My son's third birthday this year had a Thomas the Tank Engine theme (his choice), and as a result, he got a lot of Thomas-themed merchandise, including several new engines, and new track pieces and structures form his grandparents. One of his favorites is the accessory he coveted most at his cousins' house: the Thomas the Tank Engine & Friends Water Tower.

::: Finally, It's Not Just for Doll Bottles :::

If you've ever seen the bottles they make for baby dolls where the liquid in the bottle seems to "disappear" then you have a rough concept of the idea behind the Thomas the Tank Engine & Friends Water Tower. The tower is a little over 6 inches top to bottom, and sits on a wooden track piece measuring approximately 5 1/8" by 4 inches.

The front section of the wood piece has printed "track" with rail grooves running in front of the tower, which is on a "wooden" base covered on all four sides by stickers made to look like a platform. The tower has a red base and top with blue "water" inside. Lower the black spout, and the water level lowers in the tower, making it appear that an engine has just been filled. Raise the spout back up, and the water fills back up again.

Like all Learning Curve products for the wood train sets, the Thomas the Tank Engine & Friends Water Tower comes with a lifetime guarantee, and is recommended for ages two and up.

::: Well, They Are Steam Engines! :::

What track set up for steam engines could be complete without a Thomas the Tank Engine & Friends Water Tower? The mere fact that we were able to get away with not having one for so long astounds me, because it has always been one of Buster's favorite pieces when we have visited his cousins' house. After all, steam engines get awfully thirsty tooling around Sodor.

The Thomas the Tank Engine & Friends Water Tower is very sturdy, with the bottom being wood and the top parts being plastic. We've only had ours about two months, but my nephews have had theirs for well over two years, and it still looks brand new. Best of all, it requires no batteries, and runs totally on kid power.

There is a reason that the Thomas the Tank Engine & Friends Water Tower is the centerpiece for track sets; it's fun, cool, and a must-have item for thirsty engines.

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The Water Tower has to fill up:

Ben • Briarpatch Thomas the Tank Engine and Friends Number Game • Colorforms Thomas & Friends - Island of Sodor Play Set • Chinese Dragon • Dazy Sure Track • Flexi-Curve Track • Gordon • Ivo Hugh with Zoo Cars • Lifting Bridge • Mavis • Maxim 124-Piece Roundhouse Train Set • Nilo FlexaTrack • Nilo Multi-Use Storage Bench • Nilo Multi-Use Train Table • Oliver • Schylling Thomas & Friends Tin Drum • Sir Topham Hatt & Lady Topham Hatt • Sir Topham Hatt Auto Stop Track • Spencer • Thomas the Tank Engine

Recommended: Yes

Amount Paid (US$): 20.00
Type of Toy: Trains
Age Range of Child: Other