I am constantly amazed by the things which interest and empassion my two little boys. Maybe that's because I was never a little boy myself, or perhaps my memories of youth have dimmed, who knows....anyway, I decided to wtite a review on Thomas the tank engine diecast models as my little boys, ... Read review
1-5 of 19 reviews of Tomy Thomas the Tank Engine
Show all reviews
My train's bigger than your train!
Advantages: practically unbreakable, great for developing story-telling skills Disadvantages: it''s v. painful if you are hit over the head with one!! Quite pricey.
I am constantly amazed by the things which interest and empassion my two little boys. Maybe that's because I was never a little boy myself, or perhaps my memories of youth have dimmed, who knows....anyway, I decided to wtite a review on Thomas the tank engine diecast models as my little boys, and I, were so impressed by them. I bought several models from Amazon, the prices of which I have listed below.
What are they like?
...wheels. Each train/coach/carriage has the trademark face to match it's personality and the character name painted on the side of the toy (useful for parents - I am alway being asked the name of the toy my child is playing with and can never remember all the names!). Some models are larger than others ( a source of much argument in our house - why do they always want the biggest??! ), some more colourful than others (blue and red are much preferred ... more
I am constantly amazed by the things which interest and empassion my two little boys. Maybe that's because I was never a little boy myself, or perhaps my memories of youth have dimmed, who knows....anyway, I decided to wtite a review on Thomas the tank engine diecast models as my little boys, and I, were so impressed by them. I bought several models from Amazon, the prices of which I have listed below.
What are they like?
These models are made principally of steel, with plastic wheels. Each train/coach/carriage has the trademark face to match it's personality and the character name painted on the side of the toy (useful for parents - I am alway being asked the name of the toy my child is playing with and can never remember all the names!). Some models are larger than others ( a source of much argument in our house - why do they always want the biggest??! ), some more colourful than others (blue and red are much preferred to black).Coaches attach to the trains giving hour of posibilities and fun.
So what's so good about these models?
Well for a start, they are diecast. So what , I hear you say. Die casting is a manufacturing process use to produce metal parts by forcing molten metal under high pressure into reusable steel moulds. These moulds, called dies, can be designed to produce shapes which can be repeated accurately. Diecast models are strong, durable and resistant to temperature and humidity. Which make them ideal for our little friends. They really do seem to be practically indestructible, and they need to be! How many times have you bought a toy for your child only for it to be destroyed the next day?
I have found great joy in watching my boys playing with these models. They have unwittingly made up their first stories, albeit simple ones (well they are only one and three after all!), they converse with each other and have played their first co-operational game with these models.At times my huband and I have been creased up listening to their conversations. And how comforting that they enjoy playing with these simple toys, the like of which their father and grandfathers played with when they were children. I peronally find them infinitely preferable to the electronic and computer games and to television. Of course these have their place, but you can't beat old-fashioned trains!
What age range doe this toy suit?
This toy will suit any child from the age of three, but are great fun for all ages. They are unsuitable for the under threes to play with unsupervised because of small parts which could detach from the toys and are a choking hazard.
So how did it all start?
Thomas the Tank Engine came into existence when a father needed to find something to keep his son, Christopher, who was suffering from scarlet fever and in isolation, happy. He told the stories over and over, and they were accompanied by some rough sketches of the trains from the front view with their accompanying expressions. The father was the Reverend Wilbert Awdry, and the books were not published until 1945 , when , spurred on by his wife, Wilbert sent the book to a publisher. An illustrator, C. Reginald Dalby, looked at the trains of the time and attempted to match them to Wilbert's sketches. When Rev.Awfdry stopped writing, after 26 books, his son Christopher, now a father himself, continued and has written ten of his own books.In 1984, Thomas the Tank Engine and Friends, the T.V series was made, and many more children were introduced to the joys of Thomas, Edward, Henry and all the other engines, plus not forgetting Annie and Clarabel of course!
Where can I found out more about Thomas and his friends?
There is an excellent website at www.hitentertainment.com/thomasand friends/uk/homepage.html which contains much more information about Thomas and friends, and the site includes loads of great games and activities for the kids too.
What do they cost and where can I get them?
I bought several of these models from Amazon.co.uk. There is great competition on Amazon so you can often get things like this at greatly reduce prices.
Die-Cast Thomas the Tank Engine & Friends: Annie & Clarabel - £2.95 Die-Cast Thomas the Tank Engine & Friends: Edward the Blue Engine - £4.99 Die-Cast Thomas the Tank Engine & Friends: Percy the Small Engine - £2.95
It is also possible to buy these toys in most high-street toy shops and department stores.
In conclusion I would say that these are great toys with a lot of entertainment value for young children. They are well-made and robust, will be used for hours in the home but are also great portable toys for days out. In my home, these diecast Thomas and friends models have become a firm favourite and I’m sure that they will become one of those well-loved childhood toys that are remembered with fondness.
Advantages: Superb images and models to print out. Disadvantages: Only 7 different functions for the price.
The product does what it says, produces reams of different things on the printer, so quickly using up expensive (£25 or more) colour ink cartridges.
It comprises the following 7 functions.
Create your own greetings cards
Growth charts
Posters
Jigsaws
Big maps
Cut out and build
Colouring
In all the functions, a signal arm at top left can be clicked on to reveal the save, import, and print options. There is also the top right hand engine shed ... ...to the main menu based on a turntable used to select the engine, and hence function, of your choice. Each engine/function is described out loud by Michael Angelis (Ringo Starr sound-alike). Create your own greetings cards was good, and I enjoyed showing my 3 year old how to make a Birthday Card for him and his brother using their favourite engines and other festive decorations such as balloons and cakes and presents. There are plenty of things to ...
mascarasnake 26.03.2001 (16.02.2002)
· Read full review
Ciao members have rated this review on average: very helpful Review of Tomy Thomas the Tank Engine
Advantages: good quality, reasonable priced, hours of fun Disadvantages: none
...As the years have passed Tomy a leading toy manufacturer have created the wonderful collection of Thomas the tank engine, and if you have never heard of him, then where have you been.
They are one of the best selling train sets collections around today, as they cater for all age groups, starting from as young as 18 months old. Most boys love trains and unfortunately my son, had passed the age of interest when they were introduced on the market, ... ...Thomas and his friends.
Thomas is an engine that is bright blue and has the number 1 in yellow painted on his sides. He has a charming smiley face on his front end. He has many friends, each with their own distinctive faces and colours, far too many to name them all. Thomas used to be on television a lot and his programme was great for kids, as the story lines were easy to follow for any child. There are loads of videos and books, all featuring ...
Deni 27.06.2002
· Read full review
Ciao members have rated this review on average: very helpful Review of Tomy Thomas the Tank Engine
Advantages: good fun Disadvantages: too many batteries
A very warm welcome to all Thomas friends!!!
I've got a little boy age 5, who is very fascinated by Thomas the tanks engine and all his friends (made by Tommy).
***********How it started. ********** About 4 years ago my husband and me was visiting my husband nephew. They have some Thomas toys for sale (and if I remember right it was Thomas medium set and some trains). Therefore, we sad why not and we did.
In addition, since that day my son is ... ...engine and his friends. He plays with toys, ride Thomas bike, and scooter, wears only Thomas cloths, eats from Thomas plate with Thomas knife, fork and spoon. But the biggest adventure with Thomas for our family is to spend our holidays around steam railway where Thomas visits (what normal cold "days out with Thomas the tank engine and his friends"). The big train collection: ***********************TRAINS*************************
1. *Thomas the ...
redeyes22 10.09.2007 (04.03.2009)
· Read full review
Ciao members have rated this review on average: very helpful Review of Tomy Thomas the Tank Engine
Advantages: hours of fun and entertainment for adults and children. Disadvantages: watch out for the points, they are hell on the feet when trodden on.
Thomas and Ben with Annie and Clarabel and the troublesome trucks.
The latest offering from the Britt Allcroft company, the makers of Thomas the tank engine and friends, and those famous model train makers Hornby is a clockwork Thomas and friends set. Supplied in the set are 2 engines, the very famous blue number one engine Thomas and the lesser known and relatively new engine Ben. Along with the two engines are their trucks, Annie and Clarabel ... ...are interchangeable so any combination is possible.
The engines measure approximately 2.5 inches high and 4.5 inches long, so they are easy for small hands to grasp. The trains run on clockwork power and each engine comes complete with it own winding key. The clockwork mechanism is well hidden within the plastic outer housing of the engine, so no danger of hair, fingers, toes or tongues becoming caught up or trapped. The metal winding key is also ...
LICARUS 02.08.2001 (04.08.2001)
· Read full review
Ciao members have rated this review on average: very helpful Review of Tomy Thomas the Tank Engine
Advantages: great fun toys to collect Disadvantages: can be expensive
For those of you who aren't too sure who Deagostini are, let me explain. They are the company who are behind many of the collection sets available either online or from your newagents every 2 weeks. The first issue is usually at a special price and then it's a set price for the remaining parts in the series. This can be a great way of building up a special collection for a reasonable amount every month. In this case the first issue was £1.99 followed ... ...whole set it's just over £255 as there are 52 issues. Seems a lot when you say it like that but we don't miss it so much when it's paid monthly and this set is produced in conjuction with Hit Entertainment who make the Thomas series.
Of course people would have to have lived on a remote island not to have heard of Thomas the Tank Engine who was created by the Rev. Wilbert Awdry over 60 years ago as he recovered from illness and it is 60 years ago ...
belfin 19.09.2005
· Read full review
Ciao members have rated this review on average: very helpful Review of Tomy Thomas the Tank Engine
Similar reviews »
Reviews which might be of interest for "Tomy Thomas the Tank Engine"
Advantages: Great for small hands Disadvantages: So many to collect
This is where it all started. The starter set was my son's first exposure to Thomas the TankEngine - First things first - there are at least 5 different styles of Thomas toys - none which interact with each other so sticking to 1 type would be recommended.
This is a My First Thomas range which are ideal for children aged 1 and above.The toys are brightly coloured and accurate copies of your favourite Thomas characters. There are plenty to collect! The trains all have non marking rubber wheels, are hard wearing, dishwasher safe and most importantly are battery free.
A great and affordable gift for a 1 plus year old boy - My son, now 2 cannot get enough of his collection - he has 35+!!!!
You can also purchase a track which the trains will interact with.
So to conclude - an ideal purchase for any young boy ...
Advantages: Recognisable Characters - more than just a circular track Disadvantages: The batteries
My three year old son received this TomyThomas the TankEngine and Jeremy Airport set for Christmas.
In the set you receive two sets of track, one for Thomas and one for Jeremy. You get a control tower building that also acts as a loading bay for Thomas. You get a battery operated Jeremy which is a white plane. You also get a battery operated Thomas the TankEngine and two trucks for him to pull along. There are some plastic pots of paint and logs that fit into the trucks.
The two tracks are quite simple to put together as there aren't many pieces. It does take a few minutes though just because of the size of the toy and putting all the stands under the raised track. Both the plane and the train need batteries which are not supplied. The batteries fit into a secure compartment underneath each character and a screwdriver is needed ...
Advantages: no marks on the wall Disadvantages: none jet
the TankEngine himself.
It is a magnetic drawing board in shape and color of Thomas the tankengine. And it's not very heavy so your toddler can lift it up easy.
In the middle you will find a gray plastic surface to draw. It comes with a yellow pen with thick and thin writing points. In the bottom of the drawing board you will find as well two little holes with two engine stamps -Thomas and Percy. These stamps are in yellow color. The eraser is located on the right side of the board and is decorated with a picture of Harold the helicopter. In the top right corner you will find a yellow track roller.
Two "stampers", one featuring Thomas and one featuring Percy, give children the chance to recreate the images of their favorite engines while a roller-stamp, when pulled along the screen, leaves the mark of a railway track. The double ended pen ...
Similar products and search queries by other users »
Tomy Engine, Tomy Thomas Engine, Tomy the Engine, Tomy Tank Engine, Tomy Thomas the Engine, Tomy Thomas Tank Engine, Tomy the Tank Engine, Tomy Thomas the Tank Engine
Are you the manufacturer / provider of Tomy Thomas the Tank Engine? Click here
