Polar Express Christmas Train

Have you seen the movie, “Polar Express“, or read the book? Has your little boy or girl dreamed of riding their own Polar Express to the North Pole to meet Santa? They may not be able to ride this one, but if given the Lionel Trains Polar Express Train Set for Christmas, or as a before Christmas gift to set up, they will have a lot more to dream of than just visions of sugar plums.

This electric Christmas train is beautifully made and more like the old Lionel electric trains from the 1940s and 1950s. It is not cheap plastic. Being an O gauge model train, it is one big train.

In fact, the engine is die-cast metal and very heavy. It’s solid. The locomotive engine is a scaled down version of a Berkshire that was used on the railroad near the Polar Express author’s home. The smoke stack will even produce puffs of smoke with the smoke fluid that is included. And the engine whistle is great! There’s even a real working headlight.

Of course, no train set would be complete with just an engine and some track. That track creates a 40″ X 60″ with additional sections of track available for purchase.  You are going to want more track for sure.

Running on that track in these electric Christmas trains are not only the engine but the tender behind the engine and two passenger/observation. The cars light up with interior lights and the silhouettes on the windows make them appear to be full of people. Or are they kids headed to the North Pole?

As wonderful a depiction this electric train set from Lionel is or the Polar Express, it is not a young, young child’s toy. It is a serious train set meant for children over the age of 8. It will take some learning in order to be able to control its movements, both forward as well as backward. But that doesn’t mean younger children can’t enjoy this train set as long as Dad is there to help.

One more thing this Polar Express Christmas train set comes with is a set of 4 figures from the movie. These figures can be attached to the train and ride it. You can move the heads and arms on these figures as well as bending them at the waist and knees so they may be posed as you wish. If four figures are not enough, there is an action figure pack with four more characters from the movie including Santa.

The best Christmas gift of all would be a copy of the book so you can read the story to your child and the Lionel Polar Express train set to act out all his dreams the book creates.  If you would rather, there is even a Polar Express gift set that comes with the book, a CD and cassette, though I’m not sure who uses cassettes these days.  The Polar Express movie would add to the experience and be a good way to entertain your children on a snowy afternoon.