Hape · Budget
A single battery-powered Hape engine (E3703) with forward and reverse, front and rear lights and magnet connectors, meant for wooden track; Hape states it is for ages 3 and up.
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We have not tested it ourselves: strengths and weaknesses below come from the tests cited.
For a parent whose child already owns wooden track, this is the piece that makes a train move on its own. Hape's page lists forward and reverse functions and a front and rear light, and describes a working lamp on the front 'so the driver can see where he is going'; a button puts the engine in reverse. In Hape's photos the engine is a red and black steam-style locomotive with a number 1 on its front plate, although the page says colors may vary. The page frames it as an addition to any railway toy.
Hape says the engine needs 2 AAA batteries and that they are not included. The page says it works with the most popular wooden track sets and trains, and that magnet connectors let it attach to other Wooden Railway engines, cargo cars and vehicles. It also describes an aluminum base, which Hape says is heavier so that operation is more stable. Hape's wording is that it is 'a wonderful toy train engine with or without battery power'. Product dimensions are 3.7 x 1.3 x 1.9 inches and the weight is 0.2 lbs, and Hape answers 'Adult Assembly Required: No'. The page describes a single engine and lists no track or cars.
Strengths
Weaknesses
| Specification | Value |
|---|---|
| Base | Aluminum |
| Power | 2 AAA batteries (not included) |
| Functions | Forward and reverse; front and rear light |
| Connectors | Magnet connectors |
| Item number | E3703 |
| Item weight | 0.2 lbs |
| Recommended age | Suitable for 3Y and above |
| Product dimensions | 3.7 x 1.3 x 1.9 inches |
| Adult assembly required | No |
Parents and grandparents of a child aged 3 or older who already owns wooden train track and wants a self-propelled engine, and who are prepared to supply two AAA batteries. It is not a first set: there is no track in the listing.
Hape Intercity Battery Powered Train Set (E3774): a battery-powered intercity train with a passenger figure, working headlights and a reversible magnet, listed by Hape as suitable for 3Y and above. Hape Railway Bucket Builder Set (E3764): track, scenery and a free-wheeling locomotive in a storage box, for a family that needs a layout rather than an engine.
Image: BRIO (Ravensburger) · source
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Image: BRIO / Ravensburger · source
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Image: BRIO (Ravensburger) · source
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