My child and I have recently started and expanded "our" wooden train collection including battery engines to pull all the cars. Naturally, this involved practically purchasing most battery engines on the market to compare them against each other. This bullet engine was put to the test against its steam engine design counterpart offered by the same company that is controllable with a remote as well (has fwd/reverse lights/sounds), Brios Mighty Red and h2o Steam Engine, and then the single button basic locomotive offered by the same company as this bullet engine.

Hands down this bullet engine is the best. It operates on two AA batteries and this provides superior power and speed compared to all of those tested, most of which run off of one AA or more commonly available one to two AAA batteries. It was able to easily post the best time when put to speed lap tests and was able to pull the most cars out of those tested both on flat tracks and going up a single or double incline.

Now, add in the fact that you get (and this is important) a line of sight remote to control your trains and this set goes over the top. You can control up to two trains (A&B Signal) from one remote with Fwd/Reverse, Train Horn, & Light control offered from the remote. My suggestion would to be to also pick up the compatible Locomotive black Steam engine that is offered by this same company and pair these two engines off the same remote. Note, this black steam engine came in second in our testing, it runs off one AA battery so is pretty powerful and fast, just not as much as this two AA battery Bullet engine model.

Well my rambling has come to an end hope this was helpful and to summarize if you're looking for one battery engine to buy for your wooden train set, look no further. You've found the one.

This is a cute product and exactly what I was looking for, as it is compatible with a wooden track set already in possession. I don't like that it is probably Chinese but there are very few American-made equivalents except at very high prices. I'm shopping for four year-old twins and it would be way too much for both of them. The directions especially about the batteries are unclear but we finally, through trial and error, got it to work.

If I could give more stars I would ✨ï¸

It seems work nice so far.
I only have a few minor problems:
- there doesn't seem to be volume setting - the train is pretty loud
- it's bullet-train looks, but steam engine sound
- not balanced well - can't go uphill, it just makes a wheelie and slips back down

My son is into trains big time he has autism. Well he has wooden plastic Thomas trains everyone you could find well this is the first train with controller we have purchased for him he is 4 and for a week now he hasn't stopped playing with it he even sleeps with the train. So I would say great toy for children..