BRIO Crane & Mountain Tunnel | 2021 Toy Review | BRIO World
Description: Designed in Sweden, BRIO has been making their premier wooden railroad system since 1958 which is sold throughout the world. BRIO World is the gold standard of wooden railroad toy systems. Brio World railway sets are made from sustainable beechwood and high-quality ABS safer plastic. The Trains, wagons, carriages, and road vehicles all feature the classic BRIO magnetic couplings allowing for easy connection to each other. The unique fully working parts such as lifting cranes, turning knobs for pulls, and real working doors, make BRIO one of the most interactive wooden playsets. This Brio Crane & Mountain Tunnel 7 piece set is a great component to the BRIO World. Lift the crane and top of the mountain off and place it on the track to create another tunnel and component.
The mountain includes 2 separate tunnels, one with sound activation creating four different sounds. Press the red button for additional mine working and train sounds. The mountain has a real working magnetic crane with a red knob to lift and lower gold to several indented locations or trailers. Additional wooden boulders, mine trains can be purchased separately for expansive play.
The Baby Penguin’s Toy Review consists of 5 standardized criteria categories:
Sustainability, Playability, Durability, Longevity, and Versatility.
(Click each category for a detailed description of why it’s important)
Each criteria category has 3 subcategories and can score up to 5 Baby Penguins per category if it’s Outstanding!
Outstanding = 
Excellent =
Average =
Poor =
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1. Sustainability:
A. Product:
- Made from sustainable beechwood and high-quality ABS plastic.
- All wooden tracks and engines and components made from sustainable wood.
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B. Packaging:
- Cardboard recyclable box with some plastic bag packaging.
- Most European toy companies do put plastic windows into packaging.
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C. Origin/Company:
- BRIO is a beloved European/Swedish company that has been making toys since 1884 and train sets since 1958.
- They produce toys only in their own factories.
- BRIO is committed to making as many of its 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.
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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.
- The mountain is one of BRIO world’s most interactive and creatively designed components which allows for open-ended creative play.
- Kids can act out working at a rock quarry, a mine, or pretending to be passengers riding through the country enjoying the sights.
- BRIO components are simple yet inspire creativity.
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B. Active Parent engagement:
- Parents will love helping kids set up a track layout or roleplay by storytelling or imitative play.
- Dad loves playing with the BRIO World sets.
- Parents will enjoy the various train and working sounds as these are not your typical annoying toy sounds.
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C. Playtime:
- Promotes fine motor skills and problem-solving skills as the child puts track pieces together.
- Promotes imagination as a child reenacts real life as a worker or engineer.
- Additional BRIO World sets provide more expansive real-life reenactment play.
- This real working train mountain mine and tunnels are expansive, interactive with real sounds, and a working crane.
- A simple yet creative toy that is very interactive and engaging even to older children.
- This is one of BRIO Worlds’ largest and most popular components.
- It is well built and designed. It is versatile since the top is removable.
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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.
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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.
- The red knob lets the child control the magnetic crane to swivel and pick up components.
- The simple components are quality built that will last.
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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.
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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.
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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.
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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.
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5. Versatility:
A. Combinable with other toys:
- 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.
- We also combine it with the Brio Farm Railway. Read the complete review HERE.
- Or try the Brio Train Garage and see the review HERE.
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B. Creativity Function:
- Creative in the fact that it can be tunnels, a scenic railway component, a working rock quarry, and a mine.
- This mountain can be combined with other train/small world play components but can stand alone with an additional track pack to purchase.
- The mountain will be an interactive piece that sparks your child’s imagination and creativity with scenario play.
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C. Storage:
- BRIO World is a nice compact railway system and 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.
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Final Review for BRIO Crane & Mountain Tunnel:
Overall, I recommend the BRIO Crane & Mountain Tunnel 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 with BRIO such as knobs that turn a pully and magnetic working components, make BRIO a truly functional and interactive playset. The craftsmanship is 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. This BRIO Crane & Mountain Tunnel promotes your child’s creativity because it is open-ended and simple leaving room for the imagination. Children can be train engineers, mine workers, or dream up any scenario set in the countryside. When your child plays with BRIO, he/she is active with the toy and not passive. BRIO components are truly unique and are part of the most expansive mini-train world on the market today.
