Advice on Buying Train Set

Hi,
I haven't gone through and read all the responses yet so I don't know what others have recommended. My son has train sets at home and at his grandparents house. We have the Target brand and the Imaginarium brand from ToysRus. They mix well together and are less expensive than the Brio or Thomas.
My Aunt got my son the Sound and Lights Train set and table for christmas last year. Its great, but takes up too much room. I would suggest that you not get any of the train tables. Instead, I would get a printed mat/rug for the floor and bins to separate the pieces for storage. My son is more creative with building his trains on the floor than with the table.
Good luck! I hope that this helps!

My son is also two and LOVES trains! We bought him the wood set from IKEA and he absolutely adores it. The main set is only $14.99 and then there are other sets you can add that range from $3.99-$9.99. The reason why I know the prices is because I was researching them yesterday to see what else I could get him. They are a quality set and the Thomas trains fit on it too so you can mix and match.

I bought my son a train set from Ikea, it's non motorized and the pieces work with the Brio should he get really into it. I think the set was $12 and I bought two so we'd have more pieces to play with. He LOVES it. We've had it since he was a little over a year and a half and it is played with every day in some degree.

Hope that helps
K.

My boys love the GeoTrax by Fisher-Price, in fact they are playing with the set now. It is durable, we've had them for a few years now and the trains are still chugging. I'd advise tracks that snap together (not the wooden ones that go together like a puzzle, they fall apart, the ones with the trains that stick together with magnets). Storing the set is a challenge, bigger pieces we've bought take up some room, but a couple of rubbermaid tubs works great.

I still have Brios I bought for my son 20 years ago, and they got tons of play! Whenever friends with little kids come over, my teenage daughter pulls them out to entertain the kids, but it's as much an excuse for her to enjoy a favored treasure as well. We bought a starter set the first year, and then each holiday brought an additional piece or three. No batteries, durability, and they store well--and siblings of different ages can enjoy them together for years. One of the best toy investments (along with Legos and Playmobil figures--can you tell I am an anti-mechanical mom?) both for durability and for creative play--that we ever made.

Hi M.

To be honest I wouldn't say their is that much difference between the Thomas and Brio sets. Thomas has the clicked clack track and Brio's is smooth, and the brio trains are more simple, with Thomas you can play with the characters from the videos, etc. I see them as pretty much interchangeable, and we have pieces from each of the sets. I think I would start your son out with the non battery train, and as he gets more playing time, etc, get a battery one.

The Brio sets are MUCH cheaper and are easily used for the Thomas trains as well as others...learned that the hard way!...Just make sure it's in good shape before you buy on craig's list. They have great sets on E-Bay and most are brand new or barely used...Just make sure you have a plan where it all will gowhen used or not...Ours seem to be all over the floor or in a plastic box...Lesson #1...buy the under the bed drawer or a table thing so everything has a "hiding place"
Mom of Adorable Thomas Fan.

When my kids were little, my sister-in-law handed down the wonderful wooden Brio set from her sons. They were greatly loved and enjoyed...we'd ALL be sitting on the floor creating routes and pushing the trains around the tracks. We never had to worry about anything breaking down. They are now stored waiting for the next generation to enjoy. I wish you as many happy hours playing with your son with his train set (whichever you choose). Blessings!

M.,
We bought a train table for our son over a year ago. We went with what was on sale. Kids have such a great imagination so I thought it was silly to spend a lot of money on "name brand" trains. Any train that will fit on the tracks would be great. We bought extra tracks at Ikea which came with trains.
There are so many out there to choose from that it gets overwhelming. I recommend getting a used table and trains/tracks from craigslist. You will save a lot of money and the kids will have a blast no matter what!
By the way, my son spends hours at his train table. I love to hear him talk to them and cruise them along.

My son will be three this December. Last year around Christmas, he was becoming very interested in trains. I bought him a beginner Thomas set for about $100. A close friend of mine handed down twice as much of the Thomas stuff. Then came us trying to play with it with our son... I soon discovered that he was not developmentally ready for the interlocking train tracks. He would become very frustrated and start throwing the pieces around. Sadly, the train set had to be put away. Every month or two he would ask for it, I would bring it out, and we would see how he could do. Only in the last month has he been better able to play with the Thomas set.

My advice is to wait another year, unless your son is very advanced.

My 4 year old got his first Thomas when he was 1. He has thousands of dollars worth now (including DVD's) and knows all the trains by name and tells thier personalities etc. etc. The great thing about Thomas and Brio is the tracks (at least) are interchangeable so dont worry too much about which you choose. Just stick with the wooden track though. At least with Thomas there are three or four different kinds of track and they are NOT interchangeable and the trains can only go on thier own track type. I use TTT trains and track as BDay presents, prizes, Christmas etc., so I wouldn't get it all at once. Make sure he loves it and build it gradually. I didn't do that, and although my guy LOVES his Thomas trains, he doesn't quite have the appreciation for each individual one that he would have if each one was a special present.

Which one is your son into? If he likes Thomas, I'd do that.

I went to my local Ikea and bought their generic trains/track. You can get a ton of them for pretty cheap. Then you're not stuck with an expensive brand name that you have to buy all of the "characters" for.

We have both wooden and Geo tracks, and my boys play with both. I have to say I love the Geo Tracks best-they are very sturdy!

My nephew has a wooden train set that he likes to play with and my son too loves trains. So last Christmas (when my son was 2), my brother bought him the same train set my nephew has. It's great, but it's one of the wooden ones that has track pieces that go together like puzzle pieces. Whenever my son plays with it, it tends to fall apart and my son gets upset. We then found the Geo Trax set. This set has track pieces that 'lock' together and the train is battery powered with a remote control. My son loves to feel like he's driving the train. Another neat feature of the Geo Trax is there are other sets that can mix-and-match with the original set, so my son's set can keep growing as he grows. It is rather bulky to store, but we just keep ours in a cardboard box that he can pull out when he wants it.

Hope this helps some.

N.

We bought our daughter a Thomas the Tank set when she was just over two because it was on sale (toy store going out of business). We played with her to make the train more fun. Meaning, we helped her set up the tracks the way she wanted them to go. It was great daddy/daughter time. She eventually was able to put tracks together and make it go where she wanted it to go.

Sometimes she just played with the trains...ran them through the grooves in the carpet or slid them across the wood floors.

We liked this style because it would grow with her (add different types of tracks- bridges, wavy, curvy, etc.) and resale value was going to be good.

Stephanie

Hi M.,

We have both Brio and Thomas...way too much Thomas... If I had to do it again, I would buy the Take-along-Thomas sets because they are smaller and no batteries! We do use rechargeable batteries.

In my own experience, most Thomas trains do not fit under the tunnels/bridges of the brio sets - the trains are too wide. My son will be four after Christmas and I reckon we have one more year of train fun.

The other thing my son likes is the remote control Thomas. He can make Thomas go forward, backward and play the Thomas song.

Good luck!

My sons are train fanatics. We have wooden, metal and plastic trains. My house is full of trains. My boys are into all trains, Thomas and GeoTrax. My boys aren't into playing with their trains on the train table. They like to have it spread out on the floor. At first, when the boys were young they had trouble with the magnets on the trains. The Thomas sets were nice because somehow the magnets connected in two directions. Also we didn't use the tracks when they were younger. I know some people just glued theirs to the table or there are clips that you can get so that the tracks stay together. The GeoTrax trains are nice because the boys can be really tough with them and the trains won't get broken. I think Thomas has some new sets that have the remote controls. I don't have any experience with these. I would just start of with a small set of trains to see if he is into trains. My sons love trains, but my nephew doesn't...so it you get a small set of anything, you can always add to it.

Hiya!
Awesome, little guys love trains!!! :) Keeps mine occupied for a long time. I think the brillo and thomas sets that are both wood are compatable. Wood and plastic, even of the same kind (wood thomas vs. plastic thomas) are NOT!! Ikea and thomas wood sets are. Big thing is that once you go one way, you are either stuck or have to start over, so look around to see what's out there before you settle. We finally bought the Ikea sets because my son has a Thomas engine (just that one engine) for at Grandma's (it's smaller than the one at home) and he plays with that a lot... but for at home, we looked around and finally went with a GeoTracks from Fisher Price because of the remote controls. The really nice thing is that FP has expanded the set and all Geotracks sets work together (they want you to buy more), but they change it every year, so the bridges are slightly different, etc. They just added an airport (complete with track for the airplanes) and have about everything imaginable. We got it when our daughter is 2 (she's 5 now) and our son is now 3 and we've added little by little on Christmas and birthdays, it's a favorite. It IS big, tho, but they share our front room (like 8x8) as their toy room anyways, so it's not a big deal for us. It has a good combo of no battery engines and battery/remote engines as well. the no battery sets are usually around 5-7 bucks while the remote ones are more. Toys R Us and Target have good selections of all the kinds. Other things to consider: do cousins have a set? Why not buy the same so you could occasionally swap parts to keep it fresh? Good luck and it's great for your little engineer!!! :)

Hi M.!

Now this is a posting that I hsve ALOT of experience with :o) We have had almost EVERY train set in and out of our home over the last 12 years! And with my boys, and my nephews, and ALL the neighbor kids in my home, I know which one's can stand the test of time :o)

The Brio Set is really nice, and pretty durable, too. You really can't go wrong with purchasing one. The only drawback would be price. If your son LOVES the set, then you will try to find all the "cute accessories" for him. That can be VERY pricey with the Thomas/Brio set. BUT... if you decide to purchase the Brio set, your son will be able to learn how to put it together by himself between 3 & 4 years old. Tha'ts a bonus when you buy a train set!

My receommendation would actually be to purchase a GEO TRAX train set. It's interactive for your son's age. The accessories are not expensive at all, so you can keep adding to the set. This set is very durable, and easy to put together. Your son will need help at first, but by age 3-4 he can start putting it together himself.

STORING your train set will be your biggest problem :o) I purchased some (6) large decorative "hat boxes" from Tuesday Morning. They vary in size, so I stack them. It's not the most attractive "display" to have in my living room, but it works for us! Anyway, I can put the trains in one box, the track in the other, etc...

Anyway, good luck with your decision. I hope I could help in some way.

:o) N.

M.,
We had wooden train sets for my son & a Thomas set too. He geets really bored fast with those. Recently I purchased a lot on craigslist of Geo Trax. The downfall is batteries. But they have soooo many great building that have functions, lights sounds etc. My husband son and I will play for hours building and playing. They are easy to put together and VERY kid tough. My son is now 3 and the boy we bought them from was 7. And it wasn't as if he didn't want to play with them anymore. He wanted to buy a bike to be able to play with his friend outside this summer. I am sure that my son will continue to play for a very long time to come.

Hope that helps,

M.

M. ~
We have the Thomas type of train set. I like the plain wooden type. No batteries, no plastic parts that need to stick together (and may break). My son is 14 now and I've asked him several times if we can give them away or donate them. His response, "No, mom, what if someone comes over to visit and they have a boy?" or "Maybe one day I'll just pack them up so when I get married and have a son, I can show him how to put them together." He loves his trains and sometimes he makes a set near our Christmas tree. Good luck, these have lasted for at least 13 years and I'm sure we will have them for years to come.

Lucy B.

I bought Thomas the train for my Grandson when he turned one year old. He is now almost 4 and it is still holding up! It has a heavy plastic track that he can build alone or with our help. The trains you can keep adding on and they are very reasonably priced. I love it and would recommend this train for your son. Oh yes, the trains are battery operated..he has thrown them, dropped them in the pool and they are still going strong! Good luck!~

Another vote for Geo Trax. My son, who is now 4, has had his for 2 years and still plays with it. And my daughter who is 2 1/2 also loves it. Whenever their friends come over they are drawn to the trains. We love the remote control trains and use rechargeable batteries though I think they have non motorized ones that the kids can just push. My husband gets into putting the tracks together and likes taking pics of his creatins. A friend of mine has Thomas and now they are looking to get Geo Trax, too. If you can find a big set on craigslist, I'd say go for it. Otherwise you can get a starter set and maybe buy additional stuff when they go on sale.
Good luck whatever you choose,
C.

Hi M.,
I didn't read all the posts so I'm not sure if anyone has mentioned it, but I like the plain wooden tracks that are not battery opperated much better than the ones that are. My kids (one girl, two boys) all love building and rebuilding with the tracks, and I think there's really something to pushing and pulling the trains themselves rather than just watching them go. It might be good for their fine motor skills or something like that. Also, I've found that my boys will "push" the battry operated trains anyway, and they tend to get frustrated when they go too fast, too slow, the wrong way, etc.
We started out with a $20 set from Target (when my daughter was 2 - she's now almost 6), and have now accumulated what seems like miles and miles of track (they are Target brand, Brio, Thomas, and maybe some other kinds as well. They all fit together.)
Hope this is helpful.

My sons loved their wooden Brio and Thomas trains. They had the most fun with the plain trains, making choo choo sounds and last minutes track changes as they pushed the trains for hours. Battery operated were not played with as much in our house because the fun was in operating the trains themselves!

I don't know if anyone else has mentioned track connectors, but you can get little plastic pieces that hold the pieces of wooden track together. We got our 2 year old a generic wooden train set for his second birthday, and at first it was all about tearing down the tracks. Now that he's 31 months, he still destroys the track layout on an instant's notice, but he appreciates the components more and has the patience to drive the trains around the tracks more.
I remain a fan of wooden trains. I like that the kids have to physically move the trains. I like that no batteries are involved. I have to admit though, that I think my son would have had more fun with a GeoTrax set as a two year old.

there are these http://www.learningcurve.com/product/detail/LC76528, but my favorite trains that my 3year has had sence he was 2 is these http://www.learningcurve.com/product/detail/LC99386?local... they are wooden traks that are perfect n the trais conect by magets. my boys love them, they put them togethere, n apart. he leared quick, n my 5year old loves playing with him n helping with the tracks..they may not be cheap but we think they where worth it..infact we have bout alot mre since, will be gitting this set http://www.learningcurve.com/product/detail/LC99386?local... Suddery Swing Bridge n some others for my both kids. i get my trains at a store called Just Imagine! toys and games for active minds.

I type this, with tracks all around on the floor by me! We started with the plain wooden tracks that are compatible with the wooden Thomas tracks/trains when my son was about 4 or so. He is now 6 1/2. We have both Thomas and "plain" wood tracks and metal Thomas & friends (2 battery powered, rest aren't) and some painted wooden trains. I try to keep things neutral and not overly commercialized but my son does LOVE the Thomas sets and plays with them, not the wooden trains. The tracks don't matter tho.

I dont' recall if Brio is interchangable with Thomas or not, we went with I think it was woodentrains.com and ordered some sets from there, and supplemented with Thomas trains & accessories like bridges, tunnels, etc purchased with 40% or 50% off coupons from Michael's (Yep, the crafts store is a good place for toys too!)

The cheap wood tracks Target occasionally has in their dollar spot are CHEAP! Those are the ones that break, while I haven't had problems with the others. (I teach my son not to play overly rough with toys regardless.)

I'd go with the other mom's suggestions for something different for a 2yo. My son has had fun playing with another little boy's train set - wide & plastic & colorful and chunky. Goes together fairly easily (definitely a 3yo can put together, and easy enough that I think 2yo's could) and train is battery powered and fun!

My son just turned 2, and he LOVES his "Thomas train tracks." We made that decision because we were in the store one day, and that's what he picked out... the Thomas the train Take-a-long. We have plastic track that hooks to other sets, and we got him a train table for his birthday, so he doesn't have to play on the floor if he doesn't want to. The Take-a-longs are resonably priced compared to the Thomas wooden sets, but if your son loves trains as much as my son, he'll be happy and play with whatever you buy :)

We love the Brio. Non toxic - works with Melssisa and Doug Train table and with name trains too. The battery operated ones are for 3 and up. We have both since our baby is too young for it but we wanted to start acquiring the pieces. Start with some track - Brio and Melissa & Doug are all inter-changeable. (we stay away from Thomas Train products due to so many recalls for lead!!!) Get the magnetic trains that he can push and when he's 3 you can add the battery operated ones. They have great bridges and tunnels. We love BRIO!!

My son has been obsessed with trains for years now. My advice to you is try Geotracks. They sell them at Target, Walmart, and most other places. They are more sturdy that Thomas and also less exspensive. You can check them out on line. Thomas is great ( we own one of those tracks too) but they are much more exspensive and I feel less dirable.Geotracks has now come out with a plane set that connects to the train set as well. You can continue to buy tracks, sets, and other trains. They are remote conrtol but are very easy to work. Have fun and Good Luck!!