Thomas the Tank Engine Model Trains

So, you’ve been trying to think of a good present for your Thomas locomotive obsessed nephew?  But you don’t just want to get him yet another little wooden locomotive that he pushes around.  He has all the stories and DVD’s already and even if he still needed some you wouldn’t know which one to get him?  A Thomas the train coloring book just seems too cheap?  Your brother will just give you that “what a skinflint” look again like he did last year when you bought his son some Thomas underwear?  Okay well I have the solution for you.  Bachmann has just the starter kit for your favorite little Thomas follower.

What’s so great about Bachmann’s Thomas the Tank Engine [starter|beginner] set?

Well, to begin it’s Thomas the Tank Engine! 

If the kid spends half of his time with one imaginary foot on the island of Sodor, this will just make you his most loved family member.  The beginner sets are great for both boys and girls, since they usually include Claribel as well.  Kids really like to watch as Thomas actually takes off by himself, no more pretending to contro him manually.  Bachmann really gets it right, even including the moving eyes that imitate what the little ones are used to on the TV program.

One more word: Bachmann! 

Bachmann has made its name creating beginner kits for beginners and amateurs so you just can’t go wrong with them.  You get everything you need to get setup within minutes all wrapped in one reasonably priced package.  You will get a couple of locomotives and a digital controller good enough so that you can add more trains as the Thomas obsession expands.  You get a generous amount of tracks and clear instructions as well.  You couldn’t ask for anything more in a beginner kit. The whole thing can be up in running within an hour of having it out of the box.

Is Bachmann a well respected brand?

Bachmann is actually the industry leader when it comes to HO scale starter kits.  Bachmann has remained at the top of the model train world since the 1950’s by undercutting the price of higher end locomotive makers like Lionel while still preserving quality.

This is good family gift.  Model locomotive operating is really a great hobby and once the kid starts to outgrow his Thomas locomotive phase and leaves the island of Sodor behind, he might come to enjoy the more realistic locomotives that Bachmann and other model train companies have to offer.  The hobby of model locomotive building can be a real window into history and locomotives.  Few hobbies do more to develop a kid’s math skills, sense of history and creativity all at the same time.  But there is also a great spiritual side to the hobby.  It can really create some valuable family experiences.  Because it requires that the parent aid the child to set up and run the track the two can work together which will foster great memories as well.  Put succinctly, Thomas locomotive just rocks as a model locomotive gift!  

Here is more information on Bachmann Model Trains. Here is a website with a free mini-course dedicated to Model Trains.