Chuggington Die Cast Toy Review and HO Wheel Conversion
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- Опубліковано 7 лют 2025
- A detailed toy review of the Chuggington 'Die Cast' toy trains which are very similar to the Thomas and Friends Take Along's (Take-N-Play). Why don't Chuggington's have a magnetic coupling system?
Also included is a track comparability across various Thomas tracks and a HO wheel conversion.
Web Links:
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@Captstar2 There is a connection of Thomas to Chugg via some key staffers who used to be Hit Entertainment Executives. All this info is in the wiki page about Chugg.
@cattrainboy05 Not exactly sure, the take along magnet is housed in that metal nipple of sorts and it's embedded into the take along design, the chuggers ball and socket run well into the model.
Both methods have advantages and disadvantages, for sheer simplicity I like magnets. Even the LEGO train I have been playing with uses magnets for couplings.
@LeonSKennedy828 Like I said in the video, the toys impressed me more than the actual show. Thanks for your comment.
Lack of magnetic coupling was probably a copyright issue. Although she had lost, Britt Allcroft had tried suing prop maker David Mitton when he had left the production of T&F to work on TUGS between seasons 2 and 3. Her basis was that the TUGS characters were in too similar of a style to both the T&F engines and show itself, and similarities between them are hard to ignore. Overall though, the crux of her argument was that the faces of all things were too similar, which led to her losing because T&F characters had round or square grey faces, while TUGS characters had tall and rectangular flesh-toned faces. Although they won, Mitton and his production company had to alter some faces (i.e., Lillie Lightship being the best example with her prototype faces being flat and square, and very similar to the troublesome trucks from series 2 onward.)
I doubt it's a copyright issue, many other random wooden train figures have magnetic couplings, and even Chuggington wooden toys had magnetic couplings. The whole Tugs copyright issue has basically nothing to do with this, Britt Allcroft wasn't involved with Thomas by the time Chuggington existed, and I don't think there's been any documentation of Chuggington being sued or being attempted to be sued by HiT Entertainment, Mattel, etc. It was probably a marketing technique so parents wouldn't buy the Take Along Thomas merch because it wasn't compatible with the die cast Chuggington stuff
@super58173 The one big similarity between the two series is they both have a very catchy theme tune, thats a key component to any TV series.
The nostalgia is real with this video
@MTwillman Very good point, there are only a few steamies in Chuggington.
@Damocles178
I should have showed the A4 drivers cab on Chugg, plenty of detail in there as well. I have to say the toys are pretty smart looking and very well made.
@MTwillman absolutely, Chugg V Thomas would make a excellent tube video.
@mikthescared one thing I will say is the chugger toys are very well made, thomas is so keen to be branded on anything which moves
@turtlesandthomas I think there is something else going on here, what really powers the tube, what's the real driving force which no one speaks about?
pretty sure I know.
@TwistedTim01 well done that was mighty fast.
@turtlesandthomas i did, can you explain why?
this single video has been the MOST popular I have done, does tell me there is a huge undercurrent of Chuggers lovers on the tube?
it's only been up 8 months, it's by far the best performing to date.
@timelordthetrain What I find amazing where I live the Chuggers are now right beside Thomas in every shop. By doing this they have a huge chance at attracting a following. As it stands the Chugg toys are very well priced and below Thomas Take Along pricing. It will be interesting to see where Chugg stands in a few more years and if Thomas introduced some modern rolling stock into their stories.
My son and I have been watching your videos for some time now. Your videos are the ones he likes to have me navigate to the most. We find them very informative and amusing. Keep up the great work it is very much appreciated. Props to you sir!
@pierco5 Some of the core team behind Chugg were Hit Entertainment staffers, I dare say they knew a more modern series would work. Have a read of the wiki page related to Chugg, it makes for some interesting reading.
@LEON13858 I think it was 5 or 6mm, anyway it is a little smaller than the top of the rivet, when drilling just take it slowly as the metal is fairly soft.
@Irish982 hi, there is a recient video I did where I had my young boy choose from a set of both Thomas and Chuggers trains, to be honest here I though he seemed more interested in Chuggers going by his reaction to the TV show.
In the test I did he chose the Thomas toys nearly every time, have to say this really surprised me.
As parents tend to choose the toys for young children it showed me often what you think is the best choice may in fact not be the one the child likes the most
@Trainlover300 Possibly, I do like the electric rail passenger car, I need to show a little bit of time has elapsed and introducing the Chuggers will give me a modern fleet to look at.
@ChaosSolider1 thats a very good question, stick with it and you may learn something..!
@ArrowWolf1984 Thats a interesting reply, but there are magnets used in the Chuggington crane I bought, it picks up the scrap metal load. My only though is how robust are the plastic couplers, I remember the ERTL Thomas toys would wear out real fast.
As for cost the Chuggs I bought were on special, overall where I live Chuggers are around $2 less in cost to a Thomas metal toy. At the reduced price they became nearly $4 less than a Thomas Take Along.
@3axim Given a few more years it will be interesting to see how big Chuggers will become, form what I can see the Chugg toys are selling real fast.
Now remember all, get those first edition toys as look what happened to the early Thomas stuff, it all became quite collectible.
@CineSteam I think this whole magnet thing needs more investigation. As yet I have not had a non Thomas item get repelled! But it seems some have.
@Trainlover300 JUst let me say another thing here, the chuggers do look good in scale compared to the ERTL trains, and at least they are not all squashed up and distorted like the take alongs.
@TwistedTim01 What's interesting is part of the team behind Chuggington were once Hit Entertainment Executives. This toy is very similar to a Take Along, sadly the video reveals what I call a epic fail by franchise.
The toy has really grabbed some old Thomas real estate in the shops.
@gregjr95 All I am doing is a review of the toy as it is so similar in size to the Thomas Take Alongs.
@trainguy111 Possibly the passenger train character, I think it looks pretty cool. The Diesels in Chugg to me look all the same.
@PokemasterRamon I agree, it does stand up a fair bit. The Chuggers are a different style to Take Alongs. I think Diesel 10 is under size compared to say the Thomas Take Along. One issue I have with Take Alongs is they are all fairly distorted and not true to the actual shape of the characters. Chugg do look very similar to what you see on TV
@YesterdaysNewspaper Possibly the dollar is the issue, it will be interesting to see over time how much play the Chuggers connectors can take.
@Cromford88
Both, I shot video in both stores.
@southparkluvva thanks for your point of view
@exveefan Great comment, where did you find this info from. I did some looking and found nothing. All I could see was the people behind Chugg were Hit Entertainment staffers.
Oh that reminds me of the good old days when I used to play with them.
I had only the Thomas train. Thank you for sharing it :)
@petersam4 I agree with you here, the huge animations of Chugg do seem very exaggerated, I feel it is aimed at a younger audience that Thomas. The first seasons of Thomas and I am thinking back to the 1980's TV series was as entertaining to adults as it was to children, Chugg is really aimed at kids alone.
@sonicxthomasexpert I do like the passenger train in Chugg, have to be honest most of the characters look very similar in shape. There is some interesting rolling stock available in the Chugg toys.
@englishtwister The giant take along Thomas would couple with the standard take along
@PokelordEX Thats some interesting points. From memory Thomas, Dora and Bob Builder all have magnetic couplings. Are they all from the same franchise?
Surely a magnet is not something you can copyright?
Is it to get people to buy more toys, I think you struck gold here
@TMRReturns For now thats a secret. I bought quite a few and will use them as special prizes in the future. Finding them was a stroke of luck. I have a feeling they are not an official Thomas toy!
@AmyBrowny I totally agree.
@SKITSmcFRITS You have to remember sometimes very popular things do fall out of favor. This is a fact of life. I can't see youtube lasting forever, would Thomas last another few generations?
I feel the Chugg will dilute the fan base and attention, possibly in a few more years we will see who commands the views and toy sales.
@WORRO01 Sir you gun reviews are great, and thanks for visiting a toy review.
It's funny how it was competition back then, but now it's just #2 to Thomas
@letsjustsmile Thanks, first time I have been related to Kipkay, that's a huge compliment.
@WebTechGlobal Thats a great comment, I really think the impact Chuggers is having is huge. Just look how popular this video has become, is this the Chugger fans or my good friends the Thomas community?
My kids initially loved the new Chuggers but still go back to Thomas, possibly the Thomas toy sets are slightly better designed.
Thomas had the toy train market all to itself, interesting ex Thomas staffers started Chuggers, they must have known exactly what the next gen wanted.
@YouOriginal I love your LOL, excellent little trick
@TheThomasWoodenGuy Thanks for you comment. Compared to Thomas Chugg is very new, and I have to admit is is has really taken off in many countries. Possibly in a few years it will give the huge Thomas empire a run for it's money. Have to remember Thomas has been all alone for a very long time. It is very interesting times, can the world support both series?
@kaidos123 Now that sound a tad serious.
@simierski My daughter connects Dora to Thomas all the time, in fact this is shown in the video. The one Bob The Builder I have also connects without a issue.
I can't see any issue between the toys, possibly someone else can add their knowledge here.
I have never seen a magnet coupling toy repel each other yet, there could be a video in this?
@TheTopHatts I like what you have said here, Thomas is timeless, perfect wording and possibly one of the best commets on this video.
The Chugg toys are really good looking, and as I said many time to others they look far more interesting than the 3D characters in the series.
@trainlover658 I think you have seen something no one else spotted
I remember these man I loved playing with these so much
@Arthur12336 yes your right, but calling chuggers system track is a bit of a spin on words
@sandywambold That would be a great idea. My daughter would love her Chuggers to join to her Thomas Take Alongs and so would I..!
@bazboyd44 Your not the first to say so..!
@simierski Why does the Dora explorer and Bob the Builder toys also have magnets like Take Alongs? Am I missing some major connections here?
How can you patient a magnet?
Chugg do use magnets on their rolling stock, the crane I purchased has a magnet pick up for the scrap metal.
Chugg no magnets is a epic fail, even a 5 year old can see this!
@fluffmanz i can't steer you in any other direction than family safe content
that's the way it's all headed now
@SI3DFilms I don't have the Black Puffer Pete, interesting as that my Daughters favorite Chugger. The only steamer I picked up is what looks like A4, hope I have that right!
You do impress the Thomas fans with every train related video you make. Cheers!
@jarenterprise Yes this war will be one to watch
@PublicLibraryx When I grew up I loved these shows, the original B/W Astroboy, Prince Planet and Kimba the White Lion and Gigantor.
Prince Planet was the best in my small mind and luckily there are some episodes on the tube, well worth a look.
I care about your coment so do the other viewers, it is difficult to swallow all this 3D animation, thats the way I see it.
@Carred20 i agree
@ShaurntheSheep Chuggington is a clever show, really aimed at a younger age group, you have to wonder if these kids will grow up with the desire for Chuggers over Thomas, the experiment continues!
In my mind the Chugger toys are really well modeled to what you see in the TV series, I think that's super important. I see just too much variation in the way Thomas re-creates it's characters.
@LeonsBlogs That would be very interesting if it happens.
@turtlesandthomas can you explain why?
@jakethedogfil i will look into this request, many tubers do ask this question
@trainguy111 Interesting had quite a few people bring up the chuggers character Puffer Pete, nice thought
@trainlover658 Whats interesting is the core team behind Chuggers were executive staff for Hit Entertainment, I bet they knew Thomas was a brand without a direct competitor!
@3axim To be honest I was surprised the chuggers linked only to chuggers, my daughter like you son loves to link all sorts of toys together. The chuggers are a really well built toy but sadly fail as they can't connect to any other brand.
@Cromford88 Do some research and you will find out ex staffers from Hit Entertainment are behind Chuggington. I can tell you in the shops where I live Chuggington has grabbed half the space where Thomas was displayed. In retail that's very hot property being next to Thomas.
@crazyracer12 if chuggers is for babies then they have the market covered, often the first experience you have with something stays with you
chuggers are aiming for a younger audience, and those kids will be wanting chuggers and not thomas
so many tubers have said to me their first thomas memory comes from a very young age, now watch as the new kids remember chuggers and may not even engage with thomas
Chuggington is basically the Sega of the train franchise world
@blustn just on the thomas empire, my heart is stuck with the first 3, possibly 5 series, after that it was obvious the whole thing became a money junket, way too many characters to care about and far away from the core concept of the books
it will be interesting to see in time chuggers fall into the same trap
Thanks so much for this. As excited as I was when I saw the price of the chuggers I'm afraid Thomas' magnets cannot be beat in the eyes of my 19 month old. He just loves being able to link his Thomas toys easily (not to mention Bob the Builder toys have magnets too and we have all kinds of odd caravans trailing across the floor).
It's a shame because my son is bored to tears by watching Thomas and goes nuts when he hears Chuggington come on.
@hanii89 yes the whole track thing looks like a money grab, still the wooden Thomas is the one which traverses the biggest variety of track
@Editude If I was to release a toy range of trains I would ensure they interacted with Thomas, Dora and Bob Builder toys. Kids love to mix up toys they don't see the brand division like adults do. If Chuggers connected to Thomas would be a fantastic toy reguardles which show you like. All kids want is all the trains to connect, surely that not rocket science.
@thomrock99 If the Chuggers did couple with the Thomas I am sure heaps more kids would enjoy both. In a child's mind the fact they don't couple will just confuse them. I think the Chuggers would be a great toy if it had magnets
Like many others, I'm also thinking "How the .... did I get here?".
But you sir, have inspired me. Seeing as my 2 year old nephew LOVES Chuggington and I have an old HO trainset in storage, I may just give this a crack. Even find a working loco and convert it so you can attach/detach the motor so kids can push it without the static wheels or something along those lines..
Thank you! Great video!!!!
@schmumpkin I have a whole review by my Daughter on these toys, maybe her appraisal of the toy is better then mine. Kids tend to just say it as it is and the Chuggers play away from the Thomas engines.
@EuanEchidhog Thanks Euan, the Chugg toys are quite impressive, far better than the actual show.
i remembered that series! i saw it in the uk last year!
@turtlesandthomas Give it two jet engines, anything would fly with a couple of jets attached!
@MoxieChan How about poor dad who has to now make them connect....
@DarthSkywalker727 I know many tubers who love the Thomas wooden range, certainly in my competitions it is one of the very popular choices to make a video with. I have to admit for bang for buck the Thomas wooden toy is I feel the best choice as a children's toy. Possibly next is the Thomas Tomy range.
I've seen these Chuggington toys myself, they look cool.
This was a great video, my answer to the coupling issue is most likely because they know they have competition to the Thomas range, and plus there is copyright issues to avoid, on top of that its probably a marketing strategy to get people to buy more toys.
Hope this gives you more insight, either way it was a very informative video and was worth a watch.
@turtlesandthomas Thank you for your outstanding video. My wife asked me to look into Chuggington for our little boy. Great comparisons and very well presented. Im sure this will start us down the Chuggington path. Cheers
i use to love these Chuggington toys with a burning passion but not today
thomas has something that chuggington can never get, realism.
nuff said
The only fact I disagree with you is how children love to mash up their toys (in compatibility). When I was young, I only keep my toys in their rightful place.
I liked the old Thomas Die-Casts, I've still got loads. Accurate size and colored wheels, robust build, and except for a few rotten ones, the original pin couplings they had worked rather well. Didn't take a lot of force to hook up, and don't come apart like magnets at speed. Axles could sag if you were really rough with em, but that's about it...Also, trackmasters...blast from the past...
0:45 I have that duck
oh dear
@LawnchairManiac the dry humour is not part of the service, thats just me
Very first of your videos that I ever watched
@mynintendo8 looks like there is a growing number of chuggers fans, give it a few years and I bet Thomas will be given a good run for him money
Chuggington looks like a very interesting series. The reason why i like Thomas is because it's roots started as a children's show that (well, i think) appeals to all ages. Chuggington on the other hand is geared towards the younger kids, but the animation is amazing! I think i'll give it a chance, and maybe buy myself a Brewster model off eBay just for the heck of it. Very interesting video Leo! Watched it many times as of now! :)
@leokimvideo haha, thanks. I enjoyed this. Its almost sad that someone is trying to replace Thomas!
Thanks for the useful detail, i'll begin my work in 10 days..
I don't understand why people get so upset when they click on a video that doesn't appeal to them. It seems rather self-centered to think that every video posted on the internet is or should be intended for You. Personally, I don't think that it makes you look cool to cuss on the comments section of a video clearly intended for CHILDREN.
Having said that, my son loves to watch these toy reviews. He is too young to really understand the content but I learn by watching with him.
Loads of useful detail. I wonder if there's a way to put Thomas Take-A-Long compatible magnets on the Chuggers.
Glue?
the chuggers also work on power city track aswell
The reason i prefer Thomas over Chuggington, is simply because i like steam trains over diesels, and i grew up with it. But, i do think Chuggington has got a shot at having a lot of fans in the next few years, good luck to both!