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 for Thomas and The Troublesome Trucks for Ben, the carriages/trucks 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 large enough to be manipulated by small and large hands alike so parents can get down on the floor and play too. To wind the engine up simply insert the key and turn clockwise, James grasped this concept within about 10 minutes of having the engines, and now knows the difference between clockwise and anti clockwise! There is a switch to then turn the engine on; this was a little bit stiff when we first got the set, but is now very easy to move. The trains are made from tough brightly colored plastic with excellent painted details and metal trim. There are no sharp edges or small parts to come adrift and so far have been very durable.
All the engines and the truck have couplings front and rear so there is no limitation on how many engines push or pull the trucks. My only complaint is that the couplings are a little flimsy, only being made of thin plastic, and can be quite difficult to separate, I seem to have more trouble than James, maybe it’s a kid thing!
The track itself looks rather daunting to the supervising adult, as it comes as 21 separate pieces of varying shape and size. Having attempted to fit other tracks together I though I was in for a long haul. Fortunately those clever and thoughtful Hornby people saw fit to place on the box an explicit diagram. Not only that but also included in the set up is a plastic play mat. The track when laid out measures 91cm x 136 cm and its formation comprises of one large loop and a smaller loop plus the sidings complete with a working turntable, I am reliably informed by James, that that is what it is called. Incorporated into some pieces of the track are small push and pull switches, these operate the ‘points’ to change the direction of the trains. These are easy to manipulate, and small enough not to get bent or snapped off, unlike with some of the other tracks on the market. Do beware of standing on them though, as they really do hurt!
The play mat measures 1 metre x 1.4 metres and is excellently detailed. James was able to lay out the track on the play mat with no difficulty. In fact he found it easier than I did and refused to let me help in setting it up. The tracks simply push together and click and remain very stable throughout the entire play session. The mats details include shrubs and bushes, a pond, the Sodor helipad and roads leading to and from it. There is also room to place the water tower, signal box and station house (available separately from around (£5+), additional tracks are available as well as additional engines such as Percy, Toby and Bill, Ben’s partner. The accessories are available at ToysRus the clockwork starter set cost us £29.99.
I am a great fan of Thomas and his train sets, having at the last count 3 different ones in the house. This latest clockwork one has proved the biggest hit, as James is able to set it up completely on his own. His manual dexterity and hand eye co – ordination showing a marked improvement since using such toys. He not only gains fun and pleasure from playing with the train set, but also a great sense of achievement when he had completed the task of setting it up.
I think that train sets are a must for a child of either sex, as they allow the imagination to run riot. James and myself have enjoyed many hours re enacting stories from Thomas or making up new ones. At present we have a huge set up in the lounge, not just the Thomas train set, but also the farm complete with tractor loading hay bales into the trucks, animals being loaded into the trucks to be sent to market. We have tractors and diggers loading stones into the trucks in the quarry, the stones I am told are going to make walls at the farm to keep the animals in, and we also have passengers waiting at the impromptu station (the box the train came in) waiting for the train to take them to the zoo! So you see the possibilities are endless and as diverse as your child’s imagination. The only restrictions being on how much mess you want to put up with, how much room you have and how many cardboard boxes you have to hand! The price may seen to be a little steep at a penny short of thirty pounds, but the enjoyment that is gained by the child, and adult either joining in or gaining a few minutes peace is hard to put a price on! Definitely an ideal birthday or Christmas present for any child.
How helpful would this review be to a person making a buying decision? Rating guidelines
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.
very helpful by (97%):
helpful by (3%):
