Got this for my son's 2nd birthday. This set is fantastic as it includes the shed, turntable, 2 bridges, and 2 cranes, all of which my son loves to play with, it took him about 10 minutes to master using the cranes. To get this stuff with the Thomas sets would have cost hundreds and Melissa and Doug is fantastic quality. It also came with 8 trains and a truck, which is a great starting point, and it is completely compatible with the Thomas trains (we picked up a bunch of Thomas trains at a garage sale). There are also 2 people who my son likes to put in trains and airplanes and helicopters. There are a handful of trees and signs, but not as many extra stuff as most sets have, this is good because most of these just wind up on the ground, but occasionally will be used as obstacles that can be crashed into.
It is a very busy table, not too much space that isn't covered with track, and every bit of track definitely gets used. It can hold a lot more than the 8 trains it comes with, we are currently at 15 trains, the truck, a bus, a helicopter, and an airplane, and I see no reason why it couldn't handle another ten vehicles easily.
One very nice feature of the trains that this comes with is it's very easy to tell which way the polarity runs in the magnets. The wheels look different on each side of the train, on side features nice rounded caps, the other looks like rivets. So long as you see either all rounded caps or all rivets, you know that the polarity is correct and the trains will connect, something that your two year old may not always realize. However, if you will be adding Thomas trains, their polarity is reversed from that of the Melissa and Doug trains. So a Melissa and Doug engine and a Thomas engine will have to face different directions in order to connect. However, the cranes in this set will work with any cargo you can pick up from the Thomas trains.
I highly recommend getting a table for this set, we picked up a Pottery Barn Activity Table at a garage sale which is the exact right size, along with 2 sets of
Suretrack Clips 14 Count
to use on the elevated tracks, and a roll of 1" wide gaffers tape. Rather than gluing or screwing down the tracks, the gaffers tape works great and will come off without leaving any residue in a few more years when my son is ready to design his own track layouts. It does take a long time to set up, probably took me 5 hours to build everything and tape it down securely, but after the first week of playing and derailments and crashes nothing is coming off the table. The track with the crane has been lifted up a little bit several times, but never completely taken off. I imagine there isn't a whole lot you can do with this piece as it sticks up so high and is functional, but if I have to occasionally retape down one piece its not the end of the world. I have seen a few places on the elevated tracks that seemed a bit weak so I've reinforced them with more tape and they seem to be a lot sturdier. UPDATE: After two and a half months the gaffers tape and Suretrack Clips are holding up perfectly, I've never had to fix a single track, and my son climbs on the table and plays rough.
I'm incredibly happy with this train set, its fantastic quality, and it provides my son with hours of entertainment every day!
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From the manufacturer
Countless Ways to Play
From classic wooden toys to realistic pretend play sets, Melissa & Doug products spark imagination and wonder through screen-free, open-ended play! We make well-crafted toys that are developed with care to be passed down from generation to generation or shared family to family. When kids pretend with Melissa & Doug, anything is possible!
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Two Working CranesMagnetic cranes feature levers to raise and lower cargo. |
Roundhouse Engine ShedPark trains in the roundhouse engine shed when not in use. |
Next Stop . . .Kids will love playing conductor of the 4-piece passenger train! |
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With more than three decades of experience, we’re a brand you can trust. Our safe and durable toys inspire imaginative play and are designed to stand the test of time and be passed down through generations. |
We use wood whenever we can because it’s renewable and durable. To ensure the world has healthy forests AND high-quality wooden toys, we’ve committed to planting 10 million trees by 2030. |
100% Screen-Free No screens, no apps, just good wholesome toys for hours of kid-powered fun! Each one of our products is designed to engage children in the joy of imaginative, hands-on play. |
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Wooden Railway Set
Melissa & Doug - Domestic
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Customer Review: Tracks are great, great customer support!
Christina
Reviews with images
great train set for the $, a few construction issues
My son absolutely LOVES his wooden train sets (he started with the 2 starter sets {Thomas the Tank Engine and Imaginarium}) so we wanted to add to his collection and looked into many expansion sets before deciding on this set. for many reasons we love this set: first of all, this set is a great set for the cost!!! and is compatible with his other train sets. Secondly, we love that this set comes with so many actual train tracks pieces and structures, other sets were mostly trees and signs. The quality and quantity of items that come with this set is amazing and we would definately purchase this set again.But with that said, there are a few construction issues that when compared to other sets; this wooden train set is slightly inferior. First the bridge is not the best design, no matter how you try to support it (we gave up using their wooden supports and use the Imaginarium plastic supports instead)the bridge consistantly collapses. Secondly the wooden supports, don't stay in place and cause the train tracks to fall off, so we no longer use them and just place the majority of the track on the floor; using the wooden supports more for blocks than anything else.Besides the bridge and supports, I am extremely pleased with this wooden train set and would definately recommend it to others!
Top reviews from other countries
marlenne pegueros
Buena compra
Reviewed in Mexico on October 15, 2023
marlenne pegueros
Reviewed in Mexico on October 15, 2023
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