Before you choose

Train-mad children want to push an engine round a track, hear it toot and, sooner or later, build a railway of their own. This guide sorts train toys by age, from a Mega Bloks alphabet train at one to LEGO City trains at seven, and explains which track joins which. We checked the age marking, the batteries and the contents of all nine toys on each maker's own site.

Push-along, motorised or built from bricks

Train toys come in three broad kinds. Push-along engines and track sets are moved by hand, need no batteries and suit the youngest drivers. Motorised engines run on their own at the press of a button. Brick-built trains are a model to make first and a train to play with afterwards.

Most children start with the first kind and move on, but a three-year-old with a push-along set will often want a motorised engine for the same track next. That is why the track system matters as much as the train.

  • First train: the Mega Bloks ABC Learning Train, for ages 1 to 5.
  • Push-along: Giant Whistling Thomas and the Exploring Tidmouth Sheds track set.
  • Motorised: Cranky's Dockside Delivery, whose Thomas takes 1 AAA battery.
  • Built from bricks: three LEGO City trains, all marked 7+.

Train toys by age: 1, 2, 3 and 7

At one, a train is something to push and fill. The Mega Bloks ABC Learning Train has three rolling bases that join into a train, with letter blocks to stack on top, and Mattel puts it at ages 1 to 5.

The Woodlets Stacking Train is the wooden choice at one: three small carriages clip together, and eleven chunky wooden shapes stack on their prongs. It is marked 1+, needs no batteries and is small enough to carry about the house.

At two, Fisher-Price's Giant Whistling Thomas is a large engine sized for small hands. Pressing his steam dome makes him toot, and there is a compartment for carrying cargo. He needs no batteries.

Three is where Thomas & Friends track sets begin. Exploring Tidmouth Sheds and Cranky's Dockside Delivery are both marked 3+, one pushed by hand and one with a motorised Thomas. The next step up is LEGO City, whose three trains here are marked 7+.

BRIO's TGV INOUI is marked 3+ as well, for a child who already has a wooden railway. It is the longest train in BRIO World: two high-speed engines and two carriages, with two characters and a suitcase.

Which track joins which

Fisher-Price's current Thomas & Friends sets use what Mattel calls easy-connect track, so Tidmouth Sheds and Cranky's Dockside Delivery join into one layout, and extra track is sold separately. Mattel says its motorised engines run on all Thomas & Friends track except wooden track, so check before adding one to a wooden railway. BRIO's TGV runs on BRIO World wooden track, and BRIO says every BRIO World piece works with the others.

LEGO City trains come with LEGO track. The Police Train Heist has an oval with a railway crossing, while the Vintage Steam Train and the Harbour Freight Train each come with a single section, enough to stand the train on for play and display.

Batteries and motors

Mattel says three of the toys here need no batteries at all: the Mega Bloks train, Giant Whistling Thomas and Exploring Tidmouth Sheds. The Woodlets train and the BRIO TGV need none either. Cranky's Dockside Delivery takes 1 AAA battery for its motorised Thomas.

The LEGO Police Train Heist is a Powered Up electric set with a working locomotive, so check the box for the batteries it needs. The Vintage Steam Train and the Harbour Freight Train are not motorised in the box, but LEGO says both can be fitted with its Powered Up hub, train motor and remote control, sold separately.

LEGO City trains for older fans

From seven, building the train becomes part of the gift. The Vintage Steam Train has 575 pieces: a steam engine, coal tender and passenger carriage joined by magnetic couplings, a station platform with a working semaphore signal, and five minifigures.

The Harbour Freight Train, with 803 pieces, is a working railway scene: a shunter locomotive with two flat wagons, a reach stacker crane that moves four containers between the train and a flatbed truck, and three minifigures. The Police Train Heist is the largest at 1,313 pieces, with a powered locomotive, three flatcars, an oval of track and a helicopter with a grabber claw.

How these train toys were chosen

The nine toys come from Fisher-Price's Thomas & Friends range, Mega Bloks, Woodlets, BRIO and LEGO, with no more than three from any one range. We read each one's age marking, battery needs and contents on Mattel's and LEGO's own sites on 6 October 2026, and The Entertainer sells each of those seven through an Awin link we have checked. The BRIO TGV was read on Ravensburger's UK site, which sells BRIO, on 19 October 2026, and Hamleys sells it through an Awin link we have checked. The Woodlets train was read the same day on Early Learning Centre's site, the page for toys from Addo Play, which makes Woodlets, and The Entertainer sells it.

They run from the youngest age marking to the oldest. The order is not a TopTenToys ranking. For vehicles that are not on rails, see our car toys guide.

Manufacturer-checked facts

Product details

Nine train toys from Fisher-Price, Mega Bloks, Woodlets, BRIO and LEGO, marked from 1+ to 7+. Check the age marking, whether it needs batteries and which track it runs on before you choose.

Image supplied by The Entertainer through the Awin product feed.

Construction / first blocks

Mega Bloks 60 Pieces First Builders Alphabet Train Set

In the box: 3 rolling wheelbases that join into a train, with building blocks printed with the letters A to Z and special shapes for building a station; Mattel says no batteries are required and puts it at ages 1 to 5

Age guidance
1+
Brand
Mega Bloks
Model / item
DXH35
Facts checked
Back to the shortlist
Image supplied by The Entertainer through the Awin product feed.

Trains / wooden stacking train

Woodlets Stacking Trains

In the box: A wooden train of 3 detachable carriages and 11 easy-grip wooden shapes to stack on its prongs; about 8 x 13 x 8 cm

Addo Play item 312-16166-B, read on Early Learning Centre's site, which the owner accepted on 19 October 2026 as the maker's page for Addo Play's toys. No batteries.

Age guidance
1+
Brand
Addo
Model / item
312-16166-B
Facts checked
Back to the shortlist
Image supplied by The Entertainer through the Awin product feed.

Vehicles / trains

Thomas & Friends Giant Whistling Thomas Train

In the box: A large-scale push-along Thomas engine that toots when the steam dome is pressed, with a storage compartment for cargo; Mattel says no batteries are required

Age guidance
2+
Brand
Thomas & Friends
Model / item
JLL41
Facts checked
Back to the shortlist
Image supplied by The Entertainer through the Awin product feed.

Vehicles / train set

Thomas & Friends Exploring Tidmouth Sheds Train Track

In the box: A push-along Thomas engine, track with a movable gate, a drawbridge and a train-activated windmill, a turntable in front of Tidmouth Sheds and Harold the Helicopter with rotating blades; no batteries

Age guidance
3+
Brand
Thomas & Friends
Model / item
JLL36
Facts checked
Back to the shortlist
Image supplied by The Entertainer through the Awin product feed.

Vehicles / train set

Thomas & Friends Cranky's Dockside Delivery Train Track

In the box: A motorised Thomas engine and track to Brendam Docks, where Cranky the Crane lifts a crate into Thomas's cargo car, then on to the market; easy-connect track; 1 AAA battery for the engine

Age guidance
3+
Brand
Thomas & Friends
Model / item
JLL40
Facts checked
Back to the shortlist
Image supplied by Hamleys through the Awin product feed.

Trains / wooden railway

Brio World - Trains Of The World - TGV Inoui Train

In the box: 7 pieces: 2 high-speed engines, 2 passenger carriages, 2 BRIO World characters and a suitcase

BRIO item 36087 (Ravensburger article 63608700, EAN 7312350360875), read on Ravensburger's UK site, which sells BRIO. It runs on BRIO World wooden track; no batteries are listed.

Age guidance
3+
Brand
Hamleys
Facts checked
Back to the shortlist
Image supplied by The Entertainer through the Awin product feed.

Construction / LEGO City

LEGO City Vintage Steam Train Construction Set 60511

In the box: 575 pieces: a steam engine, coal tender and passenger carriage with magnetic couplings, a track section, a station platform with a covered bench, lamppost, ramp and working semaphore signal, and 5 minifigures; can be motorised with LEGO Powered Up parts sold separately

Age guidance
7+
Brand
LEGO
Model / item
60511
Facts checked
Back to the shortlist
Image supplied by The Entertainer through the Awin product feed.

Construction / LEGO City

LEGO City Harbour Freight Train Construction Set 60509

In the box: 803 pieces: a shunter locomotive with 2 flat wagons, a track section with buffers, a reach stacker crane, a flatbed truck and 4 containers with cargo, and 3 minifigures; can be motorised with LEGO Powered Up parts sold separately

Age guidance
7+
Brand
LEGO
Model / item
60509
Facts checked
Back to the shortlist
Image supplied by The Entertainer through the Awin product feed.

Construction / LEGO City

LEGO City Police Train Heist Construction Set 60508

In the box: 1,313 pieces: a Powered Up electric train set with a working locomotive, 3 flatcars carrying a prison cell, bank safe and rally car, an oval of track with a railway crossing, a helicopter with a grabber claw and 6 minifigures

Age guidance
7+
Brand
LEGO
Model / item
60508
Facts checked
Back to the shortlist

Questions

Common questions

What train toys suit a 2-year-old?
Fisher-Price's Giant Whistling Thomas is marked 2+, needs no batteries and is sized for small hands. For a younger child, the Mega Bloks ABC Learning Train is for ages 1 to 5.
What train toys suit a 5-year-old?
The Thomas & Friends sets here are marked 3+ and still suit a five-year-old, especially the ones with something to do at the station: Cranky's Dockside Delivery has a motorised Thomas and a crane that lifts a crate into his cargo car, and Exploring Tidmouth Sheds has a drawbridge, a turntable and a train-activated windmill. The LEGO City trains start at 7+, so they make a good next step in a couple of years.
Do Thomas & Friends motorised engines work on wooden track?
No. Mattel says its motorised Thomas & Friends engines are compatible with all Thomas & Friends track except wooden track.
Are LEGO City trains motorised?
The Police Train Heist is a Powered Up electric set with a working locomotive. The Vintage Steam Train and Harbour Freight Train are not motorised in the box, but LEGO says they can be fitted with Powered Up parts sold separately.
Are these train toys ranked?
No. The nine train toys are listed by age marking, youngest first, and the order is not a TopTenToys ranking.

Research

Sources checked

We use official safety guidance and manufacturer sources for specific product claims. Retailer popularity can inform discovery but does not replace these checks.

Each pick's identity, age marking and contents were checked on its maker's own page: