Thomas the Tank Engine Train Sets - Best But Frustrating

My son is a huge fan of Thomas the Tank Engine.  So for Christmas last year we got him a Thomas the Tank Engine electric train set.  He had played with one before and really enjoyed them, so we decided that we would get him a big set as a gift.  The one that he had played with before was just a simple oval track that had an electric Thomas go round and round.  Since he was just 2 years old at the time it was perfect.  He could turn a switch on Thomas to turn him off and on, and he could turn a switch on the track to make Thomas stop and start.

This new track we got him was much more advanced.  We got him the Zip, Zoom, and Logging Adventure.  Turns out, this track is a lot of fun.  Two years later and this electric Thomas the Tank Engine train track is still a big player in our home.  However, it can be complicated to assemble and disassemble.  The pieces have to go together in a perfect order, and if you can't remember the order and/or have lost the instructions it is a hard toy to play with.

But once the track is assembled, there is a lot of fun to be had.  Thomas can either deliver a log to a log house to be cut, or he can go across a zip line.  The zip line usually works, but not always.  Sometimes Thomas falls off the track and has to be put back on.  This track can be a pain for parents as you might have to place Thomas back on the track every time he falls, but for the most part, even younger Thomas the Tank Engine fans can play with this track by themselves.  It is complicated to put together, but once you do everything runs fine.  Just save the directions!

Have you ever tried the Zip, Zoom, and Logging Adventure?  What were your thoughts?