Thomas the Train Sets
The range of toys available in this particular set is huge. Take Along Thomas & Friends - Working Hard Set is probably the one I would pick to get you started. It includes Thomas, Duncan, a cargo car, bridge, some barrels and crates and enough track to get you up and running. The track is light weight so perfect for transporting. It is easy to put together and the fact that it contains 2 switch pieces in addition to the bridge means your child can vary the layout of the track. The trains connect with magnets. Perfect for keeping him entertained for an hour or so!
Be warned as collecting Take Along Thomas and Friends can become very addictive. The little characters are so cute and all of Thomas’s friends are included. There is a big blue take along travel Thomas which opens into a storage case for the little trains to fit in. This makes carrying a number of trains very easy, something us busy moms appreciate when our little ones can’t decide which of Thomas’s friends they will play with today.
Kids the world over are fascinated by this delightful story developed by a Dad to keep his own son amused. All the little engines have their own characteristics, face and numbers. The stories are all based on or around daily life on the Island of Sodor. These little trains get up to loads of things that children love doing such as playing in the snow, Christmas celebrations, having the circus come to town etc. The younger ones will identify with the jokes the trains play on each other, their friendships and of course rivalries such as that between Gordon and the shiny engine Spencer who was commissioned for a special job at the request of a Duke and Duchess.
Thomas, Percy, Gordon and James are the main four engines with Henry and a wealth of others also available. The Island’s name is Sodor and the engines live in Tidmouth shed when not out working on the various lines. Gordon is the express train and has a tendency to be proud. He is the fastest engine and he knows it and delights in teasing the younger ones. But he will come to their aid when necessary.
Henry is one of the older engines and inclined to be a hypochondriac. But he always gets the job done eventually. James is always landing in trouble usually because he thinks he looks too good to get dirty. He has a shiny red coat and is a medium sized engine, smaller than Gordon but bigger than Thomas and Percy. Harold is not a train engine but a helicopter. When he first arrived himself and Thomas used to have some races to try to prove one was better than the other. They soon realized that they got the job done faster when they worked together.
I would suggest that you start with Take Along Thomas & Friends – Working Hard Set and gradually add all these delightful characters as you go. They will last for years and will pass through the generations.