I Love Toy Trains: Ticket to Ride

Both informative and whimsical, the latest entry in the 20-year-old I Love Toy Trains series serves up another winning mix of cheerful train tunes by James Coffey coupled with segments on classic trains and elaborate model train sets. The Illinois Railway Museum houses vintage diesel engines, including the “general purpose” diesels used for hauling freight. Viewers also learn about the Shay—invented in 1880—which employed a novel design for moving pistons, thus giving it greater-than-average power to work with heavy loads (especially helpful in mining). Other segments include a visit to Indiana's Talltree Railway Garden, where a fantastic outdoor model train setup celebrates the first transcontinental railroad; a close-up look at a beautiful carnival setting through which toy trains roll; an interesting tutorial about different width scales for different tracks; and a fun bit of reverse-action footage during a trip to “Backwardsville” that will have kids giggling. Highly recommended. Aud: P. (T. Keogh)