| A classic beginner's set includes conventional track with nickel-silver rails, a great little steam engine and three cars, plus just the right amount of N scale accessories to keep the interest of a budding hobbyist. Contents: 0-6-0 Saddle Tank Locomotive, Multi-Colored Freight Cars, 3 Handcrafted Trees, 2 Building Kits, Signs and Telephone Poles, Nickel-Silver Track Oval with Rerailer, U.L. Approved Power Pack, Hook-up Wires, Illustrated Instructions. 19.5" x 24.5" Oval with Nickel Silver Track |
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 A nice starter set for the price |
| Review Date: December 11, 2007 |
| Reviewer: Robert Dobbs, |
I was happy with my purchase. "Train Sets Only", the company that shipped the product, shipped promptly and the product box arrived in good condition. None of the items in the package were missing or broken.
The train cars have nice detail, although the doors on the freight boxcars do not open. The engine has tiny metal bars that effectively emulate the motion of a real steam train piston. The engine does not have a light, and does not smoke.
The train only took about 10 minutes to set up initially. None of the train track sections or their connectors were bent. The power supply has a variable analog speed control for going forward and reverse. The wires are already spliced. It also has an extra set of AC terminals for accessories. Make sure you use the DC terminals for the train track. It's clearly labeled.
The plastic connectors for the boxcars are very delicate, but they adequately do the job. You may have to carefully push the connectors in place with a screwdriver to get some of them to latch completely. If you're having trouble getting a connector to latch, try turning the boxcar around.
Some other train set evaluations have complained that the trains derail easily. This train also derails easily. However, I found this is caused more by the track than the engine. I had to do a few things to prevent derailing:
- Minimize the gap between tracks. Firmly press each section of track together.
- Check that the shape of the overall track is correct. There is a lot of play in the way the track pieces fit together. Make sure the overall track closely matches the expected shape. For example, you can make the oval shape wider or thinner by pressing outward or inward on opposite sections of the oval. If the oval is misshapen, it can mean that individual sections of track are not fitted together correctly.
- You may have to press down on some of the metal track connectors. If they protrude upward, they can cause a wheel to derail.
- If the train does derail, it will usually do so in the same place each time. Adjust the track at that location.
After 15 minutes of meticulous track adjusting, I managed to get the track placed well enough that the engine no longer derails and the boxcars stay connected, even when running the train for extended periods.
The included houses require assembly, but I personally prefer that. You'll need to provide your own plastic glue to glue them together. The little trees look great. One tree has tiny grapefruit, and the other tree has tiny apples (tiny yellow and red plastic balls.) The third tree is an evergreen.
I bought this set for my three-and-a-half year old. It's a "look but don't touch toy" for him, but he's still excited about it. Everything in this set is extremely delicate, and will break easily. The fact that the set requires close adult supervision is fine, since it's a reason to spend time with my son.
I gave this product 5 stars because it is a great value. There are certainly higher quality train sets out there, but they will cost twice as much, or more. This is a great novice set for the price. |
Train for Christmas Village
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| Review Date: December 14, 2008 |
| Reviewer: Parkerriley, Michigan |
| We purchased this for my mom. She needed a smaller scaled train to set up in her Christmas village. Although it was shipped directly to her and we did not see it, she called to say that it was very good quality and she was very pleased with it. |
Joe Train Reiew
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| Review Date: September 21, 2008 |
| Reviewer: P. Leonard, |
| The train runs great, but the track will vibrate loose. It contains the standard track not the fast snap-together track. It may be best to secure it to a board. Overall, it is a fun train and my son loves it. |
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