Thomas & Friends: Building The New Line

Sir Topham Hatt is facing infrastructure problems: the island of Sodor needs more lines if it is to accommodate its increasing number of rail travellers, and Sir Topham has asked for your help in Building the New Line.

Load the CD-ROM, sign in and meet Thomas and all his familiar friends. Choose Junior Engineer or Senior Engineer mode, depending on ability (or confidence!) and start laying your track. Once your track is in place, move through the activities to deliver cargo, add landscaping features such as trees, bridges, tunnels and so on. When you're happy with your track, advance to Play Mode and bring your new line to life.

Your engine can now travel around the track, interacting with all the other familiar personalities and sights of Sodor. Click on the items you put in place in build mode and complete the resulting activities. For example, click on the hay bales in the Farm Yard and watch as they spill on the track. Get your engine to help clear them away, so the track is safe and debris-free. Switch tracks, control your speed, and visit The Works if you need any maintenance. Once you've left The Works, decorate your engine and the station, ready for The Grand Opening, a celebration party that will reward little drivers for their help in Building the New Line. Once the party is over, Sir Topham will send you a postcard as a memento of the big day, and this can be printed out.

Similar to previous CD-ROMs in the Thomas & Friends range, the sound and graphical quality of the package is great, and all the characters are faithful reproductions of their book and screen counterparts. The package is fun, and will amuse as well as challenge first PC users, as they learn mouse control, hand-to-eye coordination as well as other basic PC skills (clicking, moving, cause-and-effect of onscreen activities). There are plenty of rewards to keep little ones interested, and lots of fun to be had along the way. This is recommended for boys and girls of 3-5 years. --Susan Naylor