Around the tree trainset for 2 year old?

Bachmann's On30 stuff is pretty good, though I would try to keep the kid's hands off it till next year, but he will probnbaly be able to be able to make the train go. My grandson was _very_ careful when he was allowed to run the train. Putting the train on the tracks will be beyond him at two, though.

Minor problem: they come with straight terminal/rerailer tracks, so if you want a circle you'll have to also buy a curves terminal/rerailer track.

You should also investigate Bachmann's HO Thomas The Tank Engine sets, which the kid might like even better. Thomas is also a bit easier to handle, as Annie and Clarabel (coaches) are four-wheelers, which makes putting them on the track easier (for a three-year-old- it's beyond a two-year old's fine motor skills.)

Any starter Lionel train set will nicely, and will be somewhat more robust than the HO or On30 trains.

As for reasonable price - that's in the eye of the beholder. Street price for these sets should be around $100 to $200, depending on scale, set contents, and brand. Basic Thomas sets should sell for less than $100 "on sale."

Have fun!

I'd get either a Christmas type battery operated toy train (I got one years ago with about G gauge track, all plastic with Christmas sounds in a "reindeer" car) and it was rugged enough for the2 year old.

The next year we got a Thomas or Playskool (I forget which) G gauge electric train. It was VERY rugged: no break off details, etc. and it ran pretty well on the supplied (hollow) track.

I'd stay away from the Bachmann On30 sets: they are quite nice, but lots of parts to break off and swallow, as well as HO scale track which is small and more delicate than brass G gauge track.

Ed

in article DSycf.12723$ snipped-for-privacy@news20.bellglobal.com, Wolf Kirchmeir at snipped-for-privacy@sympatico.ca wrote on 11/9/05 7:12 PM:

Jim, If you want to get something really neat for your self ...........err I mean the little fella those Bachmann On30 sets are great. They are a bit delicate with small parts so that's something to consider if there's a chance he can get his hands on it. I bought one for myself to put under the tree the year before my son arrived and it survived well until this past Christmas. It got involved in an altercation between Spiderman and Doc Octopus as the fight moved from the Spiderman action city set with rocket launchers on to the tracks and otherwise got manhandled on a daily basis by an enthusiastic four year old. It was replaced with some of my Dad's old Lionel stuff that stood up to the beating I gave it as a child. Bruce

I generally agree with Ed. But I'd start out with a Thomas set. You can than also get a couple of Thomas videos to keep his interest in Trains going after Christmas.

Cheers, Bill S.

I would recommend LGB.

We collected LGB for years before moving from the west coast. Their equipment is well made, rugged, easy to handle, AND it has excellent investment value when the boy is old enough to choose his own scale.

Should you decide to move into a smaller scale for space considerations, the LGB equipment has excellent re-sale value. I no longer follow the LGB brand, but they use to purposely discontinue their cars and engines thus creating a second market demand. We sold MANY of the cars and engines for considerably more money than we payed for the item [new]. Their American prototype offerings landed the biggest re-sale value.

They are eye catching trains for a young child. You can start with a diesel engine and a flat car. That combination can truly haul items along the rails thus creating his first, true operations with a RR. He can move a different item from one location to another with the LGB train.

Matt

You may want to take a look at Playmobil. They have a very complete line of toys which includes a train in roughly G gauge. Looking at their site, the only trains I see as currently offered are RC controlled, battery powered running on all plastic track. They used to have a track-powered train, running on LGB type track with bright yellow ties. (Can someone confirm whether this has been discontinued?) I note the site lists the RC train as being for age 4 and up, but I think this is coming from their liability lawyer, and that some common sense about setting aside swallowable small parts would allow use by younger engineers. The older trains were very well built, well designed for a young person, and size and figure compatible with the wide range of other Playmobil village, farm, zoo, etc. toys. Geezer

Hi Jim,

Call me very old fashioned, but I really like the Brio wooden trains. There are also Brio clones which are much cheaper. Ikea sells one of these. It's however very much a 'play' thing as you have to push the trains yourself.

Another option is to go with a Lego train set; once assembled the individual items should be just about rugged enough for a 2 1/2 y/o. Or there's a Duplo train.

Cheers,

Colin

For a 2-year-old? You mean, the 2-year-old will have his/her hands on it? Get one made of wood. These suggestions about electrics assume that Dad will be running it and spending more time with it than Junior will be. Self-delusion and rationalizations are fine things, but let's be real :_>

Hand powered Brio is just about right.