Lionel Polar Express Train Set

With beautiful craftsmanship and styling that evokes a bygone era, the Polar Express Train Set will appeal to everyone in your family. Designed for children ages eight and older, this train set is based on the Caldecott Award-winning book "Polar Express," and the movie that followed in 2004. The gorgeous train set is relatively easy to put together, although parents will probably need to supervise. Even kids younger than eight can enjoy the Polar Express, if parents help them with it.

Superbly Crafted Toy with Easy Set Up
The pieces of the train set are easily assembled, from the smooth linking of the cars, to setting up the track. The instructions are sometimes vague: for example, the train needs to charge before it runs, but we didn't understand that from the instructions and spent some frustrating minutes wondering why the train wouldn't move.

Otherwise, the toy is a delight to set up and play with. Most of the parts are reassuringly heavy and durable, including the impressive transformer that powers the train. There is a small learning curve associated with learning to drive the train, especially for electric train novices, but kids will quickly catch on with their parents' help. The small figurines that can ride atop the cars are a nice entertaining feature. However, they are small and can get easily lost, as well as pose a choking hazard to younger kids.

Attention to Detail Creates a Lifelike Experience
The Polar Express has some especially nice features, like the smoke fluid that you can add to it so that it emits puffs of smoke as it chugs along. The realistic-sounding steam whistle is also a great touch. The transformer that powers the train is heavy and solid, with a big throttle that's easy for little hands to operate.

Testers found the train easy to assemble, and once charged, it went smoothly around the oval track. At 60 inches long and 40 inches wide, the track is not particularly big, but you can extend it by purchasing more track pieces from Lionel (sold separately). In general, we enjoyed the old-fashioned quality in the train set's well-crafted parts, as well the numerous design details (such as interior lighting, retro styling, and a working headlight) that made the Polar Express come alive.

What's in the Box
1 die-cast steam engine; 1 coal tender; 2 coach passenger cars; 1 observation car; 1 CW-80 transformer; Santa's Bell; 4 articulated movie characters; 1 bottle smoke fluid; 40- x 60-inch oval track (with 8 curved sections; 3 straight sections; 1 power terminal section); and instruction book.

Few things bring to mind Christmas for children more than the timeless story, The Polar Express, and a toy train. When the two really come together, they form a present that is irresistible for any child. This year, Lionel has done just that with the Lionel Polar Express Train Set.

Christmas tree trains are a holiday heritage for many families. Remarkably, it is a legacy that has lasted over the years. Trains of today vary much more in their design than in the past when the locomotive was often just a basic black metal or plastic. But the feelings they evoke in kids have not transformed from the delight that various of us felt the first time we saw our family train craft its way around the tree.

The Polar Express has become another holiday tradition. Kids like to hear this story over and over, all year round but at christmas time especially. One California radio station features the reading of this book every year. It has become an honor for the famous personality who gets preferred to read it. And the book has only gotten more popular after the 2004 movie was released.

Sure to spark a new family tradition, Lionel has developed the Polar Express train set and it is an example of masterful design. The set comes with a die-cast metal engine resembling the one from the book, a coal tender and three cars. The crafting of this train set brings to mind bygone times. Adults are sure to be pleased with this along with the children.

The detail work has not been overlooked either. You can see passenger silhouettes in the windows. The cars have inner lights that actually work and there is a working headlight as well. The steam whistle makes the train come alive. As does the smoke that puffs out if you add the included smoke fluid. There are also bendable figures based on the film characters that can be placed within the train.

The train set is easy to put together. You will want to bear in mind that it needs to charge earliest before it can run. It is easy to use by children eight and older, for whom it is enormously made. The transformer features a control that is easy for kids to operate. Younger kids will also enjoy playing with the train but will likely need some help from an adult.

For a special toy that is sure to be a hit with the kids in your life, the Lionel Polar Express train set will undoubtedly deliver. It is a presentthat is designed to become a legacy for various years.

Whether you earliest read the "Polar Express" as a kid, or you fell in love with the 2004 film of the same name, the Polar Express Train Set is a gift that you will cherish for years. This set, which is designed for adults and children older than eight years old, has everything that you need to set up your own Polar Express.

This is a sturdy and heavy train set that includes everything from a die-cast steam engine and two passenger cars, to a transformer, Santa's Bell, and four movie characters. A 40" x 60" track is included along with an instruction book that fully explains how to set up the entire set.

The Polar Express Train Set is perfect for beginners to trains, since customers report that it is especially easy to set up and use. After charging the engine, you can use the transformer to drive the engine nearly the oval track. This set is also compatible with Lionel track pieces, so that you can make a more extravagant set-up if you aspire.

Although the four movie characters that are included with this kit give you the impression that it is for children, many adult train aficionados love this set because of its realistic appearance and nostalgic, old-fashioned design. The die-cast engine is incredibly detailed, as are the cars, and the thoughtful addition of smoke fluid means that you can craft the illusion of a steam engine as the train chugs roughly the track.

The Polar Express Train Set is affordable in comparison to other similar train sets on the market and because it includes so many items, there is almost no end to the configurations that you can generate. While many customers only bring this set out at Christmas time, it is really appropriate to add to your train collection year-round, because of its highly realistic design.

Although this product is not designed for children younger than eight years old, that does not mean that they won't enjoy it. This is the perfect train set if you have kids nearly, though they should be supervised because of the small pieces that are included. Many people report that their children or grandchildren love this set all throughout the year, and because it ties in so well with the movie and the book, the Lionel Polar Express Train Set gives entire families an opportunity to enjoy them once again.