PlanToys Road & Rail Deluxe Play Set

My son got this set and a Thomas set for Christmas last year. This set is better than the Thomas set in nearly every way, the most important aspect being that the track pieces interlock better than the Thomas set pieces. On a carpet, this set holds together during play, but the Thomas set just falls to pieces.

However, unlike nearly every other Plan Toys product we have, it's not perfect.

1) It does NOT interlock with the Thomas pieces, no matter what the people in toy stores tell you. The 'male' ends of the Plan Toys tracks are too large to fit into the 'female' slots on the Thomas tracks. (You can fit the 'male' Thomas pieces into the 'female' sides of the Plan Toys tracks, but then you have a line instead of a loop.)

2) The non-magnetic clips to hold the trains together are much less frustrating for toddlers than the magnets, which just fall apart if you look at them wrong, but they're not as sturdy as they should be. I admit, this train is played with in ways far more demanding than rolling over the tracks, but we've already had one clip break.

3) The bridge is rickety. It's nearly impossible for me, being as delicate as i can, to roll the train over the bridge without it falling apart. Kids don't stand a chance. We're probably going to get some wood glue and just glue the bridge together and glue to supports to it.

In all, i'd still recommend this over similar kits from other manufacturers, especially if it's the first train kit and you can stay loyal to this brand instead of worrying about compatibility with other train sets. You might want to invest in some wood glue, though, just in case.

We love the road and rail! it has lots of options to build and is sturdy enough to withstand my 2 year old!

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I gave this as a gift for my little great-nephew's 3rd birthday.After over a month, my niece tells me he still plays with it DAILY.What a great gift!

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My almost three-year-old received this as a Christmas gift from a relative who was concerned about buying 'green' toys. My little boy is train crazy, so of course he liked it.I am all for imaginative play and all, but this set is kind of odd as far as scale goes...the people are bigger than the car and the train, and the train is bigger than the trees, etc. Not that it really matters, but I'm just saying. Also, the 'bridge' is made from two curved pieces that meet over two supports, which isn't the most stable type of 'bridge' for active play and it was frustrating for the little guy;it kept falling down. Also, my son dropped the main engine car onto a hard surface and the coupling broke off.My final observation? This toy is ABSURD for the price.I went to an enormous Swedish home furnishings emporium (which shall remain nameless LOL) and bought three sets of tracks, trains, bridges and switches roughly four times as much as this set, for a grand total of about 30 dollars. Plus, the Swedes' set is compatible with this set, too and they are usually pretty good about their eco-consciousness, as well. This was fun, and I am so glad we have it, but I am glad we didn't pay for it initially. With Swedishhelp, it's even better. Caveat emptor

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I purchased it for my 2 1/2 year old granddaughter.We all liked it until I witnessed the train accidentally fall from a kitchen chair and the connection on the engine broke.Therefore, it can't be attached to the 2 other train cars.I sent e-mail to company last week but have not received any reply.

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