Brio-compatible road sets

[titchy]

It is ds's birthday in a few weeks and we'd like to get him a road-set of some description, but as dd already has a Brio (well ELC's version actually) railway set we want something that will fit together so when they are older and more co-operative they will be able to play with their combined sets together (some hope!). I've seen the Plan city road set from Early Learning and we thought we'd get the £25 set, but this has no piece that will connect to the railway track. We thought we could get a piece that connects the two together for Christmas but can't find one anywhere.

The more expensive Plan City kit does come with a level crossing that connects the road to the railway but, meanie that I am, I don't really want to spend any more than £25 - he is only 2 (aarrhh - doesn't seem like 5 minutes since he was a little 4lb tiddler!) and is getting a big party, and Christmas is just around the corner.

Does anyone know where I get get connecting bits, or any other compatible road sets, perferably on-line?

Thanks y'all!

Titchy

titchy, don't go away, I got a mail-order brochure full of toys the other day and they have their own road track that connects with Brio-type rail. I will go and have a rummage for it! (In case I find I've thrown it out, nothaving small children any more, has anyone else had it too? It had loads of hand-made wooden toys in it like a ride-on turtle and those things with wires and beads - it was A5 size (ie half A4) - I must have got it as a result of being on eg GLTC's list so I bet lots of others have it.)

titchy we have some Tesco's own which is supposed to be brio compatible..they sell it online too I think at tesco.com

Tichy, I've seem some in a catalogue too so will try to locate it (children have become obsessed with calatogues lately and I rarely get a look in now!).

But just bear in mind that you buy these sets to last. We got the first bit of brio railway when DS was 2. He didn't really play that much with it then but does now so we are adding to it. If you can't find the connecting bits now then I'm sure you will at a later date. Wish I could remember the catalogue. The Wooden Toy company or something - Had combined sets, corssings all sorts and was much cheaper than brio.

Found it!

www.woodandtoys.co.uk

They have a roadway set on its own for £35 - a bit more than you said! (It has one linking piece in it with rail tracks set at right-angles to the roadway.)

Oh, hang on, working backwards, that was the Deluxe set, there is also a "Standard" one for £25, although I can't see a linking piece on the picture, but it still says compatible with Brio.

The phone no is 0845 458 9292 if you want to make sure!

Wow, bundle, I just had a look at the Tesco stuff, what amazing value!

Their roadway joins by a level crossing too but you get a lot of rail track with it, for £33 - definitely worth it. (Not sure if it's wooden though - it's a different colour - can't tell from the picture.) And the individual accessories, like the turntable, are incredibly cheap. Worth a look, Titchy!

Titchy there's loads of brio stuff at www.ebay.co.uk
Look under toys , then "wooden"

I've seen lots of individual bits for the Tescos track in our Tescos Extra and I thought one of them was the level crossing. Their battery operated engine is excellent and compatible with Brio.

janh the tesco stuff is wooden, my nephew has it (and I think we'll get it for Christmas for dd)
I understand Marks and Spencers also do brio compatible stuff, but have never seen it.

titchy, there's a conversation on here called, I think 'wooden train sets' which has lots of info you might find useful. I remember I added something to it about a company who do lots of Brio-compatible wooden accessories at about a third of the Brio price. You don't have to buy a whole train set to get the connecting accessories either. They definitely do level crossings - I bought one for £5.00, oh and they do mail order.

HTH

jahn, my info may be out-of-date (susanmt has said the tesco road bits are wooden) but the tesco road and rail set ds got about a year ago has wooden rails but grey plastic road bits.

sorry, that should read "janh".

janh, the train tracks are definitely wooden. the ikea ones are wooden too but the sticking out bits which actually fix everything together are plastic and don't fit terribly successfully with the tescos stuff - and therefore the brio, i'd imagine.

oops, sorry, not clear, I meant the Tesco road track didn't look wooden.

Looks more like an actual road, with white lines up the middle, I should think little boys might like that better than a wooden one?

We have had a few bits of, I think, Timmy's track? That fits well with Brio.

can't remember re: road bits. sorry

janh - we got the same catalogue this weekend! Isn't it lovely, I want to buy everyting in it!

Tesco's stuff loooks great though, and sooooo cheap!

Jasper have tried ebay but got swizzled (sent cheque, am still waiting for items....) so am a bit loathed to buy through them again.

Tigermoth have bookmarked the site you suggested on previous thread (don't know why I didn't look for a thread before posting - must've had my 'had it with toddlers' brian in at the time!).

I think we have decided to get the Tesco's road set (what a bargain, 3.99!) and the level crossing pack (12.95) from tigermoth's site (www.woodentoysonline.co.uk) We'll also get some little cars and trees and things, probably Tescos. It's not the wooden one, but might be nice for ds to have something that looks different to dd's, and they can both link too.

Need to think about Christmas too as don't want to pay two lots of postage if we order Christmas pressies from the same company as we bought b'day pressies from. Eek

Thanks for all your help mumsnetters!

By the way anyone know how I can do links on Explorer?

titchy

titchy, the tesco's road and rail set comes with some trains, coaches, unidentifiable animals, trees and buildings - you may want to remember this before you order lot's of extras!

STOP PRESS...STOP PRESS...STOP PRESS... just seen wooden rail sets in the Argos catalogue - more bits than the tescos set at about two thirds of the price - don't know for sure if it compatable with brio stuff but there are two weeks to return stuff to Argos...

Just browsing Tesco.com and noticed that they have a wooden 37 piece train set reduced to £11.99.

Asda have some 80 piece compatible sets at just over £13 (no that isn't a typo!). Probably not the same quality as some of the others, but good value for extra track. Also 10% off all toys (including the wooden railways) at tesco.com until 3rd November.

Fantastic! I've just ordered some of the Tesco's stuff for dd's Christmas pressie. My how organised - and it's not even her birthday yet!

For interest, I've got ds the wooden track from Plan City, on various websites. Decided that as dd had a wooden railway ds ought to have something wooden as well, and not something plastic (I sometimes think I spend too long thinking about how to be equal to them both, but that's probably for another thread). The basic set is £25 and includes a level crossing so that Brio, and other, train sets can be added.

Thanks for help on this M'netters!

Titchy

Tesco currently have their mountain rail set in the stores at £19.99 (usually £24.99) - or even cheaper £18.74 on their website