The Most Arrogant Engine on the Island of Sodor
Written: Feb 20 '03 (Updated Mar 26 '03)
|
Product Rating:
|
|
| Durability: |
 |
|
|
Pros: Durable, attractive, collectible, interesting character, widely available.
Cons: Expensive if you pay the suggested retail price.
The Bottom Line: An important addition to any Thomas & Friends collection.
|
|
|
| dagny21's Full Review: Learning Curve Thomas Gordon Big Express Engine |
Gordon
Whenever I think about Gordon "The Big Express Engine" a line from one of my son's favorite Thomas books comes to mind. With his typical, unconscionable arrogance Gordon says "I'm the biggest, the fastest, and the strongest." He is all of those things, and plenty full of himself as well. But, Gordon is also hard-working, reliable, brave, and - though he sometimes hurts the other engines' feelings with his holier-than-thou attitude - a good guy.
The Toy
Gordon comes complete with a coal car that has the number 4 painted on each side. The set is made mostly of nicely painted maple, with molded plastic wheels and face. Gordon is a nice, long, elegant-looking train, just as he is in the show and books.
Our Gordon is the newly designed version. The face is painted slightly differently and - more importantly - the new version has the red stripes that the "real" Gordon has. I would definitely recommend buying the new Gordon. We made the mistake of purchasing the old version of one of my sons other trains, and he definitely notices the difference.
The Price
Really, the only drawback to these truly fabulous toys from Learning Curve is the price. The toys are worth every penny, but who wants to pay it? The good news is that if you hunt around, buy at sales, and wait for good deals, you can get all of these toys for less than the SRP.
Gordon retails anywhere between $16 and $19, depending on where you shop. I was able to find my Gordon on an eBay store for $12, and I only payed $1 for shipping for Gordon because I bought several items at the same time and got a deal. Many online stores will offer free shipping over a certain dollar amount (if you live in the continental US, which I unfortunately do not) so you can buy several items during a sale and get a good deal that way. The main that I've found with these toys is that they're so expensive, it's definitely worth shopping around for a good deal.
Play with Gordon
Gordon is definitely an important part of my son's Thomas collection. My 27-month-old sends Gordon racing around the track and says things like "Gordon fast." or "Gordon Work Hard." I think my son really respects Gordon as a strong, brave, hard-working engine. He doesn't seem to notice that sometimes Gordon isn't all that kind to the smaller engines, instead admiring Gordon for the positive aspects of his personality.
I must say that one of the things I like most about Gordon - and indeed the Thomas the Tank Engine show in general - is the value that is placed on working hard and being useful. The show is not perfect, but I do find that aspect of it refreshing, and something not really emphasized in most other children's shows. Recently my son has become very enthusiastic about helping out and "working hard" himself, and I have to think the Thomas series has played some part in encouraging that.
FIND RELATED REVIEWS BELOW
Wooden Railway System
Annie - Thomas' Beloved Coach
Barrel Car
Bertie the Bus
Clarabel- Thomas' Beloved Coach
Edward the Blue Engine
Harold the Helicoptor
Henry the Green Engine
James the Red Engine
Lady
Percy the Small Engine
Rusty with Construction Cars
Thomas the Tank Engine
Tidmouth Milk Tanker
Toby the Tram Engine
Arched Stone Bridge
Single Stone Tunnel
6.5 inch Curved Switch Track
6.5 inch Curved Track
Circle Set
Books
Diesel's Devious Deed
Thomas: The Really Useful Engine
Buying Thomas
All Aboard Toys
Train Table
Nilo Train Table
Recommended:
Yes
Amount Paid (US$): $12.00
Type of Toy: Trains
Age Range of Child: 3 to 5 Years
|
|
|
|
Epinions.com ID:
dagny21
|
 in Kids & Family |
 - Top 500 |
|
Member: Christine D
Location: Alaska
Reviews written: 388
Trusted by: 66 members
About Me:
Happily married mother of one boy.
|
|
|
- Add to My Yahoo!: 
- Add to Google Homepage: 
© 1999-2009 Shopping.com, Inc.