How good is the quality of Lionel's New O Gauge Thomas Engine?

[Anonymous]

When I bought my oldest boy (age 5) the Lionel O Gauge Thomas engine, from a few years back, it's quality seemed very poor. The engine rattled as it travelled around the track, and the cars had cheap plastic couplers that seemd to uncouple easliy.

Now my question ... Lionel just introduced a new O Gauge Thomas engine that even has moving eyes. Has anyone seen this engine yet and watched it run? Is it built with better quality then the old model from a few years back?

- Barry

[Anonymous]

I don't know what the quality will be like, but I hope it'll be better. I, too, bought a Island of Sodor set for my son. It had a poor quality Thomas and passenger cars. The Thomas wasn't reversible. The passenger cars ended up where the needle point of the axle enlarged the hole, and made the hole oblong, so that they wouldn't roll anymore. I was very disappointed in that set. I did buy a seperate sale Thomas, and that is much better loco. It still has the cheap fixed coupler, but it has reverse and sounds better rolling down the track. I don't think that the new one is due out until later this year. I could be wrong, but if anyone is in the know, let us know.