Train set for Xmas tree - any recommendations pls?

[WellThisIsShit]

Inspired by a post I saw a week or so ago on here (which I now can't find)...

I'd really like to be completely frivolous and get a train set that would go around the Christmas tree, but what to get?

Any recommendations?

It's just me and DS who's 7yrs old. I'd like him to love it and play with it, as he hasn't had a train set since those brio wooden trains for very little children.

So it needs to be play-able with vs a decoration only I can touch. But he's also capable of being quite careful and gentle, so could be something he knows to be very gentle when around the tree, but could play with afterwards when the tree comes down if the mood takes him.

So...
Should I go for a cheap plastic one that looks bright and gaudy (in good way!), but may not be great quality, and can't add track or more trains on it?

Or something that works well around the tree but can be the start of follow on presents like more tracks and trains (would need to be dismantled between playing as we're short of space.

I looked on Amazon and there are some 'no name' cheaper ones (with grainy photos and not many reviews), and then stuff like Hornby which looks very complicated to set up, and dull colours, no lights or smoke etc... neither seem quite right!

So am bamboozled!

I'd love to get one, maybe as an additional Xmas present for him or maybe to surprise him when we put the tree up at the beginning of festivities. Not sure what would be most magical?

I'm getting a bit obsessed about this, any help from you fabulous Christmas experts greatly appreciated

[WellThisIsShit]

Tree train longing still present, but annoyingly DS has started talking about asking Father Christmas for a 'Pokémon DS' which is going to muck up all my budget planning!

I have two months to steer DS sumblinimally off the idea of a games console grrr! Nasty modern plastic thing adding to screen time and generally being A Bad Thing, bah humbug!

In the meantime, train longing carries on...

What do you think to this one?

Thomas Kinkade 'Christmas Express' Locomotive Collection

www.bradford.co.uk/kinkadeexpress.html/?tid=325886&gclid=CM-c6fXixNYCFYtAGwodsdsDRw

[BarchesterFlowers]

That looks nice but is it just the engine without wagons in the first ‘issue’?

[AgnesBrownsCat]

Id go for the Lego one . Wait until the beginning of December though and you get the Christmas limited edition set as a freebee with a £60 spend. I bought the santa workshop two years ago and got the cutest little ginger bread house . Last year I bought my kids Walle and ghost busters set and got he santa snow globe . My son has the cargo train so I'm thinking of getting the train this year as we already have extra track and the motor to power the train . Also if you buy from the Lego site you get pints and don't forget to use topcashback. It's about 7% atm .

[AgnesBrownsCat]

You get points not pints 😂

[AgnesBrownsCat]

Also have you lot seen the Lego carousel? Would look fabulous on a hall table at Christmas. Runs away!!!😂😝

[WellThisIsShit]

Oh no Barchester I didn't see the 'issue' thing, £79 is steep anyway for a whole train with carriages and track etc, but it's maybe even more in total if it's £79 per 'issue'?

It says you can pay in two instalments, which I'd rather not, but the 'issue' thing I really don't understand? Argh what an issue about the issue!

Here the text if anyone can shed any light?

"Thomas Kinkade 'Christmas Express' Locomotive Collection
£79.96
S&H: £9.99
Each Issue
£79.96 plus S&H per issue
Available in 2 installments of £ 39.98
Comes with our famous 365-day guarantee

[WellThisIsShit]

The lego one looks good, but was steering away from that because DS (7) is only just showing interest in lego after being very uninterested for years before.

I want to fan the flames of lego love, and worried if I got something so big and complicated, it would extinguish those little flames!

However, maybe I should go for it anyway beings the more traditional ones appear to be a bust...

[BarchesterFlowers]

I have just clicked on the down arrow at the right hand side of the details tab - three issues with mention of 18 😳. Personally I prefer the Lego one, building it together with a festive picnic on the floor (incl. sherry) could become a family tradition.

[BarchesterFlowers]

Just saw your last post. I think you need to set aside an evening, with an xmas film on. Here we will literally put a picnic rug in front of the fire and spread out a picnic, nibbling and building it together until it is done, probably within a day or two of putting up the tree.

[BarchesterFlowers]

OverRun told us about that . I did look at the lego shop website and it seems that you need too bits not one to motorise your train.

I presume that I can just buy <a class="break-all" href="//www.amazon.co.uk/LEGO-City-7499-Flexible-Tracks/dp/B0042HOU1W?tag=mumsnet&ascsubtag=mnforum-21" rel="nofollow noindex" target="_blank">this sort of track to extend my circle.