Pete's Expert Summary
So, my human presented me with this wooden box, expecting a purr of gratitude, I assume. It's a "Take-Along Tabletop Railroad" from Melissa & Doug, a brand I associate with the loud, clumsy miniature humans who occasionally visit. It unfolds into a little wooden scene with tracks, a bridge, and a tunnel. The appeal, from my superior vantage point, lies not in the intended "play" of pushing a tiny train around a predictable loop. No, the true potential is in the many small, lightweight wooden pieces—trains, a truck, animals—that seem perfectly engineered for being swatted off the edge of this miniature world and batted into the dark abyss under the sofa. The foldable case is a double-edged sword: while it provides a new, temporary terrain to conquer, it also means the entire affair can be packed up and hidden from me at the human's whim. A fleeting amusement, at best.
Key Features
- 17-piece railroad play set with wooden storage case that unfolds to create playing surface with built-in tracks
- Includes 4 wooden vehicles: 3 train cars and a park ranger vehicle
- Set up a bridge, mountain tunnel with gondola that slides across the top, buildings, trees, animals, and railroad crossing sign
- Plenty of room to store all play pieces in the case with convenient carrying handle
- Makes a great gift for preschoolers, ages 3 to 6, for hands-on, screen-free play; product made with FSC-certified materials that support responsible forestry; applies to new inventory only (FSC C156584)
A Tale from Pete the Cat
The human placed the peculiar wooden briefcase on the rug, an unusual offering that broke the serene monotony of my afternoon nap schedule. I watched from my throne on the arm of the chair, tail giving a slow, judgmental twitch. She unlatched it, folding it open not to reveal one of her noisy light-rectangles, but a miniature, self-contained valley. A Lilliputian landscape of painted wood, with a crude bridge and a mountain that looked suspiciously hollow. I descended with the silent grace of a predator, my gray tuxedo immaculate against the common floor, to conduct a thorough inspection of this new territory. My initial patrol revealed the inhabitants: a stoic park ranger in a silly truck, a few blocky animals, and a train of three cars, all frozen in a state of placid absurdity. I nudged a tree with my nose. It smelled of sawdust and faint paint, not the rich loam of the real outdoors. I was about to dismiss the entire diorama as an insult to my intelligence when I saw it. A thin black cord was strung across the top of the mountain tunnel, and dangling from it was a tiny red box—a "gondola," the human murmured. It hung there, a defiant speck in my domain. This would not stand. I raised a paw, claws carefully sheathed, and gave the gondola a gentle tap. It slid silently, unnervingly, to the other side. My ears perked. I tapped it back. It slid again. A silent, frictionless conversation began between my paw and this curious little box. The world shrank to this single, repetitive, and deeply satisfying action. Back. Forth. A hypnotic rhythm only I could create and control. The tiny wooden citizens of the valley could only watch in awe of their new, furry god of unpredictable momentum. After tiring of my celestial games, I turned my attention back to the lesser beings. I selected the lead train engine, a cheerful blue piece of wood, and with a deft flick, sent it sailing over the bridge and skittering into the darkness beneath the entertainment center. A far more fitting destination. I then proceeded to methodically clear the landscape, liberating each piece from its designated track. The set, I concluded, was a flawed but ultimately functional device. It wasn't a world to play *in*; it was a platform from which to launch things. I curled up on the now-empty wooden case, its surface cool beneath my fur, and claimed it as my own. The little village was in chaos, but its conqueror was finally content.
