Tag: this week’s build

Most of our table builds start from wanting to use a specific piece then shaping layout around that. This week it was the collapsing bridge at the center (33391¹).

The elevated metro station and its green ramps often end up in our layouts, especially as the 90 degree riser is an economical use of space on the small table.

Down on the red bench waiting for Thomas, Annie, and Claribel is a figure from Hape’s “Busy City” we’ve affectionately named Working Mom, as she takes the train to work “just like Mommy.” Working Mom is usually at one station or another of any of our table builds.

Of course, much of our dramatis personae on the tracks is Thomas and Friends, as that is what we’re mostly into these days. Nia and Hiro are favorites, although we can never have too many cranes on the table, either.

Other pieces featured (with my best guess on identifying):

• Playground (33260)
• The Town (missing the factory smokestack) (31405-74 3374)
• Wooden Tunnel (33362)
• Hopper (31405-37 3324)
• pedestrian footbridge (1985-1991 33568)
• Recently repaired arch bridge (33363)
• Signal House (33371)
• Stations are from the “Classic Figure Eight” set (33028), Central Station set (33989), and Hape’s “Busy City“.

1. The 2013+ version. ↩︎

Over the last year we’ve gotten really into wooden (mostly Brio) trains in our house. We are by no means Brio purists, and our collection has grown from a variety of sources- IKEA lillabo, Hape, my own childhood collection, neighborhood giveaways, and more. I’m hoping to post details on more specific items and sets, but starting off with the table build currently out for the week.

My wife and I got the table from a neighbor with a Melissa and Doug set some time back, and while it took a bit, eventually got it re-painted and cleaned up.

The jury is still out as to whether Sasha or I am having more fun here.