I have brought it upon myself to get my son started on his first toy collection. I figure if I can introduce him to Thomas the Tank Engine at various stages in his early development, the train bug will bite and he will want to go train spotting and build a model railroad with me. Otherwise, if he doesn't like Thomas, I can enjoy the toys myself.
I decided not to do the more expensive Thomas wooden railway, even before the lead paint recall. I am instead purchasing the die cast models for children aged 3 and up. My idea is to gradually purchase these toys, one at a time, so that he has a suitable collection by time he is of age.
He and I already spent one Saturday afternoon touring 5 Targets to purchase some items they put on clearance. It was probably the longest we spent out away from mommy and home, just the two of us. He was well behaved, enjoyed looking at the displays, and even rode in a cart's child seat for the first time.
If anyone would like to contribute, just let me know and I can let you in on the list of must haves. I myself have been watching many Thomas and Friends as research. I enjoy that they are only 5 minutes long, and they are real train models.