buying a train set?

So I know its a ways away, my oldest next birthday, but he'll be the big 4 in the begining of December and we're planning on doing his birthday shopping along with his little brothers birthday (in the begining of August) shopping done now while we have tax money so we won't be stressing when it comes closer to their birthdays especially with our oldests being so close to Christmas.
Anyways he's been really into trains lately, like he puts all his toy cars in a row and says its a big train and he pushes the one in back to make them all go together (which works for a little while). So basically I'm wondering what you mamas think about this idea, getting him either a little train set with the tracks and buildings to put on a table or even just smaller trains that connect together. I'm not sure how I feel I about something machanical because we'll have other little kids around that will be wanting to play with it / probably tugging on the pieces? I don't know.
This would be the biggest gift we've ever got him really so I'm a little nervous. I don't want him or his siblings to ruin it right off but I wanna get him something he'll love.

My son got the wooden Thomas trains for his 3rd birthday. They are great quality and hold up well to lots of play. He isn't as into them anymore, but now my 2 year old dd loves them.

Quoting misanthrope:" My son got the wooden Thomas trains for his 3rd birthday. They are great quality and hold up well to lots of play. He isn't as into them anymore, but now my 2 year old dd loves them."

That sounds perfect, something nice and durable. Do you remember where you bought it? Trains, trains, trains is ALL he talks about right now.

We have the Imaginarium train table...got it on sale when our son was 4yo. The kids love it...it's over 4 years old now and still looks new. All the Thomas the Train [what we have] & Chuggington trains work on the tracks. I love the storage. When he outgrew the trains we packed up the tracks & he played cars & Lego's on it. It's back to a train table now [DD3 is 18mo & loves it].

Quoting .chele.:" We have the Imaginarium train table...got it on sale when our son was 4yo. The kids love it...it's over ... [snip!] ... we packed up the tracks & he played cars & Lego's on it. It's back to a train table now [DD3 is 18mo & loves it]. "

I was just looking at something just like this online but I'm worried it has too much going on on the table and they'll either just take the pieces and run off with them and lose them or something else like that.

Quoting Brooke&Joshua+2.5:" That sounds perfect, something nice and durable. Do you remember where you bought it? Trains, trains, trains is ALL he talks about right now."

I bought the big pack of tracks at toys r us. The trains I picked up slowly at places like Ross, and random garage and estate sales.