This is terrible....the underside of Thomas' body shell seemed a bit sloppy as well. This looks like it came out of a McDonald's Happy meal, and I would't pay HALF of the retail price.
Hi Leo! I actually haven't seen them in my area either yet, but as a somewhat committed reviewer of these I had to pay the ebay premium to get it in a timely manner plus my curiosity always gets the best of me. I would be very interested to see your thoughts on this or any new set you get (and destruct hehe).
This is the most concerning review yet, especially with regards to how poorly the new engines run on the old blue track. Here's hoping Plarail continues to release new characters, otherwise my choices will be very limited with regards to adding new characters to my series. Better stock up on the old TrackMaster engines.
Filming with that new Trackmaster Thomas would be a nightmare on TOMY tracks. I wouldn't be able to make a 30 sec scene with Thomas stopping every two seconds.
I had the exact same issues and conclusions when I opened this set! The track buckling is totally unacceptable to the point I thought I put the thing together wrong. I also ran Annie and Clarabel for my 1st review and the new Thomas left them on the track! Disappointing!
Ok an update from Fisher price, I have tweeted them (several times) and messaged them on facebook about our concerns and they have not replied, nor do I think they ever will they only care about $$$
You were right. I cannot defend these models anymore. I saw some in my local shop and, yeah, they look a lot worse than seeing a few pictures of them. I wouldn't care so much if these were solely a little hands range like the Wooden Railway range they had going a few years ago, but it's really disappointing that they've used these as a replacement for the old models, especially since the old ones were fine as they were.
Thomas isnt only for children, there are lots of adults that still have Thomas toys and theres nothing wrong with that, every one is a child at heart and thats a good thing, these new toys suck! I hate that they cant even free roll! I total agree with you
What did Gordon James and Henry used to say ?? Oh yeah, disgraceful, disgusting, despicable. This is highly upsetting, it's as if Trackmaster is getting cheaper by the year ...
+Green ProDuctions Universe A year ago, I was talking about the quality of the trains, track, rolling stock, details, and accessories, not the price of the engines, etc in selected stores.
I suggest a worldwide strike. We will buy Plarail engines only, so Fisher Price/Mattel/Trackmaster are forced to meet our demands in order to make money off of Trackmaster again. What do we want? BRING BACK THE OLD TRACKMASTER! When do we want it? NOW!!!!!!!
Give it 10 years … now look what we got … the all engines go motorised THINGS that can’t even fit through a tunnel on a layout … it makes a revolution Thomas look like tomy y know … It is painfull sometimes 😂
Awesome review, Ucwepn! First off, I hate the new packaging for the sets-anyone could just rip it apart and steal the contents inside. In my opinion, the old Trackmaster with the sticks to hold the wheels in the packaging worked a lot better. Second, the redesigned engines-I understand that they want to enhance the performance, but did they have to make them look THIS ugly?!? All that they really needed to do was swap out the motors like you do to make them faster and that would enhance their performance. Third, the performance-if they don't even work on the old TOMY track, then what's the point of collecting this brand of Thomas merchandise at all anymore?!? I better stock up on all of the old redesigns and fast before they're taken off the shelves forever. Because once this new "re-designed" brand is out, that's one less piece of Thomas merchandise I'm collecting.
Not trying to start a heated debate or anything, but, does anyone remember 2006, when TOMY switched to Trackmaster, It SUCKED big time, but, as time went on we grew accustomed to it, and don't want it to leave, I mean think about it, We went from nice blue track to brown flimsy track, and poor quality cars and trucks, but still now we don't want it to go, and I know it seems that this new TM is cheep to but maybe it will get better just like the old line did. so, If you are a TTTETM fan,lets just try to keep an open mind on these things, and lets look at the bright side, We get to do a lot of Custom work! To me custom work is fun cause its something YOU can make better then it was! :D :)
True, but if you actually want to buy these new trains, you will have to waste all your money to buy this new cheap, flimsy track. When trackmaster came out, the tomy's engines worked perfectly on the brown track, and the trackmaster engines worked perfectly on tomy's but none of the new engines work on either kind. So what's the point of the new track adapters? As ucwepn said, kids deserve better than this cheap garbage.
Great honest Review. I found that this new track seems to be really flimsy on the connectors. When I was reviewing my TOTB set it felt like the connectors could possibly break over time. Time will tell.
I am going to say the same thing I said on BluePlasticTracks I had Tomy as a little boy, I still remember my set and how well made it was. This new Trackmaster stuff is crap. It hurts because some people won't know the joys of a well made blue track set. I still have my TOMY Tracks from my old Ffarquar set and I can still use them today with my Plarail Advance. Trackmaster is going ever downhill, it hurts as a railfan seeing that cog-wheel and just knowing that they are doing it for money. As for me, I'm going to denounce Trackmaster all my days and stay with Tomy Takara until the day I die. Give me blue track or give me death!
This is horrendous. I can't believe what they've done to TrackMaster. I don't understand why the changed the track and made the engines worse on the Tomy track. Of you go onto the TTTE Wiki, you notice that the engines have no middle wheel and Edward's to front wheels are no existent. This is a poor job done by who ever made these trains. Bring back the old TrackMaster or Tomy!
I understand that the new Trackmaster is appalling when it comes to the tracks (e.g - the blue track) however I believe there were fans dating back around 2008 that were annoyed when Tomy was replaced by Trackmaster. Yes they can fit and run on the blue track well but as time went on the blue track was gone from stores and money was being spent on the flimsy and bland brown track. Of course I agree on some of the design, but Thomas for example almost look like an E2 here. However pre-2014 Trackmaster had some appalling designed toys as well (light and sound Thomas with it's squashed up cab is one example and so is Toby's face swap model when TM first started) me, I'm no avid collector of these toys, though I do like Plarail more. But the TM 2014 Thomas are good runners and I believe there'll be some improvement for it down the line so it's better to wait and see and give it a chance.
Hi you make some valid points, I first encountered these types of trains in around 2002 and they were of course TOMY and I enjoyed playing trains with my oldest son back then (He was 2 years old). And since 2011 my interest in these trains has returned and along with my son we run the blue plastic tracks forum which deals with all of these types of trains old and new. This new range in the hands of Mattel because they own HiT so they own the Thomas franchise can only get worse from here, we have gone from a train system that was functional and enjoyable that could do a great job of being a very rudimentary model railway and could actually have trains pulling loads (albeit tongue in cheek trains pulling up tongue in cheek hills etc) it was all very functional as a railway. Now we seem to have stunt trains that can pull 1 or 2 tiny empty cars up a ridiculous hill for God knows what reason, they also redesigned the track for no reason other than to sell a new track system that's worse than all before it.
I'm just being realistic here, but I don't think Fisher Price or Mattel are going to be bothered by a petition over an old design. I don't want to start a heated argument here but IMO fans need to give this range some time and maybe things will improve along the way.
The review is not disappointing at all, the product is !!! Clearly this new 2014 stuff has not been designed with blue track-back compatibility in mind, so now at least we all know where we stand: new trackmaster 2014 or blue track... the choice is yours, me, I've already made up my mind.
I have better things to spend my hard earned money on. This is a crap product, it's just so sad that the new trackmaster has been so downgraded. I don't care if they are for kids, or if they are for the new tracks, all of us deserve better trackmaster than this. Mattel think they are making a smart move but sometimes i think the people at Mattel are saying, "older people shouldn't be in to thomas and friends, so we'll make a haoorible product that only the kids will want, because its a train with a face on it". I agree with everything you say Chris, it is pure rubbish.
Of course the first thing Fisher Price does when it gets the Thomas name is to let the quality of the toys plummet for double the profit. And yeah, "but it's for kids!" is something you'll hear often. But that's no excuse for making a terrible product. Thomas toys have always been an example of high-quality toys for children, and this is just dragging such a trusted name through the mud. Have you left Fisher Price an email with these concerns?
I'm sorry, but the quality of this new Trackmaster stuff is like the cheap train sets you find at the 99p store! The flimsy track, the fragile couplings, the fact that the engine keeps stopping and starting, etc. are all hallmarks of poorly made train sets. Aside from lack of compatibility with the earlier Tomy/Trackmaster track, the other major letdown is the fact that the engines don't free-roll when switched off anymore. I don't know about anyone else, but I was never really into battery-powered trains as a kid. I preferred to get in on the action rather than just sit and watch the trains. For that reason I preferred electrically powered or even push-along stuff. When I was younger, Tomy seemed quite ingenious because it was both push along and battery powered. If you wanted an engine to back down on or run around its train, you could turn the motor off and control it by hand. With the new models you can't do that, because the wheels are constantly locked. You have to lift the model up and place it in front of the train. And it's not even like Mattel/Fisher-Price have made up for this by improving the engine designs. Thomas and Percy look fairly decent but all the tender engines now have saddle tanks! and the trucks and vans look as horrid as they have done for years. If you can't paint the trucks a prototypical colour, paint the frames and roof a different colour to the main body at least! Otherwise it just looks cheap. I don't buy Trackmaster, but I'm feeling for the poor parents who have to pay over the odds for this nasty guff, and the disappointed kids when their toys inevitably break, or aren't strong enough to pull long trains.
Wow I hadn't thought the change was as bad as this. Seeing it run made it feel like this was an entirely new motorized system. It looks like you can easily break it even if you try. I remember the track and buildings used to be tough old things, the Tidmouth Sheds was designed so that it couldn't break! I could understand why Thomas can't work on Plarail track but that's no excuse, it ought to have been easy enough to at least take the basic shape of the older engines. I think parents during the next two years aren't going to be happy if their child has problems with this using this track with the old track. You could leave a customer review on the Fisher-Price website, but they'll probably redirect you to customer service or something non caring. I thought they were the ones who copied you with your Light-Up trains and increased speed, your videos turn up on Google more often. :P When a new generation of children comes by, the adaptors will probably be gone and this system will be used by them without any problems, but that's a real shame. Thank you for this early review.
you can still buy tomy plarail models but you have the same problem as I do in America, that tomy trains from japan to were we are is a lot of money. its sad to see track master trains and stuff go down the tube. I have collected the, for 10 years and now I'm just finished. anyway, great video buddy :)
As the Nostalgia Critic once said, "Just because something is meant for younger kids doesn't give you the right not to try!" Have you seen the new Trackmaster Edward? And you thought that "Flying Edward" was awful!
+ Ucwepn I have the Mad Dash On Sodor set and to me it has some pretty good quality. I think they put some effort in to it. I will connect a big loop of TOMY with my old Trackmaster adaptors so it is all connected. The reason why I do this is so I can run my old type trains. I get more old type every once in a while from eBay because I even think the Trackmaster 2 are bad. I will not buy very many new ones. I will continue to go through eBay and find and old train with a cheap price. I will not buy any more new Trackmaster. When I am older, I will have a big layout on tables of my TOMY and Trackmaster that I have collected over the years. Even though I am 12 years old, I am very major on detail on my new trains and ones I already have. I hope Fisher Price reads my comment. I prefer old trains!
5C1productions Well its just one aspect that I tweeted them about and it's the low hanging activation/locking tab. Theres still 2 more problems that make them horrible, you'll see in my next video.
I find it stunning how the set is now $15 in the United States. Thomas himself is $10 so this set is actually a better deal. The site I found it at $15 from is Amazon, surprisingly. Nevertheless, the new engines are actually slightly more expensive on their own (i.e. new Henry is $15, old henry is $8).
14:52 they shouldn't have changed it in the first place(the brown track aren't as good as blue track,but at least they are compatible with the ones who run on the blue tracks)
I had brought this thinking it would be good but now I'm not so sure I am still going to see for myself but I don't believe the results will change sadly
The new TrackMaster sets and redesigns are absolutely shocking, with awkward shapes, missing decals, incorrect wheel arrangements, poor traction tires, cheaper plastic, weaker tracks, lazy set designs, and its not even compatible with its predecessors. If Fisher Price wanted to make the TrackMaster range look better, then they should of attempted making the characters and sets look more accurate to the show. But it seems like Fisher Price wants to ruin their range instead. I won't by the newer TrackMaster range, as Fisher Price has made some ridiculous decisions lately.
The new 2014 track range is very limited at the moment, So far, I've only seen Y points, straight and curved track sections. The older, blue colour track range consisted of a huge variety of Junctions and in the past, I made some terrific layouts. I'm sooooo disappointed that these new Trackmaster models are clearly intended to only work, on the brand new track !!
just sell the track and make the "new and improved" heap of shit thomas what it's good for .....SCRAP keep the face or throw it out plus i'm gonna do a review on it they do stuff to it.
OMG!!! This is most horrible and concerning! I like Plarail better than Trackmaster! The Trackmaster 2014 tracks are extremely horrible and creepy and When I see these at stores I will cry and go Euuuggghh!!! I don't like the Wheels and Track but I just can't wait until a TH-camr called WreckingReviews smashes and crashes the 2014 sets :D It is so exciting PLEASE WATCH IT!!! Coming Soon though!!!
I went and bought trackmaster redesigned James the other day, not knowing that the new designs have this problem, my son was very disappointed that it wouldn't run on blue track, and that's the only track we have. Very disappointed!
This will be a nightmare! I didn't buy much Trackmaster track, due to that I couldn't find a Tomy to Trackmaster connector. I'm going to have to keep repairing my old Tomy locos, or my kids will have REALLY CHEAP junk.
I don't love the new range but I don't hate it. It's gonna take some getting used to but things will improve. Remember how pissed we were when Tomy switched to trackmaster in the US and UK but came to love it? It's gonna work the same way I feel with these. Yes they have flaws. But I am willing to give them a chance.
Hi I disagree about the change from TOMY to Trackmaster being as bad as this change from Trackmaster to Failmaster. The new trains wont work on the current track! Wont work with the current sets! Wont work with the current destinations! Wont even pull a small unloaded train on a flat track! To get them to run you need to file down the activation tab on the locomotive!? This is an attack by Mattel on the loyal consumer. Do you even have any new Failmaster trains? Have you seen the new track in person? Its very hard to tell how bad it is from a video, that's why I make it very clear so there's no misunderstandings.
N05L31 Oh so you have not even tried them yet?? LOL I don't even think you should be chiming in with support for this range, I think its like someone bad mouthing a movie having only seen the trailer.
Ucwepn Again, gonna give them a chance. I think the problem with this set is how tall the water tower platform is. I'm going to try the new mail sorting set just for grins
I was pissed with the Tomy / Trackmaster change but in the end came to love the 2005 - 2014 Trackmaster system. But I needed to buy a lot of it to get my head around the system. From what I see in this video Mattel are basically saying to start over again. Obviously the Thomas Wooden Railway is a sensible system to deal with but lacks the ability to have effective powered trains.
Good news everyone! I have found the cure to getting him to run on the blue track although he still doesn't grip like the old versions its still a break through! I am doing a writeup and how to right now at www.Blueplastictracks.com
Wow! Cutting corners makes Fisher Price sad and pathetic. I was thinking of buying the new James but , now I dont want to touch them. All I will probaby buy is the track since I am low on it.
Wow... I first saw that Thomas in a picture of that set based on Tale of The Brave. I thought it was a prototype. I can't believe Mattel actually crapped us like this. INCLUDING TARGET-AGED COLLECTORS WITH THE COUPLINGS AND TRACK. Looks horrible. I collect Wooden Railway, but I actually used to collect TrackMaster, and literally the hour before I found out about this, I was thinking of getting back into collecting TrackMaster. So much for that. Also, have you noticed that on the new standard packaging that it says "Faster, MORE REALISTIC" with the new severe lack of realism? I wouldn't pay $15 for that, thirty at a push.
Hi, I recently bought a new Diesel 10 from Target. And it is infuriating. The body shell and couplers are of a terrible, terrible glossy plastic that you often see on imitation products. He has holes in his wheels for traction rods, too. What mostly strikes me is in the new packaging, the engines aren't contained by wheel sticks anymore, they're held by a plastic blister. Despite this, they have holes in the wheel! Jeez, FP corporate officials, if you're gonna change something, this is not how!
Why offer new trains, with new track, WITH A TRACK ADAPTOR if the engines won't work?? I agree Ucwepn, this is a stupid move! They're cutting back on materials, and their moves seem to not work well with older stuff... Either make it continuously compatible with the other sets, or advertise it as a new brand altogether... :S
73 dollars for a toy that looks like it came out from McDonald's that's not smart Mattel get your head in the game I hope this new track master gets cancelled and the old one comes back
Ucwepn What would happen if you took the new Trackmaster 2.0 to 1.0 connecter, and on the trackmaster 1.0 end, put a trackmaster 1.0 track end to tomy adapter? Would that be kinda ridicules?
I know this is late to comment but here it is anyway if you have a lot of the tomy blue track or trackmaster brown track and you don't want to start over you can look up on amazon or eBay or sited like that. plarail, Plarail is the exact same mold as the old tomy trains but they have more detail, yes they do cost a bit more but it is worth it. I hope i helped someone in this predicament like me.
My goodness, this kind of design could be sickful. Although this reminds me in video by leokimvideo. Cause he said something like, there's people that could make something new and doesn't work with the old and they get away with it. But in the real world, if you had made something new, and if it doesn't work with the old, you don't get away with it. And for this, I would like the creators to get their act together.
'I like the new design.' Said no one. Ever. Thanks for this video-$73? Have you seen leokimvideo 's dark side stuff? It looks like that! (He's the one who showed me your channel) Epic fail.
At first, this sounds like a lot of fans complaining about changes. Whenever any changes happen, most fans go crazy saying the old ones were better, but then they eventually get used to it. This however, is a legitimate problem. The track looks difficult to put together, flimsy as hell, and has a nasty look and feel to it. The engines are all the same sizes, meaning that a lot of the bigger engines, like Hiro and Spencer, look ridiculous. Even Take Along didn't squish them this much!!! The engines don't free wheel, don't work on other track, can't pull older rolling stock, are made of cheaper materials, and seem to have less detail. I think Mattel went through some serious budget cuts recently, but use the excuse that their 'redesigned for better performance'. I can only see a few things right with this product: 1. Thomas' design is a little reminiscent of an actual E2 , the engine that Thomas is (loosely) based on, but I don't think that was intentional. 2. They do seem to be a tiny bit faster, but not by much. 3. They did give you adapter track, as they did in 2007. Overall, these redesigns are awful. When I first saw the pictures online a month ago, I couldn't believe it. I had to keep reassuring myself that these were a cheap, Chinese knockoff, but when I saw them in the store, but heart sunk. Honestly, I thought that Trackmaster was originally an improvement over Tomy (mostly). But this?????? It's been the first time that I've actually hated every single element of a Thomas range. And considering the amount of bullshit we've been given in the past 15 years, that's saying a lot. You can't say a product is bad by just a few small elements, but you can't say a product is good by just a few small elements either. And this is not a good product.
Mattel paid $680 million for HiT entertainment in 2012 and they now have total control of the Thomas franchise including new movies and tv series as well as the complete toy range sold in the west.
I looked forward to seeing "Tale of the Brave", and out of nowhere, Mattel HITS US UPSIDE THE HEAD WITH THIS CRAP!! DISGRACEFUL, DISGUSTING, DISPICABLE!
thanks for the review. still undecided on whether to pick up the new characters or not. likely wont unless mods can be made to have them function on the old track. have no interest in having enough of this new stuff to do anything useful. fisher-price, you guys suck eggs! when it comes to tomy/trackmaster, ive been collecting for most of my life, some 25 years. its painful to see the toys i loved as a child and cherished as an adult have been reduced to this muck.
I know y the new redesigned engines are faster. Bcause the previous generation of models only had 1 batt but now there is 2 so more voltage = more power for motor (please correct me if i am wrong :) )
Dhrsh V. Yes it was a major part of the design to have "faster trains with minimal cost impact" meaning the motors are the same as ever just more batteries that we have to buy!
For the new characters, just buy the engines and change the underhalf. Like Tale of the Brave characters. Modify their body shells to fit the old motors. But just get it off Ebay, no way you paying retail price again for this junk.
Yes, Trackmaster have lost the plot, even Thomas the "flagship" loco has lost his charm, they will lose too much money on this, especially if many sets are returned, no further accessories bought etc. Thanks for warning us, Chris. Regards, Cliff.
The great thing about Trackmaster is that you can have it running around the garden and when the weather's nice, you can set up a huge layout in under an hour, that works instantly. You don't have to worry about people tripping over electric wires and cables. I've had some terrific fun over the last few years. But I have my doubts about the quality and longevity of this new range for 2014. My OO DCC trains are safely indoors out of harms way - I don't want a £200 sound fitted loco getting sent flying by the cat, or a misplaced footstep, etc !!
While that is true about what you said, I always found trackmaster an Tomy rather off on a lot of hings. I felt they weren't good enough for my standards. I'd say the only reason why your cat may break the train is if you leave them unguarded and lying around. I keep my trains in a box in a shed where my layout is placed. As for a garden railway, I wouldn't say HO/OO scale trains is really the best bet. Many people usually use Lego or G scale trains. (Then again they're rather expensive)
Actually there's another bad news in my country tomy is also selling the new trains like this but its chipper than the normal ones but lacking about it that doesn't came with carriages,doesn't have coupling rods,and doesn't have a white running plate,now tomy/trackmaster has realesed very dissaponting toys of thomas &friends.
Great Review! This is disappointing. Cheap Track, Uncompatable with Older Systems, and They don't really look all that great. Mattel will never be satisfied. Example: Redesigned Engines in 2009/2010, Again in 2012, and Now, we have this.....................
THAT'S IT LET'S GET A PETITION ON PETITION.ORG IM SICK OF FISHER PRICE GIVING US GIMMICKS ABOUT IT! thats spamming! Fun Fact: Charlie was originally gonna release in the HiT Toys range but instead Fisher Price!
Why must they fix want is not broken The packaging makes it look a like a knock off They cost more to run The box is misleading to customers Why mattel must you do this Plarail have and contuinue to stick with the same track system for nearly 30 years and have only recently started to update the moulds on thier engines If the consumers are listening, do not touch this product and hopefully mattel will go back to old design
![เปิดบ้าน นาราเครปกระเทย 1 ไร่ ขายขาดทุนหลัก10ล้าน เอามาใช้หนี้!!! l [Nickynachat]](http://i.ytimg.com/vi/0jz84VFWVP4/mqdefault.jpg)
This is terrible....the underside of Thomas' body shell seemed a bit sloppy as well. This looks like it came out of a McDonald's Happy meal, and I would't pay HALF of the retail price.
If you think trackmaster is bad, wait till you see the newer take n play models with new style magets
your lucky to see these, I have not been so lucky
wow all these changes add up to an epic fail in my books, but I'm still to get one of these sets
Hi Leo! I actually haven't seen them in my area either yet, but as a somewhat committed reviewer of these I had to pay the ebay premium to get it in a timely manner plus my curiosity always gets the best of me. I would be very interested to see your thoughts on this or any new set you get (and destruct hehe).
This is the most concerning review yet, especially with regards to how poorly the new engines run on the old blue track. Here's hoping Plarail continues to release new characters, otherwise my choices will be very limited with regards to adding new characters to my series. Better stock up on the old TrackMaster engines.
Filming with that new Trackmaster Thomas would be a nightmare on TOMY tracks. I wouldn't be able to make a 30 sec scene with Thomas stopping every two seconds.
***** right but change is good I ain't happy by it to listen I doing my show and it going to be different.
***** There is a fix I have found www.blueplastictracks.com/showthread.php?tid=310
Ucwepn thanks and big fan my show this month
Sometimes its good to start from scratch.
I had the exact same issues and conclusions when I opened this set! The track buckling is totally unacceptable to the point I thought I put the thing together wrong. I also ran Annie and Clarabel for my 1st review and the new Thomas left them on the track! Disappointing!
Ok an update from Fisher price, I have tweeted them (several times) and messaged them on facebook about our concerns and they have not replied, nor do I think they ever will they only care about $$$
You were right. I cannot defend these models anymore. I saw some in my local shop and, yeah, they look a lot worse than seeing a few pictures of them.
I wouldn't care so much if these were solely a little hands range like the Wooden Railway range they had going a few years ago, but it's really disappointing that they've used these as a replacement for the old models, especially since the old ones were fine as they were.
Yep before they were the most basic form of model railways and you could do things with them like pull trains now they are just stunt trains.
Thomas isnt only for children, there are lots of adults that still have Thomas toys and theres nothing wrong with that, every one is a child at heart and thats a good thing, these new toys suck! I hate that they cant even free roll! I total agree with you
I agree.
Because the "Thomas and Friends" collectors are born.
What did Gordon James and Henry used to say ?? Oh yeah, disgraceful, disgusting, despicable. This is highly upsetting, it's as if Trackmaster is getting cheaper by the year ...
Expensive in K Mart
+Green ProDuctions Universe A year ago, I was talking about the quality of the trains, track, rolling stock, details, and accessories, not the price of the engines, etc in selected stores.
My reaction to the new trackmaster and take and play models "Disgraceful, Disgusting, Despicable"
I suggest a worldwide strike. We will buy Plarail engines only, so Fisher Price/Mattel/Trackmaster are forced to meet our demands in order to make money off of Trackmaster again.
What do we want?
BRING BACK THE OLD TRACKMASTER!
When do we want it?
NOW!!!!!!!
Trackmaster just ruined their line of Thomas Toys,because this 2014 Locos just look like knockoffs.
I'm disgusted, fisher-price has disgraced the proud title of Trackmaster >:^C
Andy Harrelson Yeah, it shouldn’t be called trackmaster anymore, it should be called TrackLoser!!
Give it 10 years … now look what we got … the all engines go motorised THINGS that can’t even fit through a tunnel on a layout … it makes a revolution Thomas look like tomy y know …
It is painfull sometimes 😂
This could not have been better well said. I hate the new style Trackmaster. I'm sticking to Plarail
Awesome review, Ucwepn! First off, I hate the new packaging for the sets-anyone could just rip it apart and steal the contents inside. In my opinion, the old Trackmaster with the sticks to hold the wheels in the packaging worked a lot better. Second, the redesigned engines-I understand that they want to enhance the performance, but did they have to make them look THIS ugly?!? All that they really needed to do was swap out the motors like you do to make them faster and that would enhance their performance. Third, the performance-if they don't even work on the old TOMY track, then what's the point of collecting this brand of Thomas merchandise at all anymore?!? I better stock up on all of the old redesigns and fast before they're taken off the shelves forever. Because once this new "re-designed" brand is out, that's one less piece of Thomas merchandise I'm collecting.
So it runs as bad as it looks..
Not trying to start a heated debate or anything, but, does anyone remember 2006, when TOMY switched to Trackmaster, It SUCKED big time, but, as time went on we grew accustomed to it, and don't want it to leave, I mean think about it, We went from nice blue track to brown flimsy track, and poor quality cars and trucks, but still now we don't want it to go, and I know it seems that this new TM is cheep to but maybe it will get better just like the old line did. so, If you are a TTTETM fan,lets just try to keep an open mind on these things, and lets look at the bright side, We get to do a lot of Custom work! To me custom work is fun cause its something YOU can make better then it was! :D :)
True, but if you actually want to buy these new trains, you will have to waste all your money to buy this new cheap, flimsy track. When trackmaster came out, the tomy's engines worked perfectly on the brown track, and the trackmaster engines worked perfectly on tomy's but none of the new engines work on either kind. So what's the point of the new track adapters? As ucwepn said, kids deserve better than this cheap garbage.
Great honest Review. I found that this new track seems to be really flimsy on the connectors. When I was reviewing my TOTB set it felt like the connectors could possibly break over time. Time will tell.
"Worst Ever!" Claim Customers.
I am going to say the same thing I said on BluePlasticTracks
I had Tomy as a little boy, I still remember my set and how well made it was. This new Trackmaster stuff is crap. It hurts because some people won't know the joys of a well made blue track set. I still have my TOMY Tracks from my old Ffarquar set and I can still use them today with my Plarail Advance. Trackmaster is going ever downhill, it hurts as a railfan seeing that cog-wheel and just knowing that they are doing it for money. As for me, I'm going to denounce Trackmaster all my days and stay with Tomy Takara until the day I die. Give me blue track or give me death!
This is horrendous. I can't believe what they've done to TrackMaster. I don't understand why the changed the track and made the engines worse on the Tomy track. Of you go onto the TTTE Wiki, you notice that the engines have no middle wheel and Edward's to front wheels are no existent. This is a poor job done by who ever made these trains. Bring back the old TrackMaster or Tomy!
I understand that the new Trackmaster is appalling when it comes to the tracks (e.g - the blue track) however I believe there were fans dating back around 2008 that were annoyed when Tomy was replaced by Trackmaster. Yes they can fit and run on the blue track well but as time went on the blue track was gone from stores and money was being spent on the flimsy and bland brown track. Of course I agree on some of the design, but Thomas for example almost look like an E2 here. However pre-2014 Trackmaster had some appalling designed toys as well (light and sound Thomas with it's squashed up cab is one example and so is Toby's face swap model when TM first started) me, I'm no avid collector of these toys, though I do like Plarail more. But the TM 2014 Thomas are good runners and I believe there'll be some improvement for it down the line so it's better to wait and see and give it a chance.
Hi you make some valid points, I first encountered these types of trains in around 2002 and they were of course TOMY and I enjoyed playing trains with my oldest son back then (He was 2 years old). And since 2011 my interest in these trains has returned and along with my son we run the blue plastic tracks forum which deals with all of these types of trains old and new. This new range in the hands of Mattel because they own HiT so they own the Thomas franchise can only get worse from here, we have gone from a train system that was functional and enjoyable that could do a great job of being a very rudimentary model railway and could actually have trains pulling loads (albeit tongue in cheek trains pulling up tongue in cheek hills etc) it was all very functional as a railway. Now we seem to have stunt trains that can pull 1 or 2 tiny empty cars up a ridiculous hill for God knows what reason, they also redesigned the track for no reason other than to sell a new track system that's worse than all before it.
I'm just being realistic here, but I don't think Fisher Price or Mattel are going to be bothered by a petition over an old design. I don't want to start a heated argument here but IMO fans need to give this range some time and maybe things will improve along the way.
*****
Or "Light-Up James".
The review is not disappointing at all, the product is !!! Clearly this new 2014 stuff has not been designed with blue track-back compatibility in mind, so now at least we all know where we stand: new trackmaster 2014 or blue track... the choice is yours, me, I've already made up my mind.
I have better things to spend my hard earned money on. This is a crap product, it's just so sad that the new trackmaster has been so downgraded. I don't care if they are for kids, or if they are for the new tracks, all of us deserve better trackmaster than this. Mattel think they are making a smart move but sometimes i think the people at Mattel are saying, "older people shouldn't be in to thomas and friends, so we'll make a haoorible product that only the kids will want, because its a train with a face on it". I agree with everything you say Chris, it is pure rubbish.
Of course the first thing Fisher Price does when it gets the Thomas name is to let the quality of the toys plummet for double the profit. And yeah, "but it's for kids!" is something you'll hear often. But that's no excuse for making a terrible product. Thomas toys have always been an example of high-quality toys for children, and this is just dragging such a trusted name through the mud.
Have you left Fisher Price an email with these concerns?
I'm sorry, but the quality of this new Trackmaster stuff is like the cheap train sets you find at the 99p store! The flimsy track, the fragile couplings, the fact that the engine keeps stopping and starting, etc. are all hallmarks of poorly made train sets.
Aside from lack of compatibility with the earlier Tomy/Trackmaster track, the other major letdown is the fact that the engines don't free-roll when switched off anymore. I don't know about anyone else, but I was never really into battery-powered trains as a kid. I preferred to get in on the action rather than just sit and watch the trains. For that reason I preferred electrically powered or even push-along stuff.
When I was younger, Tomy seemed quite ingenious because it was both push along and battery powered. If you wanted an engine to back down on or run around its train, you could turn the motor off and control it by hand. With the new models you can't do that, because the wheels are constantly locked. You have to lift the model up and place it in front of the train.
And it's not even like Mattel/Fisher-Price have made up for this by improving the engine designs. Thomas and Percy look fairly decent but all the tender engines now have saddle tanks! and the trucks and vans look as horrid as they have done for years. If you can't paint the trucks a prototypical colour, paint the frames and roof a different colour to the main body at least! Otherwise it just looks cheap.
I don't buy Trackmaster, but I'm feeling for the poor parents who have to pay over the odds for this nasty guff, and the disappointed kids when their toys inevitably break, or aren't strong enough to pull long trains.
Wow I hadn't thought the change was as bad as this. Seeing it run made it feel like this was an entirely new motorized system. It looks like you can easily break it even if you try. I remember the track and buildings used to be tough old things, the Tidmouth Sheds was designed so that it couldn't break! I could understand why Thomas can't work on Plarail track but that's no excuse, it ought to have been easy enough to at least take the basic shape of the older engines. I think parents during the next two years aren't going to be happy if their child has problems with this using this track with the old track. You could leave a customer review on the Fisher-Price website, but they'll probably redirect you to customer service or something non caring. I thought they were the ones who copied you with your Light-Up trains and increased speed, your videos turn up on Google more often. :P When a new generation of children comes by, the adaptors will probably be gone and this system will be used by them without any problems, but that's a real shame. Thank you for this early review.
you can still buy tomy plarail models but you have the same problem as I do in America, that tomy trains from japan to were we are is a lot of money. its sad to see track master trains and stuff go down the tube. I have collected the, for 10 years and now I'm just finished. anyway, great video buddy :)
As the Nostalgia Critic once said, "Just because something is meant for younger kids doesn't give you the right not to try!" Have you seen the new Trackmaster Edward? And you thought that "Flying Edward" was awful!
+ Ucwepn I have the Mad Dash On Sodor set and to me it has some pretty good quality. I think they put some effort in to it. I will connect a big loop of TOMY with my old Trackmaster adaptors so it is all connected. The reason why I do this is so I can run my old type trains. I get more old type every once in a while from eBay because I even think the Trackmaster 2 are bad. I will not buy very many new ones. I will continue to go through eBay and find and old train with a cheap price. I will not buy any more new Trackmaster. When I am older, I will have a big layout on tables of my TOMY and Trackmaster that I have collected over the years. Even though I am 12 years old, I am very major on detail on my new trains and ones I already have. I hope Fisher Price reads my comment. I prefer old trains!
Stupid new designs...old versions are better.
***** Alos those 2014 Thomas' new wheels suck.
***** I really hate the wheels. They're too small. Small wheels makes the trains go slower.
TehKoreanSpartan/Thomas1915 No the new wheels make them go FASTER!
Christopher Hillmon Actually it's the 3v power that makes them go faster
Ucwepn How much do you know about the engines?! Sorry if I've been mean during this. Please forgive me.
i salute your dedication towards these trains.
I sent a tweet to Fisher price and they are yet to reply.
Hope they change it.
Montagueduck48 Me too.
Me three so you can get all the new Thomas and Friends train and not think they are pieces of crap!
5C1productions Well its just one aspect that I tweeted them about and it's the low hanging activation/locking tab. Theres still 2 more problems that make them horrible, you'll see in my next video.
***** You just said you're gonna buy the new sets!
I find it stunning how the set is now $15 in the United States. Thomas himself is $10 so this set is actually a better deal. The site I found it at $15 from is Amazon, surprisingly. Nevertheless, the new engines are actually slightly more expensive on their own (i.e. new Henry is $15, old henry is $8).
14:52 they shouldn't have changed it in the first place(the brown track aren't as good as blue track,but at least they are compatible with the ones who run on the blue tracks)
I had brought this thinking it would be good but now I'm not so sure I am still going to see for myself but I don't believe the results will change sadly
The new TrackMaster sets and redesigns are absolutely shocking, with awkward shapes, missing decals, incorrect wheel arrangements, poor traction tires, cheaper plastic, weaker tracks, lazy set designs, and its not even compatible with its predecessors. If Fisher Price wanted to make the TrackMaster range look better, then they should of attempted making the characters and sets look more accurate to the show. But it seems like Fisher Price wants to ruin their range instead. I won't by the newer TrackMaster range, as Fisher Price has made some ridiculous decisions lately.
Thank you for your honesty, I feel the same way about the train quality.
That is one of the worst things I have ever seen in a while, shame on you trackmaster. >:(
Shame on FISHER PRICE!
@@GWROliver For Shame Mattel for shame
I agree with you Mate I am one of those people and I am really sad that this is happening. They should be more like tomy
The new 2014 track range is very limited at the moment, So far, I've only seen Y points, straight and curved track sections.
The older, blue colour track range consisted of a huge variety of Junctions and in the past, I made some terrific layouts. I'm sooooo disappointed that these new Trackmaster models are clearly intended to only work, on the brand new track !!
just sell the track and make the "new and improved" heap of shit thomas what it's good for .....SCRAP keep the face or throw it out plus i'm gonna do a review on it they do stuff to it.
OMG!!! This is most horrible and concerning! I like Plarail better than Trackmaster! The Trackmaster 2014 tracks are extremely horrible and creepy and When I see these at stores I will cry and go Euuuggghh!!! I don't like the Wheels and Track but I just can't wait until a TH-camr called WreckingReviews smashes and crashes the 2014 sets :D It is so exciting PLEASE WATCH IT!!! Coming Soon though!!!
I like what you said at 14:51 though Pretty annoying
I went and bought trackmaster redesigned James the other day, not knowing that the new designs have this problem, my son was very disappointed that it wouldn't run on blue track, and that's the only track we have. Very disappointed!
christhecollector th-cam.com/video/oAzUF52rjD0/w-d-xo.html
So sad that they feel the need to redesign just to cut corners to save money
This will be a nightmare! I didn't buy much Trackmaster track, due to that I couldn't find a Tomy to Trackmaster connector. I'm going to have to keep repairing my old Tomy locos, or my kids will have REALLY CHEAP junk.
Furthermore, I see fisher price is not painting the buffers on some engines anymore, which is disappointing.
I don't love the new range but I don't hate it. It's gonna take some getting used to but things will improve. Remember how pissed we were when Tomy switched to trackmaster in the US and UK but came to love it? It's gonna work the same way I feel with these. Yes they have flaws. But I am willing to give them a chance.
Hi I disagree about the change from TOMY to Trackmaster being as bad as this change from Trackmaster to Failmaster. The new trains wont work on the current track! Wont work with the current sets! Wont work with the current destinations! Wont even pull a small unloaded train on a flat track! To get them to run you need to file down the activation tab on the locomotive!? This is an attack by Mattel on the loyal consumer. Do you even have any new Failmaster trains? Have you seen the new track in person? Its very hard to tell how bad it is from a video, that's why I make it very clear so there's no misunderstandings.
Ucwepn I'm going to give them a try so I can see for myself. I respectfully disagree with your opinion.
N05L31
Oh so you have not even tried them yet?? LOL I don't even think you should be chiming in with support for this range, I think its like someone bad mouthing a movie having only seen the trailer.
Ucwepn Again, gonna give them a chance. I think the problem with this set is how tall the water tower platform is. I'm going to try the new mail sorting set just for grins
I was pissed with the Tomy / Trackmaster change but in the end came to love the 2005 - 2014 Trackmaster system. But I needed to buy a lot of it to get my head around the system. From what I see in this video Mattel are basically saying to start over again. Obviously the Thomas Wooden Railway is a sensible system to deal with but lacks the ability to have effective powered trains.
Good news everyone! I have found the cure to getting him to run on the blue track although he still doesn't grip like the old versions its still a break through! I am doing a writeup and how to right now at www.Blueplastictracks.com
Great!!! so will you continue to purchase the new Trackmaster Thomas and Friends trains???
5C1productions I don't know yet I will have to see them first, if they are terribad I might buy them just to review as a warning to others.
Cxxvcx
Wow! Cool light feature on the train.
Disgraceful, Disgusting, and Dispecable. These trains deserve no more than those three words.
You and you're bad perspective.
Christopher Hillmon How So?
Christopher Hillmon Yes good sir but I'd lime to know how bad my perspective is.
Wow! Cutting corners makes Fisher Price sad and pathetic. I was thinking of buying the new James but , now I dont want to touch them. All I will probaby buy is the track since I am low on it.
Wow... I first saw that Thomas in a picture of that set based on Tale of The Brave. I thought it was a prototype. I can't believe Mattel actually crapped us like this. INCLUDING TARGET-AGED COLLECTORS WITH THE COUPLINGS AND TRACK. Looks horrible. I collect Wooden Railway, but I actually used to collect TrackMaster, and literally the hour before I found out about this, I was thinking of getting back into collecting TrackMaster. So much for that. Also, have you noticed that on the new standard packaging that it says "Faster, MORE REALISTIC" with the new severe lack of realism? I wouldn't pay $15 for that, thirty at a push.
Guess I'm going to buy all of the old stuff before it's gone.
Saw a new batch of the older type of engines coming including Arry n Bert with CGI faces and flat drive units
So, even though there are still connectors for the blue track, they came out with connectors to the old Trackmaster track!?
By any chance do you have the equipment to test the pliability of he new track vs the blue Tomy or brown sets?
Hi, I recently bought a new Diesel 10 from Target. And it is infuriating. The body shell and couplers are of a terrible, terrible glossy plastic that you often see on imitation products. He has holes in his wheels for traction rods, too. What mostly strikes me is in the new packaging, the engines aren't contained by wheel sticks anymore, they're held by a plastic blister. Despite this, they have holes in the wheel! Jeez, FP corporate officials, if you're gonna change something, this is not how!
Why offer new trains, with new track, WITH A TRACK ADAPTOR if the engines won't work?? I agree Ucwepn, this is a stupid move! They're cutting back on materials, and their moves seem to not work well with older stuff... Either make it continuously compatible with the other sets, or advertise it as a new brand altogether... :S
Because of this, I collect monster trucks now.
73 dollars for a toy that looks like it came out from McDonald's that's not smart Mattel get your head in the game I hope this new track master gets cancelled and the old one comes back
I know you aren't a fan of these new trains, but if these new trains like Gator and Timothy come to plarail, Will you get them?
Now you need 2 triple a's! I prefer just one double a. As for the quality of this new stuff it's trash. It's back to buying old trackmaster off eBay
Ucwepn What would happen if you took the new Trackmaster 2.0 to 1.0 connecter, and on the trackmaster 1.0 end, put a trackmaster 1.0 track end to tomy adapter? Would that be kinda ridicules?
I know this is late to comment but here it is anyway if you have a lot of the tomy blue track or trackmaster brown track and you don't want to start over you can look up on amazon or eBay or sited like that. plarail, Plarail is the exact same mold as the old tomy trains but they have more detail, yes they do cost a bit more but it is worth it. I hope i helped someone in this predicament like me.
Plarail obviously still sells blue track, even Oliver, Donald, Douglas, and a bunch of other characters
My goodness, this kind of design could be sickful. Although this reminds me in video by leokimvideo. Cause he said something like, there's people that could make something new and doesn't work with the old and they get away with it. But in the real world, if you had made something new, and if it doesn't work with the old, you don't get away with it. And for this, I would like the creators to get their act together.
'I like the new design.'
Said no one. Ever.
Thanks for this video-$73? Have you seen leokimvideo 's dark side stuff? It looks like that!
(He's the one who showed me your channel)
Epic fail.
At first, this sounds like a lot of fans complaining about changes. Whenever any changes happen, most fans go crazy saying the old ones were better, but then they eventually get used to it. This however, is a legitimate problem. The track looks difficult to put together, flimsy as hell, and has a nasty look and feel to it. The engines are all the same sizes, meaning that a lot of the bigger engines, like Hiro and Spencer, look ridiculous. Even Take Along didn't squish them this much!!! The engines don't free wheel, don't work on other track, can't pull older rolling stock, are made of cheaper materials, and seem to have less detail. I think Mattel went through some serious budget cuts recently, but use the excuse that their 'redesigned for better performance'. I can only see a few things right with this product: 1. Thomas' design is a little reminiscent of an actual E2 , the engine that Thomas is (loosely) based on, but I don't think that was intentional. 2. They do seem to be a tiny bit faster, but not by much. 3. They did give you adapter track, as they did in 2007.
Overall, these redesigns are awful. When I first saw the pictures online a month ago, I couldn't believe it. I had to keep reassuring myself that these were a cheap, Chinese knockoff, but when I saw them in the store, but heart sunk. Honestly, I thought that Trackmaster was originally an improvement over Tomy (mostly). But this?????? It's been the first time that I've actually hated every single element of a Thomas range. And considering the amount of bullshit we've been given in the past 15 years, that's saying a lot. You can't say a product is bad by just a few small elements, but you can't say a product is good by just a few small elements either. And this is not a good product.
Mattel paid $680 million for HiT entertainment in 2012 and they now have total control of the Thomas franchise including new movies and tv series as well as the complete toy range sold in the west.
Yeah, I know. Ug..........
I looked forward to seeing "Tale of the Brave", and out of nowhere, Mattel HITS US UPSIDE THE HEAD WITH THIS CRAP!! DISGRACEFUL, DISGUSTING, DISPICABLE!
What's is the name of the music in the beginning ?
It looked really hard to put it together
thanks for the review. still undecided on whether to pick up the new characters or not. likely wont unless mods can be made to have them function on the old track. have no interest in having enough of this new stuff to do anything useful.
fisher-price, you guys suck eggs! when it comes to tomy/trackmaster, ive been collecting for most of my life, some 25 years. its painful to see the toys i loved as a child and cherished as an adult have been reduced to this muck.
The train doesn't run in neutral? There are going to be a lot of broken trains... yea! More money for Britt Allcroft!
Looks like they're trimming paint and plastic to save money.
Thanks for this super vid - what not to buy!!!
I know y the new redesigned engines are faster. Bcause the previous generation of models only had 1 batt but now there is 2 so more voltage = more power for motor (please correct me if i am wrong :) )
Even though its faster it wouldnt even run on the tracks :(
Dhrsh V. Yes it was a major part of the design to have "faster trains with minimal cost impact" meaning the motors are the same as ever just more batteries that we have to buy!
Dhrsh V. They can be fixed to run on all track, I have a video
k thnx
For the new characters, just buy the engines and change the underhalf. Like Tale of the Brave characters. Modify their body shells to fit the old motors. But just get it off Ebay, no way you paying retail price again for this junk.
Why not try giving the 2014 trackmaster thomas with older trackmaster wheels
Hi this was an idea I also had but sadly they don't fit.
I guess it's an OK track but I like the new hills they made
73 dollars.....man......that's as much as you paid for the R/C Stanley, right? Or that's what they're typically seen for as you told me on facebook.
Yes an expensive set on ebay, buy it in stores if you want it. Support your local economy :D
Haha after this review? Nah! I may get Gator though, he's cool. I wonder if there'll be a trackmaster or plarail Marion or Reg?
Yes, Trackmaster have lost the plot, even Thomas the "flagship" loco has lost his charm, they will lose too much money on this, especially if many sets are returned, no further accessories bought etc.
Thanks for warning us, Chris.
Regards, Cliff.
Clearly this is why I collect HO/OO models an not things like trackmaster.
The great thing about Trackmaster is that you can have it running around the garden and when the weather's nice, you can set up a huge layout in under an hour, that works instantly. You don't have to worry about people tripping over electric wires and cables. I've had some terrific fun over the last few years. But I have my doubts about the quality and longevity of this new range for 2014.
My OO DCC trains are safely indoors out of harms way - I don't want a £200 sound fitted loco getting sent flying by the cat, or a misplaced footstep, etc !!
While that is true about what you said, I always found trackmaster an Tomy rather off on a lot of hings. I felt they weren't good enough for my standards. I'd say the only reason why your cat may break the train is if you leave them unguarded and lying around. I keep my trains in a box in a shed where my layout is placed. As for a garden railway, I wouldn't say HO/OO scale trains is really the best bet. Many people usually use Lego or G scale trains. (Then again they're rather expensive)
“More realistic” they said
Nice workshop.
Also I completely agree with you ucwepn
Good thing I collect take n play
Now I need TWO batteries? COME ON!
Ever heard of redesign, dummy?
Finn The Diamond Knight Ever heard of, it was fine the way it was before? And you have no right to call me a dummy, dummy.
Whatever you say
You have no rights to control me, dumbo.
yah!! These are for kids and adults who play with track master.
Actually there's another bad news in my country tomy is also selling the new trains like this but its chipper than the normal ones but lacking about it that doesn't came with carriages,doesn't have coupling rods,and doesn't have a white running plate,now tomy/trackmaster has realesed very dissaponting toys of thomas &friends.
Great Review!
This is disappointing. Cheap Track, Uncompatable with Older Systems, and They don't really look all that great.
Mattel will never be satisfied. Example: Redesigned Engines in 2009/2010, Again in 2012, and Now, we have this.....................
I had the same set for Christmas
Parents buy the product, we want quality.
THAT'S IT LET'S GET A PETITION ON PETITION.ORG
IM SICK OF FISHER PRICE GIVING US GIMMICKS ABOUT IT! thats spamming!
Fun Fact: Charlie was originally gonna release in the HiT Toys range but instead Fisher Price!
How does new Thomas work on Tomy track
badly, it barely runs on existing tracks unless you modify it like I show in my other video.
Is this your first time using track master 2
Try And Get The Plarail And The Last Of The Old Trackmaster
Whoever likes the idea to write a email to fisher-price about the trackmaster thomas range getting cheaper, reply to this comment saying yes.
My theory as to why new trackmaster is horrible is that mr.Krabs runs Mattel
lol
Why must they fix want is not broken
The packaging makes it look a like a knock off
They cost more to run
The box is misleading to customers
Why mattel must you do this
Plarail have and contuinue to stick with the same track system for nearly 30 years and have only recently started to update the moulds on thier engines
If the consumers are listening, do not touch this product and hopefully mattel will go back to old design
the power is now on the tracks D: