Melissa & Doug 17-Piece Wooden Take-Along Tabletop Railroad, 3 Trains, Truck, Play Pieces, Bridge - FSC Certified

Melissa & Doug have done it again!I have two boys (2.5 and 3.5 yrs old). Their birthdays are just a couple months away, and we decided to get them a train table with the full M&D track. BUT, I wanted to ease them into it -- as they've never really played with trains before.I saw this take-along version and thought it'd be a perfect lead in.The plan is for it to be open and set-up under the tree on Xmas morning, so I can't yet tell you how the kids react. But I just played with it for a good 20 minutes.. if that tells you anything.Here are my pros and cons right out of the box.Pros:1) VERY solid construction. What I've come to expect from M&D. Wood is thick and sturdy. Clasps and hinges feel strong and durable.2) Nice finish/paint job on the track itself. A few minor imperfections, but overall, consistent and well done.3) Buildings/decor painted on both sides. Some sets I've seen have only one side painted. This looks good from all angles.4) Even without any decor/buildings, it is fun to use the track. My youngest is on the spectrum and not always the most gentle or purposeful with toys. I like that I can teach him how to push the cars before messing with the decor -- but can add those pieces easily for his older brother.Cons:1) 2 cars travel great together, but you'll get an occasional derailment on turns with 3 cars travelling as a unit. Not a huge issue at all, but worth noting.2) While the sliding gondola is a cute touch as a moveable element, within a day I imagine it would cause paint to wear off the 'mountaintop.' I doubt I'll give it to my kids -- at least not any time soon.3) I really wish the inside had compartments for the pieces. There's so much space that all the pieces will just be banging/jangling around in there -- should you actually use this for travel.I will probably wrap pieces in a small dish towel when storing them to negate this.

My 2.5 year old looooves this and I love the ability to store it! He’s really into trains so I wanted to get him a train track but not one that takes up a ton of space or takes a ton of time to take apart and put away. This is perfect! And being able to fold it up with all of its pieces inside of it is also a huge win! I love not having to search through toy bins for all of the parts - they’re all together!

Our 2 yr old loves to play with this train set. It is easy for him to carry around and set up himself. Works well to travel with because self contained.

My son loves this super sturdy design and can store pieces inside for easy clean up got for my 2 yr old for christmas

Two-year-old loves playing with trains! This fold up track allows us to take it on the go. The pieces are all durable and fit into the carrying case with no hassle. The magnets on trains could be better but that's an easy fix and minor problem.

This is such a nice toy to have when you're traveling. I keep it in my car a lot especially if i have to bring my child to the doctor. I would much rather he play with his own clean toy than any toy in a waiting room. I even brought this with us while we where waiting on a haircut once. other kids even came over to play. The little tunnel is not very durable and ultimately got cracked somehow the first day we got it which was upsetting but overall its a good toy. My son discovered that his other cars from his train sets fit this one too and even added those to it.

Awesome train set for not having to constantly put back together for a toddler! He love it and great quality!!

Melissa and Doug wooden toys are always darling and well made, with no agenda except fun and learning. I buy one every Christmas for my daughter, who is a speech therapist for children up to 3 years old, and she uses them for their therapy sessions, because the toys are fun, attractive and versatile.