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79 of 80 found the following review helpful:
 not as pleased as I thought I'd be....here's whyDec 28, 2001
After opening it on Christmas day, we realized it DOES NOT come with the 5-way switch track that is pictured on the box. (A VERY important piece for this roundhouse to work). So we have yet to get to play with it. After much searching on the internet, I have found that this roundhouse costs less other places and usually comes WITH the switch track. Unfortunately, I can't find any place that sells a 5-way switch track w/out the round house. So my advice is to find this item elsewhere WITH the switch track included. Other wise, this will be a great addition to our train collection once we find a way to connect it!
128 of 137 found the following review helpful:
 Great for 18 months and up! But expensive...Nov 08, 2003
By H. David Peirce
"Zossima"
The Thomas train and train collections are durable toys. Their real value, though, is that playing with the toys allows children to act out the great Thomas and Friends children's stories they read and watch.Kids' imaginations can remarkably supply buildings and water towers and cranes, etc., so that they won't even miss what might be lacking from less expensive sets. And families can build some of these items themselves out of old boxes, etc. BUT I HAVE YET TO MEET KIDS THAT LOVE THOMAS THAT DIDN'T WANT A ROUNDHOUSE. This is the 'official' Thomas roundhouse, but it is very expensive. YOU PROBABLY CAN FIND A GENERIC ROUNDHOUSE FOR A LOT LESS (MAYBE EVEN 2/3 LESS!) WITH A LITTLE LOOKING. Purchasing recommendation:
* Choose which type of Thomas trains you will 'standardize' on. There are three kinds: This size of wooden trains from Learning Curve; larger, plastic, battery-operated trains from Tomy; and smaller, die-cast metal trains from Ertl. The wooden trains have the most products and accessories available. * The clickety-clack (grooved to look like real railroad) track in the Thomas series is great, but it's expensive; I recommend buying generic track. ... You can literally save hundreds of dollars by buying these kinds of sets. * Buy the Thomas and friends engines separately--and wait for sales. The kids care about the characters, so no short-cutting (ie., Brio or generic trains) here. * Look for trains bundled with VHS videos. You can get a video and a train (on sale) for about the same price as a train alone. * Only buy the official accessories (buildings, tables, etc.) if you cannot find generic substitutes for less or cannot make them yourself.
41 of 41 found the following review helpful:
Well worth the price!Nov 11, 1999
My 2 sons love the Thomas the Tank Engine. We Started to purchase the items one at a time, first with a small starter set then we worked our way up to the higher price add ons. It has been a good investment. The train table always full of trains and tracks it is always put to use in our home and the favorite toy when ever other children visit. My children add on and move aroud the peices daily.The prices seem high at first but when you see how much the children love them, use them and keep comming back for more you don't mind spending a little extra. They are toys that get used all the time and don't end up under the beds or in the back of the basement closet. They hold up great even to my 2 boys and that means alot.
68 of 74 found the following review helpful:
Time For ThomasSep 11, 2004
By Richard R. Carlton
The Thomas train sets are great modern versions of the classic indestructible wooden train sets. Simple enough to avoid the toddler age frustrations of getting the cars to run on the track yet complex enough to engage a wide range of ages (up to and including Grandpas). All the stories help with the imagination part....the books & videos provide an endless source of adventures that can be acted out, although most kids are perfectly capable of inventing their own episodes.
Here is my advice, if you are trying to work your way through the maze of start-up options:
First of all, you can spend a fortune on a huge set....even if you can afford it, I would start with something small and give the child the joy of receiving a chain of small but intriguing presents over a long period of time. It fosters the joy of giving/receiving and helps teach them to come back again and again to the same toy...watching it grow, asking for specific items from the stories they hear, etc. Several reviewers suggest painting an old coffee table and this is a great idea.
I suggest the Figure 8 set (the most popular one) or if you want to spend a little bit more, the Conductors Figure 8 set. Both are complex enough to be interesting, but simple enough to give lots of room for growth. Almost immediately I would add a new present of one of the inexpensive engines (you can ask the child which story they like best and get that engine for them....or buy the engine to go with the video or book in the same gift)....these would be Percy The Small Engine, Bill The Yellow Engine, Treavor, (or a bit more $ for:) The Lady Engine, James The Red Engine, Gordon The Express Engine (he's one of the best stories, I think), or Henry The Green Engine.
Now for the good stuff! Give it a month or so, and then reward the child with something really cool like the Barrel Loader or Rusty the Construction 3 Car Set.
I honestly can't see the point in the huge multi hundred dollar system sets. If you want to impress the neighbors or something, go for it, but I'm telling you.....most kids will enjoy a large number of small thoughtful gifts, not a "keep-up-with-the-Jones" effort on your part.
Good behavior can be rewarded with a pick-your-own trip to the store (there are sometimes when a real time shopping trip can't be beat)
By the way, the Thomas stories are based on real restored engines that run in England on the Mid-Hants Railway Watercress line near Winchester (you can read about them an even plan a trip to ride on the real Thomas trains by checking out watercressline.co.uk). They are a day trip from the London rail stations, although I recommend using a B&B in the Winchester area and staying overnight if you decide to go. Winchester was the center of the old Saxon kingdom of Wessex of King Alfred as well as a major early medieval site (the Cathedral has the tombs of many of the Saxon Kings as well as Jayne Austen and Izaac Walton and it was where Richard the Lionhearted was crowned.)
27 of 27 found the following review helpful:
The Roundhouse, the center of any good railwayDec 28, 1999
In the tradition of long hours of fun with Thomas toys, the roundhouse is a workhorse. The long track grooves inside the roundhouse allow your engineer to double stack up to ten engines inside as in the stories. The open back portion allows little engineers to see into the shed where their engines sleep. In addition to durable doors which are sized just right for little hands, the sturdy construction allows a pint-sized engineer to sit on the roundhouse while running at his/her feet below. Some of the Thomas tracks don't stand up under my three-year old's impression of "Godzilla" but the roundhouse withstands the monster's fury every time! It is unfortunate the Learning Curve did not see fit to market the red turntable as a part of the Roundhouse toy as it takes up less room on your island of Sodor than the other wood-colored turntable. The roundhouse is a terrific anchor for any railway line. Happy Railroading!
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