Fun With Brio

Fun With Brio
The Academy of Trains

Mark sent along these great images of his family enjoying the pastime of trains.  Here is the story in Mark's own words...

Since I was not able to run any trains this weekend at Fred’s, here is an idea for a blog post.  It’s called “Fun with BRIO” and is especially appropriate as the fall weather is encouraging us to spend more time indoors.

My children have always really enjoyed the wooden BRIO train set that I have kept from my own childhood.  We have added a little bit to it over the years, but the majority of the track and rolling stock is 35 years old at this point and still in great shape!  It’s a wonderful toy and I am really happy to have passed on the joy to the next generation.

Here are some pictures of indoor fun with BRIO over the last week while we had a couple of rain days.

First, there were some sunny days early in the week (I think this was Monday).  You can’t imagine the joy and pride I felt when I happened to look outside from the kitchen window and saw the children at the other end of the yard playing of their own accord with the Playmobil train. (Forgive the low resolution of this long-distance zoom shot…)

Oliver with his new red locomotive.

Driving over the bridge.

Very happy indeed!

Here we are, helping the “little engine that could” up to the lift bridge.

On a different day, Emilia, Gabriela and Matthew created a very elaborate setup of three different “cities” (3 different railway networks really), each of which is connected by train ferry.  Just like in real life!  Here Emilia is demonstrating how her train has traveled by ferry to visit Matthew’s city.

Gabriela is all smiles as we examine her very creative setup.  I love that red “Golden Gate” bridge (which we actually bought, by the way, as a souvenir when we visited San Fransisco on holiday many years ago).

Bird’s eye view of Matthew’s city (left) and Gabriela’s city (right). 

Gabriela is the conductor of this fine, multi-coloured passenger express.

Matthew’s world, as you can see, is “nautical themed” with a lovely lift bridge that lets boats into the harbour, where freight is loaded from a crane on the dock.  This rail/sea interchange is a busy one and I can see some genuine “operating possibilities”.  It might seem “roundy-roundy” at first glance, but there is more that meets the eye!

This handsome black locomotive is leading a short train back to the ferry (we have to make sure it all fits...)

Matthew inspecting the fire engine which has just emerged from the tunnel

Gabriela showcasing a sleek red passenger express (this particular train was my very favourite during my own childhood - I’m impressed that it has withstood the test of time and many little hands playing with it over the years).

The mixed passenger-goods train makes a stop at the bank while Gabriela tends to a derailment.  :-)

Thank you so much, Mark, for sending along this wonderful account of indoor train running with your beautiful family!

All the best, Mike Hamer, Ottawa, Ontario, Canada