First train for 5 year old

 For a starter set for a 5 year old, it is not too bad.  He is still a bit young (IMHO) to be totally unsupervised but he will love all the play value it has.  It comes with figures (from the movie) that can be positioned around the engine and cars.  You can buy numerous add-on cars (like a disappearing hobo and an Announcements car) and there are also caribou, wolves and rabbits to be had.  You can also get a bridge, a station platform, a diorama and other items.  In addition, just because this is a "Christmas" train doesn't mean you can't play with it year round.  I love this set and run mine whenever I feel like it.

 

G-Gauge:

I'm not a big fan of G but it depends what you like.  G and O do not run together and are not compatible.  Track-wise, you can do more with the O-gauge too.

 

Also, with the O Gauge, you can add pieces of track so that your son can create layouts way different from a simple oval of track.  The FasTrack system is very flexible and expandable.

 

Good Luck!

i agree that 3-rail O gauge with large wheel flanges, oversize couplers and forgiving track make for the least frustrating train for a child to run.  personally i'd go with an old Marx set.  they were built as toys (rugged) and most common pieces are still extremely reasonable and very reliable.

CluelessMom,  first off what does he like Steam engines that have a whistle and will have smoke come out of its stack?

or a diesel with only a horn?

 

now how much room would or can you allow for this train to be setup in?

reason I ask is small round layouts get boring quick but if you can make that loop say 8-9 feet long so you can setup a bridge it can run thru a tunnel on the curve and a simplistic operating accessory he will be playing for hours with it.

 

do you have a Hobby Shop close by that actually has a train layout that your son can see the trains running so "Santa" can see what really attracts his attention!

as to the Polar express it's a good starter train set as it has some extra's included with it I also would suggest you look at the Lionel\mth train catalogs on there web sites both offer a lot of play value in there ready to run sets. 

below are links to each respective web site once there click on catalogs these also have a lot of information for you to aid in what you feel is the best choice for now.

 

the only issue I would bring to your attention with any ready to run sets from either of these 2 manufactures is the track now coming with them is they have small metal tabs that can get bent and so trains would stop working I myself would prefer to use the old stand by tubular track for a child this age as its easy to fix and can come apart and back together many many times not that the newer tracks aren't any good just not exactly 5 year old fool proof.

 

http://www.lionel.com/  http://www.mthtrains.com/

 

I hope this helps you some only thing I can suggest is to put it on a solid piece of wood where tracks stay together that way a simple set up for the Mom!

 

$oo

I answered a question like this, wrong, to my wife several years ago, related to the grandchildren.  She said it is all base on motor skill ability.  I being the forever working father, never home, missed a tremendous amount as our children's (4 of them) world passed by.  I did pick up the freight when the kids entered the negotiation stage, most of their teen existance.  I have had young children visit the layout that were extremely good with their hands and others not so good.   My wife (sweetheart) would most often indicate that those, not so good, had to be worked with, taught the needed motor skills to handle "toy trains". Respect, discipline, attention span,  etc. all, if not learned skills, are part of maturity even as small children. I'm glad to see you are participating with your child.  IMO. Worst case you put it away for a couple of years.  

Best wishes.

Mike CT     

I think he'll be fine with the Polar Express set. The locomotive is die cast metal without a bunch of "separately applied" details to break off. The cars are plastic (what isn't these days) but seem well made. Sometimes I have to remind my son to be careful when he's handling them but so for it's holding up well.

As far as the G Scale set - it's not a "real" electric train with transformer - it's battery powered. If it's a one-time thing it might be OK, but the O Scale set would be MUCH better if this is likely to turn into a long time hobby IMO...

 

Cheers,

glockr

I too would go with O gauge.

The curves can be much tighter in O gauge than G gauge unless you stick to extremely small wheelbase equipment.

G gauge stuff tends to be plastic and the better 'made for outside' stuff is not in starter sets.

Also, G gauge doesn't have the third rail to make the forward and reverse setup easy.

Third, there is much more O gauge selection from my experience.

 

Finally, Lionel sells an inexpensive plastic accessory to help kids put the cars on the track.

You place it on the track and roll the cars down it, the wheels end up on the rails. If you open the coupler first, it will usually connect up when it rolls into the previous car.

I use one myself simply as a time saver. I bought it for my nieces kids to use while playing (with me watching) on the train layout but it's too handy to not use.

The oldest one started running trains at age 4. No problems with her, but her younger brother is a terror even older than that.

CluelessMom, I've gotten the same question from people before who have had little or no experience with model trains.  I'd say start simple and learn and possibly expand from there.  My grandkids (girl 7 and boy 4) got the Polar Express set and have done well with it having their Mom and Dad supervise and help them.  Sets are generally designed to make it easy to get started. Just follow the instructions if you're new to this.  That's the key, help and supervision.  I'd recommend this as a safe bet that will satisfy.  If your 5-yr-old catches the train bug, then you can always find ways to expand it.  You can set it up on the floor when the urge to play arises.  Best to take a simple first step first and see how it goes.  You can always rely on this group to answer any questions if there are any problems.

 

Phil 

Thank you guys, so many bood comments! Looks like o-gauge it is then! It is an o-gauge forum after all 

would be nice to go to a store and see, but don't have the time.

 

Been looking for this gadget that helps kids put the tranis n the track but can't find it. Is it on Amazon? Thanks!

http://www.amazon.com/Lionel-6...+accessories+o-gauge

this thing???

That's the one. Makes things much easier.

I reread your post and would consider that if he is asking for the PE, the PE might be what gets and keeps his interest. That is a BIG consideration (said 1 parent to another.... )

 

 

I think you have decided on O. Great! Welcome.

I have the Polar Express set, but for small children, I have recommended MTH starter sets. The reason being, is I find the quality of the cars is better Metal couplers and metal frames. Speed control is better as well. It is harder to go from 0 to warp speed with the MTH. Also, if the hobby takes off and grows. The standard MTH starter set with PS2 or PS3 lends itself to remote control, as they are built with circuit boards to allow this. Also, the PE only has a whistle. MTH has a whistle a bell, engine sounds and the loco will make talking sounds (cab chatter). Also, I run 3 loops at Christmas. The MTH trains can run so quietly, you can have conversation in the room, with trains being in the back ground. If I get 2 Lionel sets going (PE and Hogwarts Express), the track sound becomes a focal point of the room)

 

On the Lionel side the tender is just another car in the train. That is, there are no electronics. This will make it easier for your hild to do more of the setup. For the MTH, you will need to help them get the loco on the track, for a longer period (which I think is good, as it is something you will share). Take a look at MTH 30-4218-1 and 30-4207-1.

 

I like my PE Express, in large part, because I like the movie. As a train to be touched by kids, not so much.

I don't want to hijack this thread, but could you expand on what track/construction you use to run 3 trains quietly. A PM would be great. I'm concerned about track volume with my RealTrax on pink foam. It's a lot louder than I expected. Thanks.

PM (dialog) sent.

Dear Marty R

you nearly lost me here, but after some research I found out that MTH is another brand, and that you are proposing I take a look at two MTH sets that have nothing to do with Polar Express and that sell for around $320 on eBay (or elsewhere?), more expensive.

So Lionel is noisy (read that on the Polar Express Amazon reviews too), because of the trains or because of the track? I guess in the future I don't need to keep buying Lionel and you can couple (note my jargon is quickly getting there ) Lionel with MTH because they are both o-gauge, right?

thank you 

Sorry. Yes MTH is another brand. The trains are not the Polar Express, so that might not appeal, but from the standpoint of durable and sturdy, I like the MTH listings. Yes they will cost about $100 more, but since you were looking at starting with trains, I offered an alternative. The sounds alone add a dimension. I started 2 families with small children with the Rudolph set, from MTH. They love them. I am trying to find a third, for my niece and nephew. It is hard to find as MTH does smaller production runs. The PE will be around for a long time, it's a huge franchise. The downside is, the trains I suggested are not the polar express, but since you were collecting info, I thought it might help.

 

Yes, you can you can couple or run MTH and lionel on the same layout (they are both O). You will learn when you can and can't have 2 locos, on the same track, but that would be later, if the hobby sticks with your family. You can't attach the different manufacturers tracks (for the most part). I have chosen 1 brand of track, but I run Lionel locos and MTH locos on it. Rolling stock (cars), from different manufacturers are completely compatible.

 

Your sons interest is key to getting started. That may be enough to just go with the PE. It is a good set. Since I like others better (even though the PE is on the center figure 8), I though I'd share. You can't see it, but there is a little Lionel loco, in front of the tree. That's where we started... Enjoy.

Actually I think the Polar Express is very quiet, comparatively. I bought the Lionel New York Central a couple weeks ago to run under the tree before Christmas.  It was the first set for my 4 and 6 year olds.  I also bought the Polar Express to use as a Christmas morning gift.  To make sure there would be no holiday disappointments I tested it last night.  I was shocked at comparatively quiet it was to the NYC. Night and day.

I've become a fan of MTH too, mostly because of the DCS remote control and Proto 3.0 sounds. I think those are worth the extra $100 and I plan to upgrade to a full DCS system by next Christmas. However, knowing 5-year olds, if he has his heart set on Polar Express, then you're probably better off getting what he's interested in. My guess is he's too young to appreciate the differences and there is plenty of time to upgrade to MTH, DCS, etc.

 

If someone older were also interested, then I would highly recommend looking into MTH. I'd even suggest not getting a set unless the set included what you want. Most sets have tight curves which can limit future engine and car choices because bigger engines and longer cars need larger curves. But, since we're talking a 5-yesr old, he'll get years if fun out of the Polar Express, at least until he gets into the Harry Potter Hogwart's Express, etc.

I have trains and kids my youngest is almost 9 and the oldest 21 - It's an Irish Catholic thing 

The Polar Express is a kid favorite.  You can get one at a reasonable price on Amazon or elsewhere.  The standard oval can get boring for kids these days.  If you can get a couple of gondola cars, the kids like to put things in them to ride around the track.  If your son likes the trains, then getting more track and more interesting sets would be a future purchase.

The advantage MTH has for the down the road purchase as an addition to your Polar express is that the starter sets come with a remote control and kids these days figure that stuff out with little help.  Also there are cars the dump which is fun for them too.

Get the Polar Express he will love it, worry about expanding it later.

http://www.amazon.com/Lionel-6...words=lionel+gondola 

Clueless Mom

 

I can in no way recommend the Lionel G gauge Polar Express set.  It is not a good quality starter set.  If you are interested in G gauge there are better alternatives.

 

An O gauge starter set was a very popular Christmas present for young boys decades ago and it is still a great gift for many of the same reasons:  O gauge is a good size for young hands and O gauge trains tend to be ruggedly constructed.

 

The O gauge Lionel Polar Express set you linked to would likely be your best choice and a good value if the Polar Express movie connection is a prime motivator this Christmas.  The set comes with Lionel's fastrack.  This is a popular track system.  It is easy to set up and take apart and a wide variety of track sections and switches are available if you would like to help your child expand their layout in the years ahead.  Fastrack is noisy, especially if set up an a hard surface.  The noise level should be acceptable on carpet under the tree or in your child's bedroom.  Lionel Fastrack will work well with nearly all other brands of O gauge trains.  The transformer included in the set, the CW-80, is Lionel's standard train set transformer.  It will run all Lionel trains and many other brands although it is not recommended by MTH for use with their trains.

 

If your budget has some room above the Amazon price for the Polar Express set and having a PE train isn't your top priority I would agree with the other posters that an MTH train set is well worth considering.  MTH is based in Maryland and has grown to become one of the worlds most innovative model train companies.  Twenty years ago MTH made top of the line trains for Lionel.  Today they make their own line of G, HO and O gauge trains under the MTH name and make reproductions of 1920s and 1930s vintage trains under the Lionel Corporation trademark.

 

MTH train sets come with quality transformers that will operate all brands of trains.  The track in MTH train sets is more difficult to set up and disconnect compared to Lionel's Fastrack but it is quieter.  The cars in MTH train sets come with diecast metal trucks and couplers and tend to be more ruggedly built than the cars in Lionel sets.

 

MTH train set locomotives equipped with ProtoSound 2 or ProtoSound 3 have the best quality sound and smoke available in an O gauge starter set and offer full remote control capability.  The sounds are based on digital recordings and are very authentic.  In addition to a whistle and bell the chuffing sound of a steam locomotive is synchronized with the smoke from the stack.  There is an off switch for the smoke and a volume control for the sound.  Diesel sounds from ProtoSound 2 or ProtoSound 3 are very realistic as well.  If you buy a train set with ProtoSound 2 or 3 you are getting the same quality electronics that MTH puts in their top of the line locomotives.  

 

Some MTH train sets come with the DCS (Digital Command System) Remote Commander, a simple hand held remote control.  All train set locomotives with Protosound 2 or 3 can be operated with the MTH DCS set that includes the full featured remote control.  If your child develops a deep interest in trains and builds a permanent layout the DCS set would make a wonderful gift for a future Christmas or birthday.  This past October MTH also announced that they would be offering a free app in 2013 to allow remote control of their trains through iPhones via home wifi and the DCS set hardware.

 

Amazon has a very attractive price on the Lionel Polar Express set.  If you are considering a MTH set you might want to call or visit a local hobby shop.  MTH has a list of their authorized service centers.  Many of them also sell Lionel trains so you might be able to comparison shop.

 

http://www.mthtrains.com/categ...ized-service-centers

 

Ask the gang here any more questions you might have.  In addition to a bunch of kids at heart and a few actual kids there are train shop owners and repair technicians who keep an eye on the forum.  You are likely to get a bunch of technical help if you need it.  All of it will be free and most of it will be worth more than you paid for it.

 

If you have any questions on Christmas feel free to ask.  My brother Dave has a tradition of starting a thread on the three rail forum for any of Santa's helpers needing emergency assistance.

 

Good luck shopping and have a Merry Christmas.

Hello again,
So my son got today the o-gauge PE, and it was a total success.  He loved it. However, it stopped working about 2 hous ago. It was like the usual derailing, we put it back, but it won't start. Checked the cords and everything and it all seems fine. The light does come on when we try to make it move, so it does get power, but it won't move. Any ideas?
Thank you guys!

Auughhh! Sorry to hear that

I have my PE loco here. It gets power. That's good. I'd try 3 things

 

Turn over the loco. There are 4 phillips head screws. 2 at the very back. 2 next to the screw that holds on the front wheels (the set of 2 on a pivot) (page 16)

Take out the screws.

Remove the shell.

Turn the brass flywheel on top of the motor. It should move easily in both directions. The train wheels should move.

Watch how the wheels and armature move. look for something bent/jammed/loose.

 

2) Put the loco shell back on. Put the loco upside down in something soft to cradle it. Even a towel. Disconnect the wires from the track. keep the wires apart. You will use them to try to directly power the loco through the wheels and the center pickup. Turn the throttle up about half way (KEEP THOSE WIRES APART). Carefully, but firmly touch 1 wire to one of the large loco wheels. and 1 to one of the rollers along the center of the bottom. Tap one of the wires against the wheel to simulate hitting the reverse button. It will spark a bit, just take care.

 

I'd also try turning the smoke unit off and the reverse unit off. (page 13 of manual). Also, and i'm ading these things as i play with the loco, check that the brass wiper that touches the axles of the back 4 wheels is touching the axles.

 

 

 

 

If that shows you anything, but not a solution, keep posting

 

Thank you. Will try these tomorrow.

One more question. I read on the Amazon reviews that many people had problems with the transformers. Could this be the reason? Or the fact that there is power (lights on, whistle works), excludes this possibility?

thanks

I am not a CW80 fan (my fandom doesn't help here, but the 2 I bought burned out and I think the fan is ridiculously loud). Having the lights and whistle is good, but the direction button could be stuck/bad. Applying the voltage directly and tapping the wire to the wheel should emulate the direction button, so if that is a problem, you might isolate it. Does that button seem to stick, or anything?. If it is the case Lionel should honor the warranty. I'd still buy a different one though, for next year. For fun I'd look at  MTH or Williams.

Something real simple to look for first:  under most Lionel engines there is a small switch to disable the reverse unit (also called an e-unit) and lock the direction of the engine.  Usually this is used to lock it so it will run forward all the time, without neutral or reverse.  However, if the switch is moved while the e-unit is in neutral, the engine will not move.  Simply move that switch over and it should go, if that is the problem. 

 

The CW-80 had many problems when it was first introduced several years ago, but Lionel has fixed these on current production units.  I haven't had any problems with them.

 

BTW, if you should want sound effects later, Lionel offers an add-on tender with full sound that will replace the tender in the set.

 

John

Does anyone know of a battery powered loco that will pull a few cars for my 4 yr old grandson's first O gauge oval?  He's not ready for powered track, but very interested in trains.  I can give him some old "O" tube track I have and he can learn to place the cars on the track and couple, etc. as well as play with the freight.

Battery-powered wooden trains (mostly Thomas the Tank Engine and Friends) are available at Amazon.com and www.trainsgalore.com. Also Little Lionel trains.

Does anyone know what finally happened in this case. (If it was posted I can't find it.)

 

In particular, was the "Reverse On Off" switch the culprit as a couple of members suggested?  Or what?

My Grandson was playing with a powered trains since he was three he is going to be 12 next month.  You just have to show them how to handle them, let them know they will break but most of all let them run them.  (with supervision of course).  He received a Polar Express for Christmas when he was five.  My Grandson has been around O gauge his whole life and has never broken a thing.

There are some political reasons (daughter-in-law) that  I'm trying to stay away from powered track at this time. Just trying to find inexpensive battery powered loco to run on tubular "O" now.  I guess I might even go with a cheap dummy unit. Any suggestions are appreciated.

There's an inexpensive (I paid $7,50 for it on sale) Thomas set with a battery loco and O-gauge plastic track.

The dummy unit isn't a bad idea either if she's afraid of letting him around electricity. If you do go this route, I'd be careful to explain to him that a dummy can be rolled back and forth, but a powered locomotive cannot.

 

--Becky

Maybe an old Marx windup? 

 

Geo-trax are a pretty good option for the3-4 year old crowd... they're actually close to O-gauge in in track width, but the engines will not run on 3 rail track (middle rail gets in the way).  Might be more $$$ than your looking to spend. 

 

Your dummy unit might be your best bet.

Didn't K-line make a cheap battery powered set?  Might be able to find one of those.

Hello again!
Somebody asked what happened to our Polar Express that had broken down. Well, it wasn't the reverse button, I had checked that. Marty gave me very kindly extensive instructions, but that was too much for me.
So, as Santa had bought it with Amazon Prime, we got a new set in two days and sent that one back free of charge by delivering it to a UPS store.
Fantastic!
My 5 yo loves the train and he is very proud of it and takes very good care. And it is also ok for my 3yo, he can't put it back on the track, but he is very careful and plays with it too. So total success, thank you guys!
And both they still play with their wooden track Brio big set, which is very cute

That's awesome

Wow glockr, just saw your http://www.squidoo.com/lionel-...ar-express-train-set , amazing!

"Cluless Mom"

 

Thank you for "closing the loop." Hate to see kids disappointed on Christmas! Glad it all worked out.

Great to hear! I just put our Christmas layout away. I was wondering how your train worked out. I hope the whole family enjoys, for years. Stick around!

I also got my son the Polar Express mention in this thread for my son and he really loves it. I am thinking of getting him another train for his BDay and noticed someone mentioned a MTH setup (http://www.tandkhobby.com/product-p/30-4218-1.htm). Can I  run that train with the Polar Express?