Thomas & The Magic Railroad was my son's very first introduction to Thomas and his friends. Toby only makes a very brief appearance in this film, but it's evidently a memorable one. After a few times of watching this film my then not quite 2-year-old was shouting out "Toby!" when the good-natured tram engine appeared.

So, when I purchased a dozen or so Thomas the Tank Engine & Friends wooden railway system items off of eBay, Toby was of course one of them. I gave him a few, then tucked the rest in a closet to be parted out on special days.

Our son was mostly potty trained for pee, but we'd been having a great deal of trouble getting him to poop on the potty, even with the "bare naked" method. He would hold it until we put a diaper on for nap or bed time. One day, out of the blue I told him "Poop in your potty today, and not at all in your diaper" and daddy will bring home Toby tonight (He's very with it and I didn't want him to get the idea that we had anything hidden away at home).

Well, it didn't happen that day, but we kept reminding him, and a few evenings later he pooped in the potty and got to take Toby to bed with him.

The Toy
Toby is mostly made of nicely painted maple, with a molded plastic face, wheels, and a gray plastic skirt around his bottom portion. He has two very strong magnets on his front and rear, and a couple of tiny bonus magnets on his top, which most of the engines do not have. If you have the breakdown train or a crane, you can use these to lift Toby on and off the tracks by these little magnets. Toby is a very cute engine on the show and in this toy. He has an adorable, unique face, and has a very nice personality. He has the number 7 painted on each side.

Play with Toby
Surprisingly enough, I don't notice my son's play with Toby in conjunction with the rest of his railroad. I know he does, but he doesn't do anything unique or special with him on the tracks. However, my son talks about him a lot, takes him to bed with him quite frequently, and carries him around quite a bit. He's also asked for both a Toby toothbrush and a Toby shirt (he has a Thomas toothbrush and Thomas PJs), which I haven't seen anywhere unfortunately. He appears to have more affection for Toby than an interest in actually playing with him. I'm sure if we had a Toby blanket or a stuffed Toby he'd be cuddling with it all the time.

Buying Toby
Toby's full retail varies between $10 and $12 depending on the store, but he's widely available and always on sale somewhere, so look around for a good deal.

FIND RELATED REVIEWS BELOW

Wooden Railway System
Annie - Thomas' Beloved Coach
Barrel Car
Bertie the Bus
Clarabel- Thomas' Beloved Coach
Edward the Blue Engine
Gordon the Big Express 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
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$): 8.99
Type of Toy: Trains
Age Range of Child: 3 to 5 Years