OT: Train Set for Toddler

[reggiemcp]

Hi

I know this is OT but I need help. My son is 27 months old and obsessed with Thomas the Tank Engine. I feel like it live in the All Thomas World. Thomas books, shirts, videos, etc. We would like to buy him a train set for Christmas but there are so many I don't know where to start. I know I would like it to be a wooden one and have it come with a table. We don't want to spend over $300 total (more than usual amount spent, but he should have it for several years). Can anyone recommend anything, or where to start? Looked at Toys R Us, they had a Imaginarium brand one with table for $150, thought I could get that and he could get some Thomas trains for it but reviews on the site said the table was shoddy. Someone also told me to check out Brio brand trains, but don't know where to look for those.

Thanks for any help.

 

[AC7179]

Hi, we got the Imaginarium train table and set from Toys R Us for my dd's second bday (9.22) and it is WONDERUFL. We don't consider it shoddy at all.

She's not particular about Thomas, so she plays with the trains that came with the table, although the Thomas trains also fit on the track. Just make sure that they are the Thomas' that fit on the wooden tracks.

We got the Imaginarium on sale in September for 99 dollars for the train table and 100 piece set and we could not be any happier.

 

[FirstTimertoDiz]

Oh thank goodness, I thought it was just our house that is obsessed with Thomas the Tank Engine items!!! lol

We have been in a similar situation as yours- I have been researching train tables since July when I wanted to get one for ds, who was having his 3rd birthday. I found them all to be not that great in quality, and for the most part WAAAAAY overpriced! So, I ended up deciding to build one for him this Christmas. I found plans online that you can purchase for 10 dollars, which was totally worth it to me, since I am someone who can't build things without specific measurements and instructions. I can find the link for the plans if you would be interested. I thought it was nice, because the measurements actually fit the Thomas table tops (the reversible ones), so I can actually buy one of those for $60 or so and use it in the table itself.

I wasn't sure if you had gotten any tracks or not yet, but the Imaginarium tracks hold up pretty well for a toddler. We usually get those tracks, and buy the Thomas trains for them. Also, not sure if you have an AC Moore where you live, but they put in a 40% coupon out every week, and it is good on the Thomas stuff- best deal I have seen so far.

Hth, and good luck!

 

[jennobrn01]

Long repsonse ahead from a mom saturated in Thomas. I can completely identify! The all Thomas all the time phenomenon here only changed with the release of CARS. At least there is a little variety.

You most definitely want to invest in the wooden Thomas and Friends railway by Learning Curve. The construction is fabulous. Learning Curve will replace any piece that is defective or becomes broken with no questions asked. The wooden pieces are beautiful. A nice toy for your son to one day pass on to his son. Also, check Ebay to see how the value of the engines increases over the years. Though I would only recommend Ebay for finding a engine that is no longer made. Otherwise the deals are slim to non-existant.

We purchased our oldest DS a Thomas train table for his 2nd birthday. The key to getting Thomas merch cheaply is using either the ACMoore of Michaels coupons. ACMoore has the bigger selection of "T" merch. When I was in the market for a T. train table I inquired with the manager of my local ACMoore if they kept them in stock. They did not, but volunteered to order the table and table board (yeah they come separately) for me. Since then, they stock T. train tables in the back stock room.

I used a 50% off coupon that came in the ACMoore flyer for the train table. My mom used her 50% off coupon and bought the board and I paid her back. The weekly ACMoore flyers have a 40% off one item coupon more regularly than the 50% off. Still a deal.

My best advice is use the coupons for either ACMoore or Michaels weekly to build your collection. Also watch second hand stores. Between family giving T. stuff for C-mas and birthdays, finding Thomas merch. in Once Upon A Child, our classifieds, yard sales, and using the weekly coupons we have built a huge collection. I believe only twice have we paid full price for T. merch.

Black Friday has also offered a great opportunity to collect T. merchandise. The past few years, ACMoore and Michaels have 60-70% off one item coupons. I used them to buy a couple big ticket Thomas "destinations". (the deluxe roundhouse etc). Also Joann, Michaels, and ACMoore all accept each other's coupons.

Hope that helps! DS's love of Thomas has worn off on me!

 

[ilovejack02]

My DH made my son the train table and I then decorated the outside of it. I bought the actual Thomas the train top. I have a friend that bought the set you are talkiing about buying and has been happy with it. The table is actually smaller I believe than the real Thomas one. DS loves Thomas so much, we drove 10 hrs to Chattanooga in May for a Day Out with Thomas it was awesome. We started with a basic set i believe it was the conductors set and have built from there. Yes it is expensive, but will last a life time. I have gotten alot of his train pieces from buying the DVD's alot of Thomas dvd's come with a train piece. Ive gotten them all at Walmart for about 13.84 each. The individual Thomas pieces are usually at least 9.00. Toys r us actually has a cpl of sets on sale right now, you should check it out.

My fav. Thomas merchandise website is rrgifts.com. You can order a catalog for free. My DS looks and looks at it for hours lol.
Choo choo!

 

[mommyandmore]

My son loves Thomas too but he is not super particuar about his trains- he has mostly brio ones and a few that are actually Thomas and friends. We have been very happy with the train table I got at Target- it was reccomended by my cousin as it stood up to 6 years of kids (3 boys!) and is still going strong. It has worked very well for us and seems very nice and sturdy. Plus I likes the white color since all the play room furniture is white. I think I paid about $75 on sale. I got the tracks there too- a whole set that came with bridges and a station and a few trains and is compatible with Thomas. Then I got a playmat from Pottery Barn Kids (also on sale- I think maybe $10?) and had my brother saw off the inch or so that it was too long and- here's the key- HOT GLUE down the tracks on the mat. This has worked so much better for my son (3 years old) since now he can play and not worry abotu the tracks coming apart and he can't get them back together. I figure when he is older and wants to "design" more I can always remove the mat or get a new one. I will say that the train tabel has been one of the best investments I have made in my whole life! Seriously! He still plays with it at least an hour or 2 every day and it has been almost 2 years since we got it.

 

[momsgoofy]

DS, who is now 14, got his first train set, a Thomas the tank G scale when he was about your DS's age...can't remember if his Grandpa (a total model railroad collector) got it for him before or after he was 3...think it was before. It was the one with Thomas and 2 cars and came with track. Grandpa had to use one of the transformers he already had for the set, but DS absolutely LOVED it!!! His grandpa was great at teaching DS how to operate the train...not too fast.

We've got some great photos of the 2 of them over the years. We have a local place that is a pizza/pasta restaurant and a train store combined. We spent many Sunday dinners there with Grandpa while DS and he played with the wooden Thomas, watched the G scale trains above the tables and buy more trains. It can be an expensive hobby, but it's been a good one for DS to share with his grandpa, who's bought DS many more trains since...one is so cool...makes sounds like scraping the coal box, shutting the coal door, and steam sounds as it goes around and even blows smoke out of the stack...think Grandpa said that one was like $300 or more...thank goodness for Grandpas!!! Anyway, because of all this interest in trains and going to the restaurant every week for so long, the owner asked DS and Grandpa to be in a commercial for the place. DS was maybe 4 then...he was a bit scared so I got to be in the commercial also. Our pay...free food!

If your son loves Thomas, you feel he is able to handle one, go ahead and get him one of the larger sets so he can operate it with some help...the memories will last a lifetime!

(DS still plays with Thomas...with his little cousins, to whom he gave his old small Thomas stuff, but he kept the big train set from Grandpa.)

 

[Kristi1357]

We have the Imaginarium table and it is perfectly fine! DS loves it. We do buy Thomas pieces for it at AC Moore & Michaels with the 40 & 50% off coupons.

 

[StitchandPooh'sMom]

Two good websites to check out - Smith Thompson (www.rrgifts.com) and All Aboard Toys (www.allaboardtoys.com). They both have a great selection of Thomas items. We bought the double-sided playboard from amazon several years ago, and we bought the plain Learning Curve maple train table (since discontinued) at Smith-Thompson on clearance for about $60 - last one they had! I didn't want the Thomas table that was over $200 (DH didn't want the character table in the living room), but we wanted a table so we wouldn't keep tripping over the train. AC Moore is a great place to buy Thomas trains with the 40% coupon - that's our usual spot. We also sometimes buy at Toys R Us when they have special sales.

We started with the basic Figure 8 pack with Conductor's shed - it was about $30 and came with Thomas. We had added pieces on since then - the roundhouse, another bridge, the hospital, etc. Bridges and tunnels are very fun and add a lot of play value. You can buy extra track by Suretrack (I think) that is about $1 a piece and it fits with the Thomas track. It doesn't look exactly the same (doesn't have all the extra lines the Thomas track has), but you can get some interesting crossing pieces, curves, etc., without breaking the budget. You can also encourage other gift givers to stick with the theme and get other train cars, buildings, etc. - it will be easy to find things to go with the train for years to come!

If your DS has a favorite train or episode, you can get pieces that correspond to that episode and get a book and some pieces to go along with it (Percy's Chocolate Crunch, Cranky the Crane, etc.) It's always fun to act out stories that they already know!

Last tip - if you go to the Learning Curve website, it lists all the online sites that sell Thomas. I went through almost every one looking for the plain maple table so we could keep it in the living room, and since it was discontinued, it was good to have so many choices!

 

[Ladyw/theTramp]

We have the Imaginarium and it is great... the only tip I have was given to me by a friend...

When my kids are playing with it, the tracks can fall apart too easily.. especially for a younger child who will be kinda rough..

SO...

You can hot glue gun the track together and down to the table!

For collectors, etc, this wouldn't work, but it was a great alternative for us , instead of rebuilding the track every time it got knocked over!!

 

[virginiamama]

From one train nut's mom to another...
Costco usually has a train table set that comes out in the store around this time of year. It is super nice and very reasonably priced. I think it was around $150 in the store, and it includes a nice starter track, and has huge drawers on casters. We missed out on this a few years ago, but a friend did buy hers there and it is still in great shape. We had to order from One Step Ahead and pay around $300 for almost exactly the same table. It has been played with EVERY DAY for 3 years and shows very little wear. It was definitely money well spent. When folks would ask what DS wanted for birthday/Christmas we'd tell them about a particular train that he'd mentioned wanting, or a track part, mainly to avoid getting duplicates, and we'd tell them where they could get it. It makes gift buying easier for everyone and that way they know he'll like it and play with it a lot. Good luck!

 

[mitushib]

Unlinkes source for thomas train table and cheaper is a crafts store called Ragshop if you have one nearby. They have 2 whole Thomas aisles and i saw a train table there. Dunno about the cost but you can call and check.

 

[DawnM]

We got a Thomas full track set and table top (DH made a table to fit it) for around $200. I think it was "last years' model" at the time.

We have added to the set through the years.

I have THREE boys, so it has been well used. My youngest is 2.5 years and loves it now too. It holds up well and has had literally hundreds of hours of play time between all the boys and their friends.

It is well worth the investment.

Dawn

 

[Gillian]

We got a set at Bjs around Christmas time a few years ago for ~$100. The table is sturdy and has 6 bins underneath for storage. I love the bins because they hold everything but are small enough for us to see what's in them!

While the trains that came with it are no good (plain, ugly), the tracks are fine and work with the real Thomas ones. You can see a difference in quality, but it's not a problem.

The top is plain but you could paint it or switch out for a decorated Thomas one.

We only have 1 boy, and DS stopped playing with them last year. He just turned 6. For us, spending any more would have been a waste. He doesn't want us to sell it, because he's very sentimental, but we have been talking about turning it into a giant Lego table!

 

[monorailsilver]

Another Thomas family here.

We don't have a train table for a few reasons: my house is too small & I already have too many big toys inside.

So I just got a big toy box & all the train pieces are in there & my kids (OK I do too) love to build tracks & with the round house we are able to build HUGE tracks & different ones each time.

I have pieces from Learning Curve, Imagineerium & Target. Target was where we first bought the set since we were in Sesame Place & it was raining & we needed something for our then 2 yo dd to do in the hotel room.

I wouldn't buy pieces from The Christmas Tree shop since they have 'pegs' that connect the pieces & the pegs come out which are not so safe.

I woundn't go over board & buy every piece because the pieces generally don't change or go away.

If you belong to BJ's (or any other whole sale club) they do have a table that they put out during the Christmas shopping season.

I see you are from Bkln, did you ride Thomas this year? It is going to be in Essex, CT the 1st 2 weekends in November. We are going to be there at 9am on Nov 1st. It will be our 3rd year in a row but it also does help that we live about 10 min from where 'he' will be & we spend many summer/spring/fall days at the train station watching the normal steam train depart with tourists & then my kids beg to go inside the building to play with Thomas trains set up.

 

[FayeW]

Oh, how we loved Thomas in our house! My son learned to talk by repeating the names of the trains at the end of each segment on the videos! I think he got Gordon for going #2 in the potty, and The Flying Scotman adorned his 4th birthday cake.

We probably have about $1000.+ in Thomas trains, tracks, buildings and bridges. Most of the big stuff I was able to get on sale. Sadly, it is packed away now as my baby will be 10 at the end of the month, and he stopped playing with it a couple of years ago. It broke my heart.

Absolutely, positively, go with the Thomas brand. My son loved acting out the videos with correct trains!

We did not purchase the table, as we felt that the table would actually limit his creativity since, depending on the pieces you have, there are only certain ways you can build the track and have everything fit on the table. We liked to spread it out across the floor. We spent hours building tracks with him, and sometimes we would leave our creations spread out for days. I learned to vacuum around suspension bridges and tunnels!

I would recommend starting with the figure 8 set, the roundhouse, a bridge, maybe Cranky the Crane, and then lots of extra track (switch tracks, short pieces, etc).

I really envy another Mom starting out with Thomas.

 

[*JoGo*]

My ILs bought my boys a toy table a few yrs back from KBToys. It's not the most 'upscale' and the top is just green, but it is nice and has one drawer. It's handled a lot of... love (abuse! lol!) thru the yrs and still looks great, very minor scratching.

If you'd like a nice big train table, and are handy -or your kids are blessed w/ a handy grandpa- you could make a train table with coasters that fits under the bed. My friend said they actually make these now although I've never seen one in a store. My mom saw it on tv, some home decorating show. The boy had a bed with a pull-out bed under it, and they put a big board in there and decorated it all up, so when he's not playing trains it slides right under the bed, you don't have to take the track apart or anything. I'm sure you could make this without buying a new bed w/ the pull-out bed. My youngest ds has a pull-out and if I was handy enough, I'd love to make this for him.

Check out ToysRus! When I was in there over the weekend, I saw some pieces on clearance, and they had coupons for another 20% off clearance. I think they also had the wooden ones on sale, buy one, get something free. Keep watching their ads. For next Xmas, September is Thomas/Train month at TRU and they have sales then also. I've also heard Costco carries a train table w/ a train set.

 

[rt2dz]

I have not read all the replies, so this might be repeative. Sorry if that is the case. Get the Thomas trains, wooden. There is a lifetime guarantee on them. If you just don't like how it is looking (old), you can get a new one. Or, if you have a puppy who chews one... Plus, they hold up way better than any other brand (minus brio, which is also excellent) to abuse. The Thomas track fits together much, much better also. Of course, I've had a train obessed child that played basically with nothing else, so our stuff probably had more use than the casual user's stuff. And has been through the washing machine a few times.

I, personally, don't like the Thomas train table though. Ours was custom made. It has held up better than the Thomas table that friends have, and looks a million times better (could be used as a coffee table when the trains are gone). Not to mention was half the price. Ours has two huge drawers underneath, that have shelf for double duty. You can get plans and build it yourself if you are handy.

As far as the best way to get trains...Learning Curve keeps a tight grip on the prices, so there isn't much difference from place to place. Except when you find a store coupon or a sale. I love the Michaels 40% off coupon, but they don't carry that much anymore and are frequently 10% off. Sets & individual buildings are best bought off ebay imo. I've generally gotten them for 1/2 off that way. I do keep a rr gifts catalog by my side when bidding to keep the price in check (including the shipping costs with that).

As what set to begin with. A middle sized set is best. The small ones are too small. And the large ones (which can be good), can be pieced together off ebay frequently at less cost (1/2-1/3). Although, I would get larger than smaller. Then, still expect to buy things/add ons over time. I often half-joke that our Thomas collection (we've had 3 boys so it just doesn't ever go away), is worth more than our house. Seriously, we need to have it seperately insured for replacement value. When they retire a piece, it goes up in price. Something I'm never getting rid of--saving it for the grandkids.

 

[EthansMom]

We've never done the table for our Thomas trains.

We got DS the Figure 8 set and the Figure 8 Expansion set when he was about 2. Over the years, I've picked up trains here and there at reasonable prices (DVDs with a train for $10 at Sam's Club, discontinued trains at Barnes & Noble for $2-$3 each). Also, Santa has given DS some extra track here and there over the years and Grandmas and Grampas have done the rest.

My initial outlay for the two sets was about $60 (bought off the internet). DS now has three large bins filled with tracks, bridges, and trains.

When DS was young, we used packing tape and double sided tape (on bottoms) to hold track together. Now that he's older, we don't need the tape. At 5 years old, DS still plays with his trains, though not as often as he did at 2 and 3.

 

[fakereadhed]

When DS was young, we used packing tape and double sided tape (on bottoms) to hold track together.

Great idea!