If you have not heard of Thomas the tank and friends then where have you been? Every shop you go in to has something with the Thomas logo on it. Created by Rev.W.Awdry as amusement for his sick son Christopher who had a slow recovery from the Measels, Thomas the tank engine and friends was first brought to our attention back in 1965. In the first book he wrote for his son Rev. Awdry wrote:

And Within only a few months of the first television series being broadcasted audience figures reached a massive 8.5million. To date Thomas and friends is shown in over 130 countries worldwide. Now the island of Sodor is one of the most famous settings for Thomas and friends.

There are a number of Thomas and Friends models, some are made principally of wood others like the popular Take Along toys are Diecast. Die casting is a manufacturing process use to produce metal parts by forcing molten metal under high pressure into reusable steel moulds. These moulds, called dies, can be designed to produce shapes which can be repeated accurately. Die cast models are strong, durable and resistant to temperature and humidity. Each train/coach/carriage has the trademark face to match its personality and the character name painted on the side of the toy. Some models are larger than others. They all come in bright colors and coaches attach to the trains giving hours of possibilities and fun. They really do seem to be practically indestructible, and as we all know they really need to be!

There is such an array of Thomas the Tank engine products available, but the number one toy has to be the Thomas and Friends take along diecast trains. These little numbers are about 75mm in length and all have magnets at the front and rear which allows them to connect to each other. I have seen boys connecting over 8 at once. All painted in great bright. This particular model of train is the latest available on the market. Small enough for your little one to have complete control over, I am certain that these will keep your child amused for several hours. The thing I love about these products is that they are not aimed at anyone in particular meaning that boys and girls could play with them. These toys are very safe.

If you after something a little more old fashioned then the wooden collection of Thomas and his friends is an absolute must have. The complete wooden collection contains Products such as Thomas the Tank Engine battery powered trains, Bridges and Tunnels, Buildings, complete train sets, tables and of course tracks. These train sets allow multiple layouts for children to create different stories with the many characters. Thomas and Friends wooden railway is a comprehensive, open ended play system which helps all children develop essential cognitive and social skills, as well as achieve a sense of accomplishment.

This toy will suit any child from the age of three, but are great fun for all ages. They are unsuitable for the under threes to play with unsupervised because of small parts which could detach from the toys and are a choking hazard.