Thomas & Friends James the Red Engine

Our price:	$17.99
Manufacturer:	Learning Curve

Average user rating: Average user rating: 5

Great toy - Great size!

My two-year-old son loves all his wooden Thomas trains! They keep him busy for hours and are extremely durable. Someone gave us some metal/plastic Thomas trains, and he plays with them too, but their plastic parts break quickly (ie: Harold's plastic helicopter blades, the plastic "link-ups", etc.) The wooden ones with the magnets seem to last forever, with only minor paint wear resulting from lots and lots of playtime!

Used in conjunction with the videos or books, they teach things like proper behavior and all those good "moral" examples. Plus, they teach colors and numbers because of the design of each individual train. He loves James' bright red color.

The fact that they are not battery-powered and do not absolutely require a track is a huge "plus" to me. They can go anywhere, and anything in the house can serve as a railway track. It's only limited by your child's imagination (and climbing ability.) We did visit a friend's house recently who had a battery-powered Thomas, and my son did enjoy it also, so we may possibly be getting a few of those to add to the collection at the holidays.

Another reviewer felt they were "dinky" and was disappointed by the size of the trains. To me, that is one of the best features. As I said, they can go anywhere (keeps him busy at a restaurant!) and they are perfectly proportioned to fit very well into small hands. Plus, they don't take up so much space in your house, especially if you start a whole collection! However, be warned that they WILL be underfoot at all times because your kids will love to play with them so much, so watch your step.

Sometimes the simplest thing is the best thing, and I think that's definitely the case with the Thomas trains.

Hooray for James

James does a great job pulling the coaches along the track. He can pull pretty much anything at a fast pace. I've had my Jame sfor 9 years and it looks almost new. He's a great engine and you can live the episodes with these trains.

Grandma's Magic Accident

I purchased Thomas the engine without realizing that it was not battery operated. I gave it to my 2 year old grandson for his birthday because I had nothing else to give, and the twinkle in his eyes let me know I had hit upon a winner. The adventures for Thomas and his friends have not ended. I have since purchsed, Skarloey, Ben & Bill, Douglas, Percy, Toby and Bertie. The adventures just don't seem to end for my grandson. He plays with this toy for hours. His vocabulary has increased at the same pace as his adventures. The fact that this is not battery operated is the joy of the toy. I need not turn on the television to keep him occupied, he has Thomas and his many friends and that is good enough for me.