing with this train. The just can't get enough of it!

Also, it's able to withstand lots of rough playing.

This is a must!

Percy's Great!
My son has several Thomas trains, and he really likes Percy. He has a warm smiling face, and the colors are very vivid. The construnction is very durable, which makes for hours of fun. The magnets are strong and enable Percy to pull several other cars. All of the toys of the Thomas collection are excellent choices for young children. They will surely enjoy this fun toys.

THOMAS & FRIENDS ARE GREAT!
Can't say enough good things about the Thomas & friends line of toys. They are durable and fun. NO BATTERIES! It allows your child to us their imagination. Thomas is pure FUN! ... Read more

Reviews (6)

Fantastic!
Okay, in my opinion, this is just about the neatest addition to a train set out there. We first saw this at a (...) store and my son just couldn't take his eyes (or his hands!) off of it, so the Easter Bunny brought him a set. Boy, what a great idea that was! These guys go along the track all the time, never stop, and we just can't believe how neat they are. We don't have any trouble with the leaking (although there were some in the store that were dried out...) or with the windows being too dark. I really personally just love this set and its uniqueness. What a great idea!

Mom of destructive son
My son owns almost every Thomas the Train character there is. These are the most durable toys. I picked this one because it is different from all the Thomas toys.

I read review that this toy leaked. My son's hasnt and believe me he has stepped on them, threw them at me, and I have even stepped on this toy.

As for the windows being too dark, this accusation is also false. I love looking at this toy and so does my son.

The only thing that is the problem with this toy is it is very costly.But with how destructive my son is, he hasn't made a dent in any of the 100 Thomas the Trains he owns.

I would recommend this toy to anyone with a child from one years old on. Even if the child is as "curious" (taking everything apart) as mine.

Fun Train
Another great train set! Aquarium cars are cool! Kids love looking at them and bringing them round and round the track. They seem Very Durable also as ours were dropped numerous times, tossed, and even stepped on! The water has never leaked, and is filled to the top just like new! And the creatures float and "bob" up and down as the train goes inside the tank. Great fun.

Windows are too dark!
This is adorable, however, our set came with very dark windows so that you can hardly see the sea life inside. They are much darker than they look in the picture.

great toy
I bought the aquarium cars because *I* really liked them. My son likes them too but its difficult to tell which way they are supposed to face. My son is 18 mos old and gets frustrated when the magnets are not aligned properly and they repel one another rather than attract. He gets mad and throws them when this happens so I can attest to their durability! They have a few nicks but thats it. ... Read more

Reviews (12)

Still running hard after a year
I first purchased this train for my son when he was 14 months old (a little over a year ago). During this phase, he was in the process of transitioning from crawling to walking. This train was a blast! Thomas (yeh, that's what got me to buy the trains in the first place) went nuts over the train. He followed it everywhere. We never bothered with the tracks back then since he just caught the train and tried to eat it. It's a great thing the train is too big to swallow.

Well since that time, our Thomas the Train collection has grown a great deal. Here in Europe (where Amazon refuses to ship Thomas trains) I pay a premium of nearly 50% extra for the tracks and trains, but it is worth it. We have bridges and tunnels and elevated tracks. Yesterday evening, Thomas and I setup a track with all the features and we let battery Thomas and battery Percy chase each other around.

My Thomas is still extremely interactive with the trains. He likes to hold the trains as they go around the tracks. When he holds a rear car and the engine pulls away, he jumps up and down and cries so hard out of frustration that he seems like he's screaming for ice cream when he can't have it. This is forcing him to attempt many different methods of trying to reattach the trains together. For the moment, he has a very low success rate of reattachment since he doesn't like to turn the engine off to do it, but he is learning.

I recommend this toy highly for children of all ages. My daughter is now 9 months old and received her first Thomas train car to play with, it's the Sodor Cargo Car and she's chewing away on it. I believe she'll be a huge Thomas the Train fan soon.

Manual just didn't work
We bought the track and a few trains for our 3-year-old son. I also read on the box that battery-powered Thomas can be manually pushed, and ours does not. It's very frustrating for a boy who likes to do things on his own! While I get a kick trying to see how many cars battery-running Thomas will pull, I don't know if I'm doing something wrong to make it easily push manually, or if we have a defect. Overall, the set is very fun.

Battery powered Thomas and friends short lived.
We have the purchased numerous Thomas products and are thrilled with most of them. Our son who is 3 has loved Thomas since he met him. We have SEVERAL manual trains and a compltely set up Thomas table. We purchased 3 battery powered trains and have had terrible luck with them. Our son plays with them constantly and the engines in all of them have burned up with in days of purchase. I am very sad that we cannot seem to find a battery powered metal train that we can count on for more than a few hours of playtime. The plastic Tomy trains have lasted far longer than the metal ones. We will continue to buy manual trains, but we are skeptical of the battery powered ones.

Obey the warning
This is a fun toy and my 2 and 6 year olds love it. However, there is a very hard to read warning on the underside of the train that says that hair may become tangled in wheels. They are not kidding! I had to cut that train out of my two year olds hair when he picked it up off the track and lifted it too close to his head. It happened in an instant! It was a bit traumatic for both of us. Fun toy, but can be dangerous.

BATTERY POWERED THOMAS!!
This train uses batteries. it has a switch to make it go by itself . if you have another battery train{or more} you can make them race. and i have percy too. it is fun!!! ... Read more