We had been researching wooden train sets, ie., Thomas, Brio, Imaginarium and almost bought the Imaginarium set when we spotted this one on Amazon. We are so glad we went ahead and bought it. The price is a steal for the quality of this product. Our son is two and will be getting this for Christmas so he hasn't played with it yet but we had fun putting it together! Can't wait to see his face when he opens it on Christmas morning.We also plan to intergrate some of the Thomas trains and accessories as he is a big Thomas fan. We think he'll really like the Conductor Carl engine just as much.
For the price, this train table is well made and easy to put together.The instructions are sparse and miss a step.But after staring at the pieces and the hardware, I figured out exactly what needed to be done within two minutes.My daughter loves it!
One odd thing though.It comes with a "Free Conductor Carl Train" piece.I removed it from the packet just to find that the engine is too big to fit under any of the sets bridges, much less if Conductor Carl is actually in the engine!It's a minor thing.She just plains wiht that one engine outside the table.I would definitely recommend this product.Can't complain too much for 80 piece train set with a table for under $100.The track and train pieces are solid, durable, and nice.All wood with good magnets.The table on the other hand, while it looks really nice, is a bit unstable.The fit is a bit loose for the table inside the frame.I solved the issue by attaching wire underneath from one side to the other to make sure the frame doesn't slide apart and the table fall through.Overall, I still give it 4 out of 5 stars per the price alone.Even without the table the trains are great and well worth the cost.Although I have been a customer of Amazon for many years, this is my first product review. I write from the perspective of a mom of three energetic boys.
If you do not purchase this train set based on the limited ratings and low price then you are making a mistake. This set is equivalent in build quality to name brand trains.
The question I needed answered most was not definitively answered in any other reviews. A few stated they would later incorporate Thomas the Train and one said Thomas did NOT fit but instead sat on the middle of the track (this is true for the Trackmaster Thomas line). However none said definitively that wooden Thomas did or did not work with this set. So I decided to take a chance and I am so glad I did. Wooden Thomas and Friends trains and tracks work flawlessly with Conductor Carl as well as Imaginarium.
The board is cheap. It is not as cheap as the two piece board imaginarium supplies with their table. The Conductor Carl board is as thick as both halves of the Imaginarium board one on top of the other. The wood sides and legs are smaller than Imaginarium but they are thicker and more solid. The table is a solid train table. No it will not survive a child climbing in the center and sitting but that is not what it is for. If you have a child who will do this I would advise you to reinforce the table, Any skilled amateur can do this. For normal play this is not necessary. (Once again, I speak with the resume of a mom of three boys.) This table does well under typical play. The board has painted roads on it which is cute. The flip side of the board is a solid lime green.
The train is great. The magnets are solid and strong. The tracks are straight and do not jut out when they should not. The people look like those that come with the Imaginarium tracks but they are not painted as nicely. They are neatly painted, just all one color (no variety in the individual piece). For example the lady may be in pink, but everything she is wearing is pink. The conductor is in blue, blue shirt, blue hat, blue pants, blue shoes, etc. Does it matter? No. Not at all. It is the only unrealistic aspect of the set. But it is definitely not a deterrant. Just a side note. It only matters if the realism of the people is the most important factor to your little conductor.
The set is amazing. If yours came with an issue then send it back for a replacement. It is worth it. The price is just a bonus for the quality you get with Conductor Carl.Can't beat the price and the train set that comes with the table.It was very easy to assemble.However, the table would be a lot more stable if there was something to support the middle.My son isn't too rough with the table so it hasn't been an issue.
