Simple and ordered, but is that good?

Isaac's  new track is a departure from his normal abandon in joining up pieces until he gets a layout he likes. By his standards it is quiet stayed. It's a classic case of having to adapt his style to accommodate a new element. That element being a battery operated train. There was a false start on this development as Isaac and his brother got one of these trains for Christmas, but it died only a couple of days later. The sounds all worked, but the motor didn't. We thought it was the batteries and tried replacing them, but the problem was still there. This is the second attempt a electrification, which came out of Isaac's brother's birthday.

Being relatively new to the world of wooden railways I thought I'd do a little research and found that opinion is sharply divided over these electric trains. On one hand is the school of thought that goes toys are becoming more hi-tech and to keep children's interest and secure a future of wooden railways it needs to adapt. The other  says  that the purpose of wooden trains is develop manual dexterity in children by pushing the trains around and this doesn't happen when the train is self propelled.

Having watched Isaac adapting to the electric train I have some thoughts. Isaac had to simplify his layout because the train dis not work well on tight or twisting curves. Often it became jammed and sometimes fell off the track. Points were a real issue and had to be set against the run of the trains as it would randomly choose its direction. Often the the locomotive would choose a different direction to the carriage at points. The train is also heavy because of the batteries and motor and it struggled up slid down inclines. And talking of batteries a complete change will set us back £11.27 (a major brand from a well known supermarket).

I have to say I'm coming down on the side of the traditionalists on this one. Any advance that forces out the creativity of a child is probably not an advance at all. I sound very ungrateful here to the enormous generosity of the gift giver and that's not my intention, if I had to be cross with anyone it would be the manufacturers for selling out on the great core proposition that wooden railways are. If you have any thoughts on this I'd love to hear them in the comments.

Having had my say I'll get back to the track.  I's a pretty straight forward circuit with three branches. A siding for rolling stock, the engine shed and repair shed. The repair shed was an after thought, mainly because the new train won't fit in the engine shed, and Isaac neatly added it into the track with a deft shoulder in the loop. The figures lined up in two neat rows are school children waiting to board the trains with their teacher at the front. Isaac clearly has little experience with ordering school children going on a excursion! Though close inspection of the pupils does reveal some who are already holding down employment and others who are of a pensionable age.