James Day
Guano Corner Rly - Runs weekly - Guano permitting
Chris,
Not a scale modeller myself, but I freely admit to liking 'toys' with chraracter. This series of Thomas items seems to have bags of that to me, unlike the rather nasty Lionel versions of some years ago.
I agree that sometimes I am shocked by the prices asked: for example how can Toby have a suggested retail price that is far higher than Thomas? It is just a solid moulded box with no openings at all (as supplied), and Thomas has a body that is made up of many interlocking parts?
The lack of a consistent scale accross the series is one of my biggest grumbles - The Goods Brake Van is lovely to look at but looks ridiculously small alongside the seemingly overscale open wagons.
The other drawback from me is that lack of thought put into the running qualities, and couplings - long wheelbases with widely spaced rigid axles and rigidly mounted couplings! None of this makes this an easy range for children to play with without lots of helpful adult intervention. (When the Xmas coach was derailed whilst going around our Christmas Tree, as happened several times, I was the only one that could put it back on the track!)
That all said, I am still a fan, with reservations and regularly run my (modified running gear) TTE stock with my Playmobil, LGB and Scale models, without feeling the least bit guilty!
James
Not a scale modeller myself, but I freely admit to liking 'toys' with chraracter. This series of Thomas items seems to have bags of that to me, unlike the rather nasty Lionel versions of some years ago.
I agree that sometimes I am shocked by the prices asked: for example how can Toby have a suggested retail price that is far higher than Thomas? It is just a solid moulded box with no openings at all (as supplied), and Thomas has a body that is made up of many interlocking parts?
The lack of a consistent scale accross the series is one of my biggest grumbles - The Goods Brake Van is lovely to look at but looks ridiculously small alongside the seemingly overscale open wagons.
The other drawback from me is that lack of thought put into the running qualities, and couplings - long wheelbases with widely spaced rigid axles and rigidly mounted couplings! None of this makes this an easy range for children to play with without lots of helpful adult intervention. (When the Xmas coach was derailed whilst going around our Christmas Tree, as happened several times, I was the only one that could put it back on the track!)
That all said, I am still a fan, with reservations and regularly run my (modified running gear) TTE stock with my Playmobil, LGB and Scale models, without feeling the least bit guilty!
James
:summizit: