BRIO Central Station Set 33989 | BRIO WORLD | Wooden Toy Train Set | Review
In this article, I am going to give you an honest look at the Brio Central Station Set. But before I get started, let me introduce myself. My name is Christina and I have had the opportunity to go hands-on with many toys while parenting five kids spanning 19 years. I always call it the good, the bad, and the ugly with the toys I have seen. I have made some “poor decisions” on toys and have learned a lot through these experiences. Owning an e-commerce toy store alongside my parenting of 5 children has given me more toy experience than I have ever thought I would have. I have also had the pleasure of speaking with the President and CEO of major Toy manufacturers asking for my advice on different toys and have been featured on several podcasts.
I will combine all my experience and knowledge to give you the most comprehensive toy review possible. A product description will be given, as my Sustainable Toy Review for Brio Central Station Set, Pros/Cons, and an FAQ featuring: Where does Brio Central Station Set fit into the sustainable toy category? What is the Brio Central Station Set? What is it made of? Is it eco-friendly?
Start your journey in this classic toy train set at the large central station, where passengers can choose to take the lift or stairs to transfer between bus and train routes. Then travel around the wooden tracks on board the red travel train or the yellow metro train. There are also plenty of railway accessories to add to the play including a stop signal, a railway crossing with a functioning crossing signal, and BRIO World characters.
This train was featured in our Top 8 Wooden Trains to Buy!
Product Description:
- Perfect for the creative toddler – Start your budding train engineer off on the right track with a Brio Central Station Set. It’s the perfect gift at Christmas or over the holiday season for the creative toddler – designed for ages 3 and up.
- Compatibility – As your child develops, so can their railway play as the Brio Central Station Set is compatible with all other BRIO railway tracks and vehicles.
- Develops important skills – Playing with train sets helps children to understand and learn about their environment in a fun way, and the train functions help improve a child’s spatial awareness and fine motor skills.
- Safe for your child – We conduct more than 1,000 safety tests a year to ensure that our products conform to all safety standards, and we take pride in developing toys that are completely safe for children to play with.
- Recommend for Ages 3+.
| Best Sellers Rank | #382,566 in Toys & Games (See Top 100 in Toys & Games) #33,390 in Toy Figures & Playsets #119,557 in Pre-Kindergarten Toys |
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| Customer Reviews |
7 ratings
5.0 out of 5 stars |
Contents:
- 1x Two-level Central Station
- 1x Metro Train
- 1x Travel Train
- 1x Bus
- 1x Railway Crossing
- 2x Sloping Curved Tracks
- 10 x Wooden Tracks and lots of railway accessories
Christina’s Toy Review consists of 5 standardized criteria categories:
1. Sustainability:
A. Product: Wood is one of our company’s strongest identifiers, and many of BRIO’s wooden products have become icons in the world of toys. We’re proud to say that all wood used in our toys is from FSC (Forest Stewardship Council) certified sources. Made from sustainable beechwood and high-quality ABS plastic. All wooden tracks and engines and components are made from sustainable wood.
B. Packaging: The reusable storage box is very helpful to keep this set organized.
C. Origin/Company: BRIO is a beloved European/Swedish company that has been making toys since 1884 and train sets since 1958. BRIO produces toys only in its own factories. They are committed to making as many of their toys with sustainable wood as possible. BRIO’s top priority is child safety. Their toys are produced well above US/European and International standards for toy safety. To learn more about the Brio story, check out their website HERE.
2. Playability:
A. Open-ended: Promotes small-world play and trains in one play system. BRIO World System is quite possibly the most expansive wooden train/small world playset system available. Every time your child plays, a new scenario will be created. Promotes real-life role-playing which is essential for creativity. The structure is basic and open to your child’s imagination.
B. Active Parent engagement: Parents will love helping kids set up a track layout or roleplay on the railway by storytelling or imitative play. Often Dad loves playing with the BRIO World sets.
C. Playtime: Promotes fine motor skills and problem-solving skills as the child puts track pieces together. Promotes imagination as a child and reenacts real life as a conductor with his busy day. Additional BRIO World sets provide more expansive real-life reenactment play.
3. Durability:
A. Craftmanship: Smooth, precision-crafted beechwood with beautifully painted pieces. Made of substantial and heavy/solid Sustainable beechwood and high-quality ABS plastic components.
B. Quality: Solid-made toy with no paint chipping. BRIO World toys have a beautiful quality and appearance to them. Their simple, yet user-friendly working components are great. BRIO makes real working parts, simple to manipulate for children.
C. Price/Value: The price point is high for the US market as BRIO sold in Europe is priced more affordably. However, BRIO World is still worth its price because there is nothing else like it on the market.
4. Longevity:
A. Landfill or Heirloom: Heirloom-quality as adults today still have their beloved BRIO Classic train set from when they were a child. BRIO still makes a few basic Classic line sets that are all wood.
B. Lifespan of Toy (Age Range): These are rated for ages 3+. Children ages 3 years to about 10 will enjoy BRIO World. At our house, our kids, 4-12 all play with BRIO World.
C. Multi-age Families: Good for multi-aged families if everyone is ages 3+ due to choking hazards. This is a great toy for families of multi-aged children ages 3+ all the way to age 10 or so. The more BRIO World sets you buy, the bigger your town grows and the more your older kids will play. The difference between BRIO and all other train systems is that BRIO is appealing to older children. The interactive real working parts keep older kids interested in this expansive system.
5. Versatility:
A. Combined with other toys: BRIO makes their tracks with the standard groves which work well with most other wooden train sets. My kids combine BRIO World with other Railway systems such as Maple Landmark wooden trains and track. They also use HABA standard unit blocks to build city components, bridges, and hills for their BRIO track. BRIO World train tracks are compatible with all standard wooden tracks on the market. We combine it with the Brio Metro Railway. Read the complete review HERE.
B. Creativity Function: Creative in the fact that it can be a central station by itself or combined with another train/small world play component.
C. Storage: BRIO World is a nice compact railway system that can be broken down for storage into a box. Easily storable compared to larger plastic train sets. BRIO caters to the European market where smaller toys that are easy to store are preferred.
Pros:
- Open-ended play system BRIO World is our open-ended play system that grows with your child. All BRIO World toys work with each other to create an entirely customizable world that’s fueled by children’s imaginations and endless combinations of play.
- Explore the world with play BRIO World is designed to help children discover and explore the real world. As they play with recognizable vehicles, destinations, and accessories, the realistic role play helps them to make sense of the world around them.
- Promotes creative thinking. The construction elements within BRIO World challenge preschoolers to use their creativity and math skills as they play, such as patterning, classifying and sorting.
- Sibling safe We’ve designed BRIO World to be sibling safe with no small parts. This means that children younger than 3 years can safely be a part of the same play environment.
Cons:
- Could use a little less plastic.
- Made in China.
FAQ:
Who Is BRIO?
BRIO was founded in 1884 in Osby, a small town located in southern Sweden. It is now a world-renowned brand best known for its wooden railway system, which was first created in 1958 and is now sold throughout the world.
Is Brio World Central Station Set eco-friendly?
Most of the components are wood but there is a bit of plastic included in this set.
Do I personally recommend this product?
I do recommend this product. There are better all-wooden trainsets out there such as the Maple Landmark Nametrains set which are amazing and 100% wooden. BRIO is very expansive and does add more modern touches, bells, and whistles.
Who is this product best for?
Ages 3+ all the way to teenagers. We have a range of kids, and everyone loves to build a large-scale trainset.
Where can the product be purchased? At the best price?
You do pay for what you get in this box. Good value as it retails for $154.99 and can be found in many retailers and on the Amazon link below.
Other BRIO Train Set Variations:
BRIO 33097 Cargo Railway Deluxe Set
- The product includes – the cargo railway deluxe set that comes with 54 pieces; two trains, a battery-powered engine, 3 cranes, a truck, cargo, a bridge, rocks, and a crossing signal. Batteries are not included.
- Perfect for the creative toddler – Start your budding train engineer off on the right track with a BRIO cargo railway deluxe set toy train, tracks, and accessories. It’s the perfect gift for the creative toddler – designed for ages 3 and up.
- Compatibility – as your child develops, so can their railway play as the 33097 cargo railway deluxe set is compatible with all other BRIO railway toys.
Brio World 33766 Railway World Deluxe Set
- The product includes – this ultimate Brio world railway set includes trains, tracks, automobiles, figures, bridges, cranes, stations, destinations, farms with animals, Lighthouse and ferry with light and sound effects, and even an airport with plane and runway.
- Perfect for the creative toddler – Start your budding train engineer off on the right track with a Brio railway world deluxe wooden toy train set. It’s the perfect gift for the creative toddler – designed for ages 3 and up.
- Compatibility – as your child develops, so can their railway play as the 33766 railway world deluxe set is compatible with all other Brio railway toys.
3 Alternative Train Sets to Consider:
1. Wooden Train Town Set – Made In The USA | NameTrains By Maple Landmark
- All NameTrain pieces and tracks are compatible with themselves and other wooden track systems.
- NameTrain vehicles are about 2″ high. Set made in the USA.
- Our largest wooden train town set contains 56 pieces. Includes: 31 pieces of track (8 curved, 4 small curved, 4-piece bridge set, adapter pair, 2 pairs of switches, 2 puddle jumpers, 3 eight-inch straight pieces, 4 four-inch straight pieces) creating a layout that measures 24″ X 38″. Vehicles included: school bus, bullet train engine, caboose, fire truck, tow truck, police car, taxi cab, rescue car, train engine, passenger cars (2), caboose, airplane, racer, tractor, tugboat. Buildings included: a store, house, train station, school, fire station, and 4 trees. Dimensions: 38 x 24 x 3 inches. Weight: 6.9 lbs
2. Busy City-Themed Magnetic Kids Toddler Play Freight Train Railway Station Toy Set with Passenger Train, Freight Train, and Station
- What’s Included: Double loop city-themed railway set includes a passenger and freight train, a train station, automatic gates, a bridge, an operational crane, three play figurines with accessories, a tipper truck, and wooden railway tracks.
- Complete City-themed Railway Set: This gorgeous city-themed track set is not only suitable for passenger trains, but also for freight trains. At the end of a busy day of city life, passenger trains are driving people to get off work and go home. At the same time, freight trains have been loaded up with cargo in the yard and need to be shipped.
- Magnetic Joint Magic: This rail set uses magnets to join certain parts of the rail set together and provide a much more realistic user experience. Magnets couple the train carriages together no matter how they are oriented.
- Compatibility: This set is compatible with Hape and other leading wooden rail brands and can be expanded for even more fun.
3. Wild Pines Train Set – Stunning Wooden Lumberjack Style Toy Train Set for Ages 3+
- Early Developments: Tender Leaf Toys’ wild pines train set for kids’ pretend play is crafted with precision and authentic detail. This creates a lifelike toy that teaches and inspires toddlers and kids of every age. This 30-piece track allows for creative layouts and endless storytelling for your kids and their friends.
- Craftmanship: Tender Leaf Toys creates gentle, beautifully designed toys that promote learning through play. Traditional in concept but contemporary in design. All products are made with a distinct focus on craftsmanship and quality. They meet the European and American standards of safety of toys.
- Safe and environment friendly: This realistic-looking wild pine train set for pretend play is durable. It will remain the same after decades. This beautiful wild pine train set is handcrafted in solid, sustainable rubberwood that stands the test of time. Tender leaf toys are safe, chemical-free & eco-friendly as well.
- Set Contains: The lumberjack-style wild pine train set is a log pile to hold the logs with a sleeping bear, a lake with 2 magnetized boulders, and a big bear. There is even a part that has 3 big fir trees that will block the track unless they are rotated out of the way! 4 cut timber logs and a tree nursery with 6 trees in various stages of growth make this set a wonderful timber trail environment.
Products to Avoid:
- Any off-brand train set or knock-off!
- I usually avoid Melissa & Doug because it’s cheaply made in China and seems to chip and break quite easily.
- ON TRACK USA – They misrepresent themselves as a USA company and are China Owned by China Manufacturing.
Summary BRIO Central Station Set 33989:
Overall, I recommend the Brio Central Station Set because it is part of the most comprehensive railway/small-world play system available. It promotes fine motor skills, problem-solving, creativity, and imitative roleplay. Its European functional and simple design elements create an imaginative small world for your children to play in. The functional details such as knobs that turn pully and magnetic working components, make BRIO a truly functional and interactive playset. The craftsmanship is of high quality with nice paint, smooth sanded wood, and no rough edging. BRIO uses higher quality ABS safer plastic than most toys on the market.
BRIO makes a Classic line of sets that are all wooden for parents to choose from as well. All and all though, this is a solid classic toy that my 3 kids are playing with on a daily basis. The difference between your basic wooden train set and BRIO is the lifespan of this toy. Most kids outgrow and are bored of train sets by age 6 however BRIO is appealing to the older child as well.
