Choo Choo Ch Boogie - Thomas Medium Set
Written: Apr 27 '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 Medium Set would be a bit dull for a standalone track, but makes an excellent addition to any Tomica sets you may already have.
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| jaxmom28's Full Review: Tomica World Thomas Medium Train Set |
I'm headed for the station with a pack on my back.
“Look Mommy, the train, the train!” I’ve got my own little rail-happy Herve Villachez riding around in my backseat. It’s my older son (aged 4), and he’s cuckoo for choo-choo trains. So’s my husband, and Younger son is angling to join the club, so a few years ago I figured some sort of model train set was in order and went looking for the best fit for us.
Why Tomica World Thomas & Friends?
I'm tired of transportation in the back of a hack.
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!
Contents and Assembly
I love to hear the rhythm of a clickety-clack, and hear the whistle blowin', see the smoke from the stack
Suggested for ages 3 and up, the Medium Set double-loop layout is approximately 70 cm x 100cm and contains: 10 curved rails, 3 straight half-rails, 1 stop rail, 1 drawbridge, 2 turn-outs, 1 station, 1 tree, 1 signal, 1 Thomas locomotive, 1 Anne and 1 Clarabel carriage. Requires 1 "AA" battery (not included). No stickers in this one, either; ah, the blessings continue! Aside from the various “Expansion Packs” you encounter, this is one of the smallest full-blown “sets” offered by Tomica in the Thomas line, and better suited to a supplemental package than a standalone track.
Assembly is easy enough that even Older son (Four) can manage it. 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 – mostly pictorial instructions here, and I usually find that more frustrating than helpful. 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
Pal around with democratic fellas named Mack, so take me right back to the track - Jack!
The Tomica trains stay on the track reasonably well. At our house, a jumper is usually the product of a small boy eager for a spectacular crash and the direct result of two trains slamming headlong into one another. The engines and cars are resilient enough to take this kind of damage on a regular basis and to go back about their busy days without a word of complaint. Given my children’s propensities for toy dissection and destruction, this cheerful flexibility is quite the plus.
All the Tomica sets (including their non-Thomas product) work together by simply snapping in place. This is a terrific feature for Older son, who very much wants to Do It [Him]self. He’s very insistent on creating and managing his own layouts, and perfectly capable of doing so thanks to the user-friendly design. Aside from keeping him busy and happy for hours, this kid-friendly construction also encourages creative play and problem solving, which I’m happy to see in a toy that doesn’t talk.
At roughly $25-$35, 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 believe me, my boys have tried. If a thing can be shredded, they will shred it, yet these trains and tracks have managed to soldier on for the last three years. I am duly impressed, and continue to add pieces every year. Tomica’s wide and varied expansion possibilities, both Thomas and otherwise, make upgrading and augmenting the set easy and relatively economical, as well.
Dislikes
Choo Choo, choo choo ch boogie.
Woo woo, woo woo ch boogie.
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. It’s not that big a deal in the great scheme of things, but it can get annoying when your four-year old is clamoring impatiently for Thomas. We have enough now that we always keep one backup Thomas loaded and ready to go.
Get enough of these guys together and it does get pretty noisy. One or two trains running (which is all you’ll have room for if you have only the Medium Set) is fine, but any more than that and you are looking for trouble. Sort of a low-roar white-noise background hum that’s fine for a while, once you really notice the noise it never goes away. Like a TV with broken volume on a static station you can’t turn off. It’s okay with one or 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
Choo Choo, choo choo ch boogie.
Take me right back to the track, Jack!
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 Medium Set would be a bit dull for a standalone track, but makes an excellent addition to any Tomica sets you may already have.
Looking for more Thomas?
♦ Thomas Adventure Set
♦ Thomas Big Set
Note: Headers taken from the song “Choo Choo Ch Boogie,” written by V. Horton, D. Darling and M. Gabler.
Recommended:
Yes
Amount Paid (US$): 26.99
Type of Toy: Trains
Age Range of Child: Whole Family
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jaxmom28
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Location: Somewhere in the south
Reviews written: 78
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Whatever you are, be a good one.
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