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Get ready for big adventures with Thomas at Action Canyon, a Thomas and Friends TrackMaster set. Surprises await Thomas around every turn, with a giant waterfall, rickety old bridge, and winding mountain track. Inspired by the popular DVD, The Great Discovery, this set transports kids aged three and up to fabulous imaginary worlds. 
Thomas is powered by a single AA battery. View larger. | 
A waterfall and a collapsing bridge keep action canyon interesting. View larger. |  | What We Think
Fun Factor: 
Durability:
(what this means)
The Good: Exciting train set features popular characters
The Bad: Track only includes one train car
In a Nutshell: Action Canyon is ready to be invaded by imaginative kids | At a Glance
Ages: 3 and up
Requires: 1 AA battery
|  | | Laying the Tracks
Before the fun begins, Thomas and his friends will have to wait for the railroad to be assembled. Detailed instructions with clear illustrations make building the track through Action Canyon an easy task. It does take a few minutes to sort out all the pieces and get a feeling for how their plastic connectors snap together. Once the bridge and the mountainous waterfall are in place, you need to place a single AA battery (not included) inside Thomas, so he can power uphill. A Dramatic, Dynamic World
Be careful! One light tap on a secret button might cause the old rickety bridge to collapse right under Thomas. This colorful, sturdy track that runs through the unpredictable canyon is a great setting for imaginative play. Little engineers will love the switch that lets them pick whether Thomas busts through the waterfall or continues to the top of the mountain and on toward a daring descent. Kids who have seen The Great Discovery or ardent fans of the Thomas and Friends TV show will love that they can immediately start recreating adventures, like the discovery of a long lost town on the island of Sodor, but familiarity with these existing storylines isn't essential. Any imaginative child will be able to enjoy a day at Action Canyon. A Growing Circle of Friends
If climbing up a steep pass and zipping through a narrow passageway isn't exciting enough, Action Canyon can be combined with other TrackMaster sets to create a humongous world for Thomas to explore. Adding exciting, new destinations, additional engines, railcars, and trucks to liven up the secluded canyon is sure to make this set way more fun for multiple kids to play with. The fact that Thomas only requires a single AA battery to run is convenient and economical, but he does labor a little bit on the steeper portions of track, which makes us wonder how he would fair pulling a heavy load. This seems a small concern compared with the potential of surrounding him and the Action Canyon with fun-loving friends and constantly evolving stories. What's in the Box
53 piece track set, Thomas engine, and instruction booklet.
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I bought this for my 3 year old and he loves it to death. If he didn't love it, I would send it back for a refund in a second. It is very cheaply constructed and just about every piece from the bridge to the waterslide falls apart on a baily basis. I've put this thing together so many times I don't need the instructions anymore. The tracks do not fit together nicely, the bridge drop never works properly, pieces pop out all the time. Also, the battery compartment on the Thomas train that comes with the set is easy to open and my 3 year old has taken the battery out several times so just be warned if you're concerned about that. I got this for $44.99 with free shipping before Christmas and did not think it was worth that much. Now I see the list price is twice that. It's absolutely not worth $85+ and the $15 shipping. As I said, my son just loves this toy so we are keeping it but if I had known about all the problems it would create for me, I would have bypassed it and chose something else with as much appeal and less hassel.
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