BRIO Expansion Pack Intermediate & Mighty Red Action Locomotive Bundle

Considering it's a toy, I think it deserves five stars but let me lay out an engineer's critique :DUsing this engine almost everyday with my son has brought out some design flaws. First the pros:- very strong engine, on flat tracks, it can pull 10-15 cars. Struggles to pull that many cars around a curve or up a slope, but that's more because it struggles with traction, not power.- Batteries last reasonably long- Nice switch to toggle between automatic and manual mode (my son imposes a manual mode a lot of times on all players)- Quick stop button- Goes in reverse too!Cons: to be fair, I am nitpicking- my biggest gripe, why doesn't it have a magnet in the front? My son makes long trains that sorely need to two engines to drive the train smoothly. Despite having two of these, I can only use one at a time and only in the front. VERY frustrating. The little freight engine that Brio sells lacks power to be a good secondary engine.- Only two wheels are driven - this gives it less traction than a James engine I have from another set. Having more wheels driven would have utilized it's powerful motor much better and given the engine much better traction. As noted above, it has the power to pull 10+ cars up a slope but it lacks traction making it's front end lift up when going uphill with a heavy load.- When going backwards, the rear independent floating piece doesn't track well and the big wheels struggle to find traction to go uphill backwards. So basically the reverse feature is mostly wasted.- Wish they made it a bit bigger - 1) accommodate 2xAA size batteries (2) give it more weight in the front to pull a longer trainAll said, this is the best toy engine in our stable. The Tomica black steam engine doesn't have sufficient torque to pull a long train, is too light to have good traction, and uses hooks so isn't compatible with the magnet linked train sets. The Thomas and Friends engines are similar to the Tomica. Thomas and Friends engines that use magnets don't have very good drive mechanism and often get stuck on the tracks.Brio - Please please make this engine with magnets at both ends! We will sure buy three - one in front, second for middle and a third at rear of a long train :)

It’s strong. Just make sure to turn it all the way off or you’ll be changing the battery often. You can see in the picture it’s pulling 8 varing sized cars. When it’s a fresh battery it can pull more at a good pace.

I did a fair amount of research before I bought this thing. Seems like every engine had some bad reviews but this one seemed like the best. So I put some Rav-o-vac batteries in it for its first run and the thing didn't even make it up the hill track and I was very disappointed. I thought the engine sucked. Those batteries ran out and I put some Duracell in. It then started rocketing up the hill track while pulling 5 cars. I'm glad I didn't write a crap review for this thing because I was tempted to give it a 3 star. Moral of the story is use good quality batteries and you won't be disappointed!

We wanted a train in a small area with a small tree, but even a basic 36" H-O electric train setup would have been too large. We had our son's Brio wooden set from 25+ years ago, and that would work fine space-wise, but we wanted something with motion. After reading several reviews of the many small battery powered engines for Brio trains (no good up hills, can pull only 2-3 cars, etc.) I had all but given up on my quest. Enter Mighty Red!!! Two batteries rather than one (ah, more car-pulling power …), lights in forward and reverse (ah, more light ...), train sounds (ah, more sound ... [well, duh!~]), can leap tall buildings at a single bound (OK, maybe not that). It was and is the answer to my dreams. This engine easily pulls an 8-car train on a flat track, and can easily get up elevating tracks with 3-4 cars.SO WHY ONLY 4 STARS??? The batteries, my friend; it's all about the batteries. This engine takes two AAA batteries (I suggest alkaline). Never mind the fact that it eats them alive, I don't care. My main concern is about how they are put in, and the effect that will have over time (and not much time, if you're not careful). And I'll mention now that I recommend alkaline batts because the last longer than rechargeable batts and need to be changed less frequently.Here is my concern in that regard:To access the battery compartment, you need to remove the smokestack (Brio calls it the boiler cover) using a small Phillips-head screwdriver (a #0 or #2 size). If you use one too large or too small (like for eyeglasses) you can easily strip the screw, so use the right size driver. However, the boiler screw also allows you to use a small flat-head screw driver (for after you strip the Phillips portion of the screw head) such as a 3mm (Metric) or a 9/64 (ASE). I ask you, should changing a battery be potentially this involved?Once you have the cover removed, you will go through some minor contortions while your fingers try to get it back on (back, down & flat) against the force of the battery spring; it’s do-able, but it takes a bit of practice. But hey, it is your son or daughter you want to enthrall, so you WILL get it done. OK. Take a breather now ... you earned it. And all that work is worth it, too ... but only for about 50-minutes or so of intermittent use, after which the batteries will die (sooner with rechargeables) & you will have to change them again. Yeah, I know. Dang! (I know that in order to keep things relatively compact, fit the engine to track, tunnels, etc., Brio had to design the blastard thing this way, but ... oh, woe to us Dads and Moms …)My main concern (and, finally, the reason for my 4-stars) is that the batteries will need to be changed out so often (and more so if you use rechargeables), that the "boiler" screw is very prone to having its head stripped which, if that happens, will make changing the batteries impossible. One can only hope that Brio has used a very hard steel for the screw. If not, we’re screwed (LOL. See what I did there …) Wait a sec. What do you mean I'm being juvenile? I'm 64, dammit. Don't call me juvenile. Don't!Whoops! Sorry. It got away from me there for a moment. In the end, I highly recommend this over the other wooden train-set engines out there (we do have two "Thomas" ones) as it truly does have more pulling power and can get a number of cars up a hill. Cool feature ... on the way DOWN a hill, a small button in the front activates and you get the "whoo, whoo, chug, chug" sound again.So in the end, I recommend this engine, as it is more powerful (than a locomotive??? Ahh. I did it again. Funny, man … just can’t stop doing this “stuff”. What’’s wrong with me???) than other smaller ones. Just make certain that when you unscrew the “boiler cover” for the first time, you have the right driver, you push down with some force, and that you twist slowly & deliberately to loosen it. When you replace the screw, do not over tighten. This will minimize the likelihood that you will strip out the screw head. Buy it, and enjoy!

The media could not be loaded.  Amazing. Compatible with all magnetic trains of many different brands. Strong and powerful to pull the load. Takes two AAA batteries (not included). Vibrant deep red color. Makes realistic engine sounds. Has a forward button, a reverse button, an easy on off switch on top. Can be silent or with sounds. My 3 year old loves it. He is non verbal with sensory issues and special needs and it does NOT scare him. It fits his little hands perfectly. Very Well made. Great Quality. See video attached.

ALL YOU NEED TO KNOW!I thought I'd write an extensive review because like many parents who are probably a bit more interested in trains than their kids... I have bought a few different ones, looking for the BEST!I have three battery operated trains and here is their score out of 40;1 - Brio red mighty action locomotive 30! WINNER2 - Bigjigs Rail Mallard 26 TWO BONUS POINTS FOR BEING FASTER!3 - Hape Number One - 25The mighty red is easily the best all rounder, however it is not anywhere as near as fast as the Bigjigs AND the worst thing is the screw that needs to be opened to change the battery is very hard to get to.Bigjigs derails and has many problems getting round our complex track - Too fast down hills so derails, too wide to enter tunnels after a bend, not good enough grip to get up hills from certain make of tracks... generally less stable mostly because of speed.Hape is SLOW and steady, has never derailed or got stuck and can pull a couple of carriages. It is SILENT so that good if like quiet but bad for kids who like sound.All three seemed to have around the same battery usage. I use rechargeable batteries as you will be changing them every few days and it's a waste to throw batteries away and buy new ones. None of them are perfect by any means.Here's how they performed in different categories out of 5;SPEED1 - Brio red mighty action locomotive - 32 - Bigjigs Rail Mallard - 5 + 2 points! = 73 - Hape Number One - 1I just timed a lap of all three - slightly inaccurate because they didn't all start with brand new fully charged batteries but the order is undoubtedly correct. 1 min 10 sec for our fast and furious Bigjig, 1 min 42 for our medium paced but steady Brio and an incredibly slow but steady 2 mins 34 for Hape!However... because of Bigjigs extra speed, it is faster downhill and has less control. I've had to change the layout so that there is a long straight after the hill so it doesn't derail on the bend. However because I think it's important for a train to be fast I've added two bonus points for this category.CONTROLS (movement switch)1 - Brio red mighty action locomotive - 52 - Bigjigs Rail Mallard - 13 - Hape Number One - 2The Brio comes with a very kid friendly 3 individual, easy to see, well spaced out buttons that go forwards, stop and backwards. Bigjigs has just one button... forwards and kids keep half pressing it so it roars forwards but doesn't stay on. Hape has a slightly awkward switch, that my 2 year old doesn't understand and it's difficult to stop the train without putting it into reverse. The good thing is, it has a reverse!SOUND and LIGHTS1 - Brio red mighty action locomotive - 42 - Bigjigs Rail Mallard - 23 - Hape Number One - 2I've given Hape a 1 for sound because it doesn't have any! But to be honest not having a sound is good sometimes so depends if you want sound or not. Hape has a good light.Bigjigs has several sounds but unfortunately the loudest and most obvious sound is AWFUL and sounds like a pterodactyl or an attacking hawk... but it does have some other sound that fade in and out that are quite good. It has NO LIGHTS though, which is a real shame as they are fun to see as they go through tunnels or you turn the house lights off.Brio wins this easily. It has two headlights and very nice sounds, which also turn off and on after a while, meaning it doesn't become annoying. It also has a different sound for revers, which is cool.STABILITY1 - Brio red mighty action locomotive - 42 - Bigjigs Rail Mallard - 23 - Hape Number One - 5Probably because it's so slow, Hape never derails. Brio is very stable but can come unstuck and Bigjigs is all over the place, because of it's speed it can derail at the bottom of hills and is generally less forgiving on an imperfect track.PULLING CARRIAGES1 - Brio red mighty action locomotive - 42 - Bigjigs Rail Mallard - 43 - Hape Number One - 1Brio and Bigjigs can both pull four carriages happily on a VERY hilly course but after that, with five carriages there are issues. Brio simply isn't strong enough and Bigjigs' magnet fails so the carriages decouple and roll back down the hill! Hape can only pull two carriages up a decent hill, at least when the batteries aren't 100% BUT the magnet is round the wrong way... at least compared to all other products from several different companies.HILLS1 - Brio red mighty action locomotive - 52 - Bigjigs Rail Mallard - 33 - Hape Number One - 4Bizarrely, Bigjigs doesn't go up certain types of track - to the eye they look the same but the grain of the wood must be slightly different and it doesn't go up them at all.Brio is brilliant.Hape is slow but rarely if ever fails up hill with full batteries.TUNNELS1 - Brio red mighty action locomotive - 42 - Bigjigs Rail Mallard - 23 - Hape Number One - 5Bigjigs is much wider than the other two trains so when it tries to enter a tunnel after a curve and hasn't had time to fully straighten it gets stuck every time. This means I had to change the track so that there are long straights before tunnels - an unnecessary restriction!Brio can sometimes get stuck because of its height if the track is not laid PERFECTLY. But mostly it's great.Hape is definitely the smallest, therefore best in tunnels.BATTERY CHANGE1 - Brio red mighty action locomotive - 12 - Bigjigs Rail Mallard - 53 - Hape Number One - 5Brio, why make it so hard to reach the screw? The screw is a phillips/straight hybrid so I bought a set of tiny Phillips screwdrivers to fit. But the Philips screw has already worn out after three battery changes so I've had to buy another screwdriver, a flat head with a very thin, long neck or you can't reach the screw.To avoid the battery change experience I may well get a rechargeable train... it's expensive but maybe worthwhile. But how it will take corners I don't know!The other two trains have perfectly sensible, easily accessible screws.CONCLUSIONBrio Mighty Red is the most expensive but best all rounder. If you have a flat track and don't mind a noisy train then the Bigjigs is fastest and if you just want a nice, calm, nice looking locomotive then Hape is your best bet.I didn't add a category for looks/style because they are all very different and look good but it's down to taste.

Nachdem wir schon mehrere unterschiedliche Loks gekauft hatten, welche leider alle schon ab einer geringen Anzahl Waggons bei den Brückensteigungen streiken sobald die Batterie nicht frisch aus der Verpackung ist, sollte es nun diese mit Hilfe von 2 Batterien gepowerte Lok sein.Bei neuen Batterien ist die höhere Motorleistung schon erkennbar. Da diese Lok aber leider auch ihre Schwierigkeiten bei den Brückensteigungen hat, bin ich mittlerweile der Meinung dass generell die gummibereiften Antriebsräder der Brio-Loks einfach nicht ausreichend Grip auf den glatten Buchenholz-Schienen haben.Mein Tip deshalb: Sich Schienenwege einfallen lassen ohne Brücken.Ausserdem fehlt mir generell an den Loks ein vorderer Magnet um auch mal eine zweite Lok zur Unterstützung anzuhängen.

Currently on our 4th small green brio train and now this is our second big brio one!The small ones die a death fairly quickly (not to mention kill batteries in a matter of a few hours)... These bigger ones with LED lights and 2 AAA last a lot longer.The only slight annoyance is they turn off after 5 mins, great in most instances... But when they've been sent under a random bit of furniture it's very difficult to locate them when silent.They struggle on the tight turns and don't like pulling a lot of trucks up slopes.Being able to get your child's favourite toy on next day delivery is a life saver!

... i'm finding getting the batteries in and out a real faff! It's tricky to see what you're doing when you've got to stick the screw driver down the tiny funnel, and i know i've a feeling i've almost stripped the screw head already. WHY didn't they just have a normal flap on the bottom of the train with a screw that you can see? You have to push the batteries against their springs with the 'head' of the engine while screwing it back on at the same time.Plus (and maybe it was just me being dim) but after faffing about getting the batteries in i was stuck for a few minutes thinking the train didn't work. You have to switch the little 'wheel spin free' button over before it will start up.Having said all that it's a nice train, and when the batteries are fresh it can easily pull or push 4 or 5 carriages up and over the basic wooden Brio 3 arch bridge.

This toy seems to be very well made and my nephew loved playing with it. It can go forward or backward, it has a sound effect button, and it stops automatically if noone presses the button for a while so does not wast battery if it is left unattended.My only complaint is that it is a little slower then I would expect and a bit underpowered. If the track goes up a hill such as a bridge with more then 1 or 2 trailers it stops. It also will stop if the bend in the track if it is a bit tight. This is anoying as it happens if you nock the track casing it to shift a little.