5 Best Battery Powered Trains for Wooden Tracks

by Joost Nusselder Updated on: October 6, 2023

Battery powered trains are toy trains that run on batteries. They are designed to run on wooden train tracks and offer the ability to make your train sets move on their own.

Playing with battery powered trains is fun because it gives children the opportunity to use their creativity and imagination and be more involved with the track and the play figures than with driving the train, all good for pretend play.

Not every locomotive is the same, so in this article I will help you choose with extensive comparisons. Choose below which information you are specifically looking for.

The Hape Battery Powered Locomotive No 1 is the cheapest product with a price of €13,99 ($12.99). The low price is due to the fact that it only has one part. Despite the low price, the product scores high on price-quality with a 9,4. This is partly due to the many awards that the brand has won.

Then we have the STOBOK Electric RC Train which is slightly more expensive at €21,65 ($18.99). With a wagon and figure, this product has more parts than the Hape Locomotive, which explains the higher price. However, the price-quality score is lower at 7,8 and consists of cheaper materials.

The Hape App Remote Control Engine costs €29,99 ($24.49) and has a comparable price-quality score as the Hape Locomotive, namely a 9,2. This product is more expensive because it contains more technology, such as the app controls.

The Brio Steaming Train 33884 is even more expensive at €38,99 ($49.99). Although it has fewer parts than the STOBOK train, it is more expensive due to the brand and the quality of the product, which is reflected in the price-quality score of 8,2 and the many awards the brand has won.

Finally, we have the Brio My First Battery Operated Train Set 33710 with the highest price of €48,78 ($57.70). This product has the most parts and is therefore the most expensive. However, the price-quality score is lower than the other products with a 7,6, which means that you pay more for the quantity of parts than for the quality of the product.

The. is for the little ones Brio My First Battery Operated Train Set 33710 an excellent choice. This set is suitable from 1 year, with the best age between 2 and 3 years. It is a simple set without small parts, which makes it safe for the youngest children.

There are several options from 3 years old. The Hape Battery Powered Locomotive No 1 and the STOBOK Electric RC Train are both suitable from this age, with the best age between 3 and 5 years. Both are easy to use and have no small parts. The STOBOK train is made of non-toxic material, which offers an extra safety aspect.

Also the Brio Steaming Train 33884 and the Hape App Remote Control Engine are suitable from 3 years, but they offer fun up to a slightly higher age, namely up to 7 years. The best age for these trains is between 3 and 6 years. Both trains are easy to use and made of non-toxic materials, making them safe for children.

The Hape App Remote Control Engine offers the longest playing time. The ease of use and imagination are high, which contributes to the extended playing time. The social interaction and versatility are comparable to other trains, but the app controls add a unique twist.

The STOBOK Electric RC Train, Brio Steaming Train 33884 en Hape Battery Powered Locomotive No 1 have a nice playing time. The STOBOK train has a controller for interactivity, while the Brio and Hape trains have buttons. They all have a high score for imagination and open-endedness, which contributes to the longer playing time. The Brio train has a unique steam effect, which can extend play time.

The Brio My First Battery Operated Train Set 33710 has the shortest playing time. Although the ease of use and interactivity are high, the versatility is lower than the other trains. It has fewer parts and is a bit more difficult to combine.

The Hape Battery Powered Locomotive No 1, with a sustainability score of 8, is one of the most sustainable choices. Hape is known as one of the largest producers of sustainable toys, using renewable resources and replacing non-sustainable materials with greener, more environmentally friendly alternatives where possible.

The Brio My First Battery Operated Train Set 33710 and the Brio Steaming Train 33884 also have a sustainability score of 8. Brio has been making all their wooden toys since 2014 from FSC® certified wood from responsibly managed forests. However, these toys contain a lot of plastic.

The Hape App Remote Control Engine also has a sustainability score of 8. Like the Hape Battery Powered Locomotive No 1, this product is made with sustainable materials and produced in a factory owned and operated by Hape, giving them full control over the production process.

The STOBOK Electric RC Train has a slightly lower sustainability score of 7. Although the brand has no specific sustainability practices, the product still has a timeless appeal and a solid brand reputation.

Below are the detailed reviews of the 5 best battery-powered trains where we rank according to our “Toy score”. When assessing we look at several facets.

• Firstly, the durability of the train is important; How well can it take a beating?
• In addition, the play value of the train set is important; does it offer sufficient play options and is it fun to play with?
• The materials used and compatibility with other brands are also important factors.

These battery powered trains are suitable for all major train brands. They fit perfectly on the wooden tracks of brands such as Brio, Hape, Tiny Land and Bigjigs. Always check compatibility when choosing a new set, but with these trains that shouldn't be a problem.

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1. Hape Battery Powered Locomotive No 1

Overall best electric train for wooden rails

Hape Battery-powered locomotive No 1

9.0

Toy score

Play value

4.7

Price/quality

4.7

Replayability

4.6

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Best for

• Easy to operate
• Can be used with all known wooden train tracks

Less good

• Batteries required

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• From: 3 years
• Best: 3 – 5 years
• Up to: 7 years

The Hape Locomotive No 1 is an electric train for wooden railway tracks. It is motorized and driven by the rear wheels with 2 AAA batteries. It fits on the wooden train tracks of all major brands, which makes it very versatile.

He can also pull a lot. We tested it with 4 wagons and it could even do that on a slope. I have never seen such a powerful battery powered locomotive before.

Ease of use is also good with a button on the top for forward and reverse travel. A self-driving train on the wooden track greatly appeals to the imagination and is of course very interactive, all good for a high play value. Only the social interaction is missing, but it is just a single locomotive.

It is very versatile and easy to combine with all train sets. This ensures high replayability. The materials used are strong plastics, not very durable but they last a very long time.

2. Brio My First Battery Operated Train Set 33710

Best battery powered train with wooden train track

Brio My First Battery Operated Train Set 33710

8.2

Toy score

Play value

4.4

Price/quality

3.8

Replayability

4.2

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Best for

• Easy to set up and is sturdy
• Suitable from 18 months

Less good

• No figures or backgrounds included

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• From: 1 years
• Best: 2 – 3 years
• Up to: 3 years

This First Battery Operated Train Set is for the smallest children from 18 months. It has 25 parts including a motorized train with wagon, 9 wooden train track pieces, a tunnel and elevations.

The ease of use is great and that is necessary to make it suitable for toddlers. The train can be turned on and off with one button and the elevations are very sturdy and click into place on the train track. Because there is not much else included, it is slightly less open-ended than other sets, but it still appeals to the imagination.

The replayability is also very high because it is easy to combine. The track pieces fit on other Brio trains or those of other brands. The materials used are somewhat inferior. Sturdy and safe, but it contains a lot of plastic.

3. STOBOK Electric RC train

Best RC train for wooden train track

STOBOK Electric RC Train

8.2

Toy score

Play value

4.4

Price/quality

3.9

Replayability

4.3

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Best for

Less good

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• From: 3 years
• Best: 3 – 5 years
• Up to: 6 years

The STOBOK Electric Train is a 4-piece set that makes it possible to operate your wooden train set remotely. The train and the figure seem to be copied from the Brio concept, but that doesn't make it any less fun to play with.

The three buttons on the train are not very intuitive at first glance, but controlling it with the RC controller is a lot easier. However, the ease of use could have been a bit higher. The fact that the wagon can be opened and there is a figure makes the play value a little higher.

The replayability is also very high because this train can also be used on all major wooden train brands. However, the material used feels very cheap. It's not a train that will be passed down from generation to generation, but it does what it was made for well and is very entertaining.

4. Brio Steaming Train 33884

Best battery powered train with steam

Brio Steaming Train 33884

8.5

Toy score

Play value

4.6

Price/quality

4.1

Replayability

4.5

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Best for

• Blows real steam
• Can pull quite a bit

Less good

• Very pricey

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• From: 3 years
• Best: 3 – 6 years
• Up to: 7 years

The Brio 33884 is a battery-powered train that can really blow steam. You do this by pouring water (from the supplied water wagon) into a hole at the front of the train. The steam is not hot and safe for children to touch.

This makes the play value of this set even higher, because it really appeals to the imagination and gives an extra dimension to playing with wooden train tracks. The buttons on the train could have been a little more intuitive, but we'll forgive the set for that.

The material is sturdy and made of non-toxic plastic and paint and it is sure to last a long time. The play score could only have been higher if the price-quality ratio had been a bit higher, because it is a fun set to play with, but quite pricey.

5.Hape Remote Control Engine

Best rechargeable train for wooden tracks

Hape Remote Control Engine App

8.9

Toy score

Play value

4.6

Price/quality

4.6

Replayability

4.5

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Best for

Less good

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• From: 3 years
• Best: 3 – 6 years
• Up to: 7 years

This rechargeable train from Hape has its own app! This allows you to set the speed of the train, move forward and backward and even play sounds. Fortunately, you can also operate the train with the buttons on the train, otherwise you would have to give your 3-year-old your phone all the time. This greatly improves the ease of use.

The degree of open-endedness, interaction and imagination is also very high, which all benefits the play value. The set is easy to use with any major wooden train track brands, so that the possibility of combining with other toys and the replayability are very high.

The plastic is sturdy but not very durable. Normally Hape has a lot of wooden toys, but unfortunately they are not visible on the train. It will last a long time.

How do you choose the best battery powered trains for wooden railway tracks?

Wooden train tracks withstand a lot of rough and intense play, often from a whole host of siblings to last for years and years. The trains that run on it must therefore also be able to withstand a lot, even if they are battery powered.

When ranking the toys on this list, we use our “Toy score”. It's based on the following components, each with its own weight.

1. Play value (30%)
2. Price/ quality (30%)
3. Replayability (20%)
4. Safety (10%)
5. Sustainability (5%)
6. Materials (5%)

The playing value, together with the price-quality ratio, is the most important thing. After all, the train should be fun to play with and if it is too expensive, no one can afford it.

The play value assesses the product on the features that make it fun to play with. These are ease of use, degree of open-endedness, imagination, social interaction, interactivity, versatility and aesthetics. When a toy is easy to use and understand, is attractive to the child and there are many opportunities to make up your own play with it with open end and imagination, it will be played longer with a higher quality of play.

The value for money is a score based on the ratio of the quality of the toy to the price of the item. This ratio determines how much value you get for your money, in play value and in the intrinsic quality of the item such as the materials used.

Replayability rates the product on features that ensure it will be used again and again. These are ability to combine, portability, longevity, durability and versatility.

Are battery powered trains suitable for all the best wooden train track brands?

Battery powered trains are suitable for all major wooden train brands. These are all compatible, covering multiple facets. It is important to know that wooden train sets from brands such as Brio, Hape, Tiny Land and Bigjigs fit perfectly with battery-powered trains.

When choosing a set, check the specifications to ensure compatibility. Notice the action and learning opportunities each set offers. Quality wooden train sets offer a variety of play options.

Battery-powered trains work well on wooden tracks. They can take turns and drive through the city, just like a real train.

Joost Nusselder, the founder of Speelkeuze.nl is a content marketer, father and loves trying out new toys. As a child he came into contact with everything related to games when his mother started the Tinnen Soldaat in Ede. Now he and his team create helpful blog articles to help loyal readers with fun play ideas.