Train Tables?

Do you have one and are you happy with it (and do you recommend a particular brand)?

I have been toying with the idea of getting one for a few weeks and might add it to the presents. This would be more for me (and my sanity) at this point since I don't expect a 3 year old to get overly excited about a table. Especially since we don't have a train set. She does have a dollhouse with a gazillion small pieces and the baby always heads straight to it. . .and then my older daughter screams and tries to keep her away. . .and the "scene" that she had set up is all over the floor. . .you get the picture?

[Sheherezade]

We had one. I think that if your kids are 3 and baby....that it is a good investment for the future. We liked ours but got it a little late. Only word of caution: they are BIG and take up a lots of space. We had a teeny tiny apartment and the table took up about a fourth of the kids room. Try to get one with the storage bins on the bottom. I'd offer you mine, but it has seen better days. I don't think the storage bins would stay in without carpentry intervention.

[Phoebe]

I can't recommend any specific train table, but I would recommend one. We have a fairly large train table (FIL's high school students built it for us) in our play room. We don't have trains on it, but my girls use it constantly for puzzles, their doll house, little ponies, etc. They also use our coffee table in the living room in the same capacity.

[pstone]

we are thinking of getting this one for x-mas...the thomas ones are so expensive

http://www.sensoryedge.com/trtawithbian.html

The dudes are getting one for Christmas this year, we got it at Costco for about $130. It's a kid magnet, kids seem drawn to it whenever there's one when we're out and about. I'd say go for it. But get one with the drawers underneath. I'm hoping all the train sets are interchangable, as I'd like to add to it later.

Jodi

[Momo]

We have the one from Costco...The kids love it, but I have to tell ya I have had to glue a lot of the wooden toys back together. Small pieces come off and on a couple of occasions I have had to fish these small choking hazards out of my youngest daughter's mouth . .
I really wanted to spend the extra dough and get the Pottery Barn one,

http://www.potterybarnkids.com/produ...key=rromboytra

it would be easier to transition into a "normal" piece of furniture someday. I strongly suggest you buy at least one of the Ikea train set as they are much more durable, albeit way fewer pieces

http://www.ikea.com/webapp/wcs/store...umber=30064359

We had the Ikea train set first and they loved it! I have seen in their catalogs, where they combind a few of them for a more elaborate set up.

[PrincessFiona]

We have one...but it's in the garage now Basically, the kids will play with the train table when we're at barnes and nobles, etc...but at home it was a toy/trash collector that went pretty much unused. Ours isn't the standard train table though. It's got taller legs and I painted the top of it myself.

I've been considering cutting the legs shorter and bringing it in so that Aidan could use it.....but...where to put it

[rainbabies]

we got one for dh's b-day(but really for the kids ) a few weeks ago. we agonized about what kind to get...if we should make one, plastic tracks, wooden tracks...etc. thomas is WAY expensive for us. our kiddos do have about 10-12 metal thomas trains but that is it.

we ordered a table on line at target. it comes with trains, buildings, all the tracks, little men, trees, animals...etc.

the kids LOVE it. the thing that makes it even better is, dh drilled holes in all the tracks, and screwed them down...bridges too. we went to lowes and they cut a piece of 1/2 inch plywood to fit in the table, then we covered it with the decorative board it came with then screwed down all the tracks. it looks great and they havent enjoyed a toy as much as it, since they got their bikes last year.

here is the link to the one we have. oh, and it is compatable with wooden thomas trains if you decide to go that route.

http://www.target.com/gp/detail.html/sr ... B000EW3YZ2

this is not the exact one we have but very similar. we DID NOT pay that amount for ours. it did come with three bins, it's natural colored wood and very sturdy.

[alison]

My dad made one... He modeled it after the Swiss Railway. It's about 10'x12', ginormous with mountains, rivers, animals, villages (with power). Holy moly. It takes up an entire room in my parents' basement. My brother is going to inherit it. Thank goodness!