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[Anonymous]

For what it's worth, I don't think you really have to wait until he's older to get him interested in "better" trains.

I have a grandson who's 2 1/2 and is similarly obsessed with trains, Thomas, Little People, whatever. Even takes his Lionel catalog to bed with him. He is also pretty thrilled with "Grandpa's big train" (O-27). I bought it just before Christmas last year, and his eyes when he first saw it were worth the price I paid. We run it slightly off the floor, so he can sit on the floor to play. He starts the train for me, operates the switches, and loads and unloads cars (OK, he puts the logs in the hopper car, but he's a heck of a lot cheaper than an automated log loader) .He occaisionally gets a little carried away and flips a switch while the train is on it, but he's generally very careful, and causes far fewer derailments than I do. I control the train, tell him wich switches to push or pull, and when to pu***he buttons to decouple. It's a great activity, and a great excuse for Granpa to keep buying train stuff.

Of course he's not allowed to play with the train by himself, and it's not his train (at least not yet), but by starting with it this young I think his fascination with trains has a good chance of growing into a very healthy hobby, something that makes him less likely to turn into a video game vegetable as he grows up. Besides, it's nice to have something he really likes to do that he can't do without me.

You can get an O-27 starter set, with track and transformer for under $200, then add switches and remote control track sections gradually just to keep it interesting.

One other thought, if you have train tracks nearby with a regularly scheduled freight train, he will really enjoy seeing a real train go by.

[Anonymous]

You will be surprised to know, that I didnt' have any Intrest for Thomas untill I was 7.
A live train scared me so much that, it was aousome & I had to find out more about
those (monsters). When I started to identify types of trains, I found out about Thomas
At the tine he looked silly (that was untill I found out he was british). Now I'm a scale
model railroader & only 15. Like I say once you get into railways you can't uncoulpe
from it !

[Anonymous]

You will be surprised to know, that I didnt' have any Intrest for Thomas untill I was 7.
A live train scared me so much that, it was aousome & I had to find out more about
those (monsters). When I started to identify types of trains, I found out about Thomas
At the tine he looked silly (that was untill I found out he was british). Now I'm a scale
model railroader & only 15. Like I say once you get into railways you can't uncoulpe
from it !

[Anonymous]

It is great to see all of this enthusiasm in trains. Two years ago I went after a life long dream and hired out with the Railroad. PARENTS IN THIS FORUM DO NOT DISCOURAGE YOUR KIDS FROM THIS CAREER OR HOBBY. My parents tried and I went into a job that I hated for 7 years. Now I work for the Rail road and LOVE IT!!!!

ONE MORE THING!!! Please Rail Fans Stay Safe and keep your distance. I never knew how nerve racking of an ordeal it was to see people close to the tracks, till I started going past them at 60mph!! Most Rail fans are Good BUT....... It is the good Rail Fans responsibility to Stop the idiots from doing anything stupid.

[Anonymous]

It is great to see all of this enthusiasm in trains. Two years ago I went after a life long dream and hired out with the Railroad. PARENTS IN THIS FORUM DO NOT DISCOURAGE YOUR KIDS FROM THIS CAREER OR HOBBY. My parents tried and I went into a job that I hated for 7 years. Now I work for the Rail road and LOVE IT!!!!

ONE MORE THING!!! Please Rail Fans Stay Safe and keep your distance. I never knew how nerve racking of an ordeal it was to see people close to the tracks, till I started going past them at 60mph!! Most Rail fans are Good BUT....... It is the good Rail Fans responsibility to Stop the idiots from doing anything stupid.

[Anonymous]

My kids have been playing with trains most of their lives. We got a layout from a widow and rebuilt it. My five year old son insisted on driving trains while I worked on the layout. I gave him a two turnout yard with ground throws, a rerailer so he could get the cars back on the track and dummy Athearn F7. He fiddled that yard or did "shunting" as they say in Thomas land.

After power was restored to the main layout, we would interchange cars and trains. He loved seeing the train he made being pulled by my engines.

He is eight and my daughter is five. The fiddle yard is used by my daughter, but its powered now. They both play with Hot Wheel cars and trucks near the yard. (They know the good cars and trucks are out of bounds.)

My son runs the entire layout. In his new six track yard he can run different trains by himself.
I installed an old blender, push button switch for track power with the turnout matrix controlled by a push button next to each related button.

Going to see real trains makes a world of difference. He's awakened me at 5:00am when he hears a train horn in the downtwon. We've chased that train in our pajama's more than once, (daughter included).

[Anonymous]

My kids have been playing with trains most of their lives. We got a layout from a widow and rebuilt it. My five year old son insisted on driving trains while I worked on the layout. I gave him a two turnout yard with ground throws, a rerailer so he could get the cars back on the track and dummy Athearn F7. He fiddled that yard or did "shunting" as they say in Thomas land.

After power was restored to the main layout, we would interchange cars and trains. He loved seeing the train he made being pulled by my engines.

He is eight and my daughter is five. The fiddle yard is used by my daughter, but its powered now. They both play with Hot Wheel cars and trucks near the yard. (They know the good cars and trucks are out of bounds.)

My son runs the entire layout. In his new six track yard he can run different trains by himself.
I installed an old blender, push button switch for track power with the turnout matrix controlled by a push button next to each related button.

Going to see real trains makes a world of difference. He's awakened me at 5:00am when he hears a train horn in the downtwon. We've chased that train in our pajama's more than once, (daughter included).