This train set is very simple to set up and the instructions were very helpful. Just a warning though make sure all of the wheels on all of the cars are on the inside of the tracks. If one wheel is off, the entire train will tip over or stop. Once it's all lined up, it's magical. The remote to the train is also a very fun feature. My son is going to be so excited to wake up to this on Christmas morning. The little details like, the steam coming out of the chimney, the whistle, and all of sounds it makes. You can adjust the speed also on the train remote, don't have it in full speed. The train doesn't do so well with the track switchers. They take corners very sharply. It was definitely worth the buy. You can also charge the battery to run the train or use two AA batteries. I just charged it and can and saved the batteries as a backup. Just have patience and it's a magical set and fun to set up.
The town details like the people and the tunnel, hills and signs are all thick cardboard so don't expect actual solid for that. I used other things too, his gifts and other things to make it look more like a scene. Just helpful details that I as a buyer would want to know before purchasing. Enjoy!