Workin' on the Railroad with Tomica's Thomas Big Set
Written: Feb 24 '04 (Updated Mar 01 '04)
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Pros: Sturdy, durable, easy to set up, battery-operated, lots of expansion potential
Cons: Can get loud and annoying after a while
The Bottom Line: The Thomas Big Set is a perfect starter train for the very young, or an excellent addition to any Tomica sets you may already have.
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| jaxmom28's Full Review: International Playthings Tomica World Thomas Big S... |
Trains have fascinated my husband since he was a little boy. I think it must be genetic, because I can take ‘em or leave ‘em, but Older son was smitten at his first sight of a big, lumbering train chugging through the middle of town. His favorite outing, beating even Chuck E. Cheese on occasion, was a trip down to the town square to check out the train stationed permanently on a little spur, and to watch the active tracks in hopeful anticipation of a real, live train.
Why Tomica World Thomas & Friends?
Conjunction Junction, what's your function?
Hooking up words and phrases and clauses.
With two train-crazy boys in the house, Santa knew three years ago that a model train set would be a perfect gift. But what to choose? Certainly, it had to be suitable for a toddler, but it also had to keep a grownup’s attention. It needed to be able to grow with our little boy, allowing us to add on as years passed. It had to be sturdy, and take abuse well. And, above all, it had to be economical. We thought Lionel and similar model train sets were probably too advanced for Older son, though Hubby would dearly love an official Lionel set up. We checked out various wooden sets, too, but everything was terribly expensive once you started calculating add-ons and supplemental pieces, and most of the wooden sets, while apparently very sturdy, wouldn’t run under their own power – something hubby was really looking forward to.
Then we found International Playthings / Tomica World’s Thomas Big Set. Wow! Durable plastic, battery powered, with practically unlimited expansion. Once you look at branching out from the Thomas co-branded set, Tomica has tons of stuff to offer, and it’s all interchangeable! Santa and I decided it would be perfect for our needs.
Contents and Assembly
Conjunction Junction, how's that function?
I got three favorite cars that get most of my job done.
Suggested for ages 3 and up, the layout is approximately 27 1/2" x 55" and contains a total of 39 pieces: 4 curved rails, 5 straight rails, a stop rail, 4 slope curves, a slope rail, station house, bridge, 6 bricks, 4 bridge girders, tunnel, Thomas, Annie, Clarabel, 4 road curves, 2 slope roads and Bulgy the Double-Decker Bus. Requires 1 AA and 1 AAA batteries (not included) for Thomas and Bulgy. No stickers, hooray!
Assembly is a breeze. Tracks and pieces simply snap together, requiring no specialized tools or degrees in advanced aeronautics. The instructions aren’t that great and can be a little confusing, especially given the distinct lack of words. As has been the case with every Tomica set we’ve purchased, it was easier for me to set up using the picture on the box as a guideline.
Likes
Milk and honey, bread and butter, peas and rice.
Hey that's nice!
Quick and easy assembly is a big plus in my book and Tomica really delivers. Once we knew what we were doing, we could set up this entire set in about five minutes – which is very handy when your toddler goes Godzilla every ten minutes and is in constant need of another city to demolish. Both Older son and Hubby could play engineer by operating the stop rail, and the layout was a perfect starter for a small child. No switches mean both Thomas and Bulgy can run free and unfettered without human interference, keeping the boys entranced for some time.
At roughly $50.00, depending on where you purchase, you get a lot of train for your money compared to other sets, and the plastic tracks have held up very well over time. Not a single broken piece yet, and we live with Destructo the Mad and his Baby Sidekick, Scooter the Vandal. Tomica’s wide and varied expansion possibilities, both Thomas and otherwise, make upgrading and augmenting the set easy and relatively economical, as well.
Dislikes
Conjunction Junction, what's your function?
Hooking up two boxcars and making 'em run right.
Loading Thomas’s batteries can be a challenge. You have to pull his wheels down while also pulling up on his top, essentially splitting him in half, and he’s a hard nut to crack. Getting the battery in once you’ve accomplished the feat isn’t difficult at all, but putting him back together can be tricky. Bulgy is quite the opposite – he’s too easy to get apart and is consequently prone to losing his battery in public on a regular basis. On the whole, neither battery issue has been a big deal, but it can get a little annoying.
Most of all, this set is noisy! I never knew two tiny, single-battery-operated toys could make so much noise. It’s a sort of low-roar white-noise background hum that’s fine for a while, but once you really notice it, it never goes away. Like a TV with broken volume on a static station you can’t turn off. It’s okay with just the two items, but as we’ve added expansion packs and more batteries, the low hum has become a rather distinct roar, and I can only take so much. I have to limit the boys to about four running contraptions at any given time. Either that, or banish them to the basement.
Final Recommendation
Conjunction Junction, how's that function?
I like tying up words and phrases and clauses.
It can get noisy, so either limit the number of battery-driven Friends in operation at any one time, or set up a train room in another area of the house. But otherwise, if the price of those fancy wooden train sets has your eyes bulging, or if you’re looking for a motorized set with good expansion possibilities, Tomica’s Thomas sets are certainly worth a try. The Thomas Big Set is a perfect start for the very young, or an excellent addition to any sets you may already have.
Looking for more Thomas?
♦ Thomas Adventure Set
Note: Headers taken from the Schoolhouse Rock song “Conjunction Junction,” originally performed by Jack Sheldon, with music and lyrics by Bob Dorough.
Recommended:
Yes
Amount Paid (US$): 49.99
Type of Toy: Trains
Age Range of Child: Whole Family
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jaxmom28
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Location: Somewhere in the south
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Whatever you are, be a good one.
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