LionelWarner Brothers The Polar Express Model Train Elf Handcar

My husband gave his train set to grandson several years ago. He loves it is placed around X mas tree and he plays with it. Men sometimes keeps theirs and adds to them years later. I had an uncle who had a set with all kinds of add on and was extremely well kept. This little item is very cute and just like the one on Polar Express movie.

Really nice accessory, but didn’t realize you can’t run this in the main track along with the train.

As many others have stated, the design of this hand car and the motor that powers it do not make for a smoothly operating piece. The issue with the elves swinging too far and preventing the handle from cycling (thereby jamming the car and bringing it to a halt) has been well-documented by other reviewers. That said, I do think it's possible that Lionel has been listening and you may well get one that is at the very least functional. I've purchased two of these over the years. The first, manufactured in 2006 (based on the small gold stamp on the bottom left side), suffers from all the issues mentioned by everyone else. In the photographs it is the car on the left (top view) and the right (bottom view). Notice how the gold paint from the elves shoes has worn off on to the car itself from constantly getting hung up in the mechanism.The second, manufactured in 2015 (top view: right; bottom view: left), has the elves not hanging freely, but stuck "out" in a position that will prevent them from jamming when each side of the handle cycles. I haven't forced any of them enough to determine whether they are permanently stuck that way, or just tighter than my older unit, but I've run it on a layout several times successfully at less-than-full-throttle speeds and it makes it around just fine. The only difference I can tell with the operating mechanism itself is the rounded front conductor on the newer model, but I can't see as how that helps or hinders anything, therefore I chalk up the difference to the placement of the elves.So it's really a tale of two handcars: one where the elves hang from the handles realistically but the car won't run reliably (if at all), and one where they appear oddly frozen in time and the car runs. I'd prefer a more realistic look, but unless Lionel changes the motor inside to one that runs smoothly at slower speeds/lower voltages, the frantic speed needed to run the car is always going to cause the elves to swing into the way and jam the whole unit up. 3 stars for a cute little addition to a PE collection that has promise, but split personalities.

This car has it's own motor and will outpace any train on the same track and run into it. Wish there was a switch to turn off the motor and couplings to hook it to a train. I ended up gluing it to the platform of a flatbed car

Nice addition to Christmas train set. You need to run on an oval since it has no reverse function

Very cool

Good value. Works great. It’s plastic and lighter than a lot of Lionel items I’m used to. It came poorly packaged though. It was a gift and came only in an envelope so the box was damaged.

Bought it for our son on his 40th birthday and he is very pleased with it.