Lionel John Deere Miniature Ready-to-Play Set, Battery-Powered Model Train, Multicolor

I bought this to amuse a 18-month old, and set it to run in front of the tree and it has turned out to be my grandson's favorite toy, although only usable under strict supervision. Turned out to be the adults' favorite toy, too.The tracks are plastic but sturdy enough and easy to pop together. Train is weighted for traction and easy to place on the track; the cars are not weighted but ride well, even over slight misalignments in the track segments. I particularly enjoy that it LOOKS like a real train (that is, no goo-goo eyes, etc.), moves at a scale-realistic speed, and has a warm-yellow headlamp so it looks cool in a tunnel (under the coffee table). Audio can be easily switched off leaving a gentle electric humming. Runs on two AA batteries that have, so far, lasted the week, running for maybe an hour per day. Couplers are somewhat tricky and will not couple themselves like some sets, but nothing an older kid (like me) with good glasses (like me) can't easily mate up.The set is sturdy enough that it will withstand a toddler using the cars as a makeshift hammer. No damage so far after a few days, although the little fellow has managed to pop off a couple of sets of wheels which were easily snapped back into place.My train engineer son-in-law reports the engine will pull the train up a 1:6 grade with the design payload as long as you design the incline with enough support that the one drive axle remains in contact with the track (Train nerds, you know).And, as you might expect, the set is easily derailed by the little godzilla because of its light weight. Same would happen with a heavier set, and with pretty much anything short of the real, 1:1 scale article, so I won't count that as a negative.All in all, very satisfied with the $24 (total price) we paid.

The media could not be loaded. Cat not included but would like to note that he doesn't seem to mind it or the sounds. So that is helpful. I got this as a surprise for my 5 year old. He will see it when he comes home today. I am actually impressed with the quality of this set. It's bigger than I thought it would be which is a bonus, and has more track pieces than what I put together. Seems well made. You can run it with or without sounds. Only uses 2 AAs. This will be our christmas tree train for years to come! Would recommend.Updated to say something has gone wrong with one of the cars. It is now dragging. No matter what I try. Ive tried putting all the cars in different orders . Ive enspected the track. It was working fine when i put it together. The only way it doesn't drag is if I put it in front of the engine...

When I purchased this I was just expecting a cheap child’s toy but with the Lionel name I thought I would take a chance. At first glance this appears to be a cheap $25 set but at closer inspection and setting up the track I found this to be a very nice set. What makes it look cheap is the yellow plastic which I assume is supposed to be gold. I like model building so this was another project for me. The train has a lot of details that really can’t be appreciated so I painted all the details gold and now it looks like a $100 set.The locomotive itself is well made and has weight to it. The sounds are very realistic and the light is bright. The tracks are really smooth and quiet. The cars have a lot of character and detail. I’m really happy I purchased the train. It was much better than expected.

Was wanting a train to go around my Christmas tree, didn't want to spend a fortune, and wanted something that looked somewhat realistic, not something that looked like it belonged to a toddler. I am very happy with the trains appearance. While not as realistic as a true "model" train, it looks quite nice. For the price I was very pleased. It was easy to assemble the track. Took a little while to figure out how to access the battery compartment on the engine, directions could be a little better, but it wasn't too bad. The sounds it makes are quite enjoyable, but I found them to be repetitious, so I often did it with sound off. Connecting the cars, while not difficult, was not easy either. Maybe it was designed for smaller fingers than mine. It is simple hooks, but getting both was interesting. I found that my cars would often disconnect from engine, of course it was always on back side of tree, causing me to have to crawl around packages and under tree to retrieve lost cars. (I'm sure this was amusing to watch, I heard quite a few laughs.) My derailments (is that correct term?) may have been a result of track going over my tree skirt, not a default of train. Not sure. Will try a different set up with smoother tree skirt next year! Overall, very pleased. I feel it is a good train for the money if you are looking for one for appearances and not planning to "play" with it that much. Arrived well packaged and in a timely manner.

This train set is perfect for what I was looking for. The track is extremly easy to assemble and is very sturdy, its the type of plastic thst will bend a bit and not crack so perfect for kids. The trains hook together very easily and the trains totally stay on the track. It comes with more track than I thought. The cargo car is great for kids to add there own "cargo" like a lego block or something. The train also goes in both directions. It runs a simple 2 double AA battery so you dont have to worry about electricity at all and can set it up any where. Only downside is that the kids cant adjust the speed its set it once and then it just goes at its one and only speed. I totally recommend this and will buying some more expansion track.