One Train Set to a Ten-Year Family Business: How Mandy Frost Built Train and Track Play
Some businesses begin with a detailed plan, a polished strategy and a carefully researched gap in the market.
Train and Track Play began with a little boy who loved trains.
Mandy Frost’s eldest son had been fascinated by them since he was around 18 months old, but there was nothing regular or local that gave him the kind of immersive train-play experience he loved.
So Mandy created one.
The first sessions used some of her son’s own track, much to his initial horror, and what began as a small family idea has grown into a ten-year business with hundreds of trains, large-scale events, school partnerships, SEND sessions and a loyal community of families across Hertfordshire.
Starting Again After a Business Setback
Before Train and Track Play, Mandy was already running a successful floristry business.
She had held a major London contract for 13 years, but the recession gradually stripped much of that work away.
By the time her second child arrived, she had lost around 80% of the contract income and faced a difficult decision.
Rebuild the floristry business while raising two young children, or find another path.
Mandy eventually began Train and Track Play in 2017, when her sons were older and the idea felt possible.
“I just thought, let’s take the plunge and go for it.”
The inspiration was deeply personal, but the demand quickly showed that her family was not the only one looking for this kind of experience.
The Scale Behind the Sessions
Train and Track Play now owns approximately 300 to 350 trains, including around 45 Thomas engines alone.
The collection includes vintage sets, newer battery-operated trains, bridges, tunnels, turntables, farms, dinosaurs and specialist tracks that create different challenges for children to explore.
The largest events require around three hours of set-up with four people.
Mandy, her partner Nick, their sons and Nick’s father all play a role.
“It is actually run by all the family.”
Grandad plans and builds sections of the track. Mandy’s train-obsessed son still helps with the set-up, while her other son is more likely to assist with clearing away, unless football gets in the way.
The work families see during the session is only the final layer.
Behind it are trailers, storage, repairs, sorting, colour-coding and hours spent creating a track layout that feels exciting and intentional.
Why Train Play Holds Children’s Attention
For children who love trains, the appeal goes far beyond simply watching them move.
They follow the wheels, listen to the gears, build long trains and work out how to navigate tunnels, bridges, boats and turntables.
Some children have created trains with around 50 carriages.
Others spend time solving the mechanics of specialist tracks, learning how to switch sections on and off or turn trains around.
“They’re learning lots of new things as well.”
Train play naturally creates opportunities for:
- Problem-solving
- Cause and effect
- Imaginative play
- Fine motor skills
- Concentration
- Cooperation
Mandy has also begun leaving a section of track unbuilt so children can design their own layout.
The existing sets are exciting, but building the track themselves gives children more freedom to experiment and use their imagination.
Creating Space for SEND Families
One of the most important parts of Train and Track Play is its dedicated SEND provision.
These sessions are quieter and shaped around what families need, without asking them to prove a diagnosis or meet a rigid set of criteria.
Although the advertised age range originally went up to 13, Mandy also welcomes older teenagers when the environment is still right for them.
“We have 17-year-olds.”
Some young people have attended since the business began.
As they have grown older and left school, several have started helping Mandy’s team with event set-up.
That creates a sense of responsibility and purpose while giving the business practical support.
Mandy would love to develop those opportunities further.
“If I can make an opportunity in the future, that’ll be fantastic.”
One family travelled all the way to Acton for a similar experience before discovering Train and Track Play locally. Their son then attended every day during one of Mandy’s shopping-centre pop-ups because there was nothing else quite like it.
That loyalty shows how valuable specialist, interest-led provision can be for families who are often given very few suitable options.
Growing Through Partnerships
Train and Track Play has expanded beyond its regular weekday and monthly sessions.
Mandy now works with shopping centres, schools, community organisations, children’s hospices and other activity providers.
During a recent shopping-centre event, she approached businesses including Pizza Express, Wagamama and Caffè Nero to create discounts for families attending.
That helped turn the session into part of a wider day out.
Mandy has also delivered a school play day and is returning to lead a STEM session where pupils will build tracks and solve problems themselves.
The next stage could include care homes, more schools and further community collaborations.
“We’ve got lots going on.”
Turning Spare Resources Into New Opportunities
Mandy’s brain rarely stops producing ideas.
She is exploring a toy-library model using sets that sit unused between events, potentially with a percentage of the income supporting charity.
Her carpenter partner is also developing personalised train-and-track Christmas decorations, with the possibility of donating part of the proceeds to juvenile arthritis support.
There are plans to expand the build-your-own-track sessions too, following successful activities with Scouts and Squirrels.
These ideas all grow from the same question:
How can the resources, experience and community already around the business create even more value?
Watch the Full Interview
Mandy Frost’s story shows that a highly specific idea can grow into something much bigger when it meets a real need.
Train and Track Play began with one child’s passion, some borrowed track and a mother willing to try.
Ten years later, it supports thousands of children through large-scale play, quieter SEND sessions, school workshops and community partnerships.
Mandy is a finalist in The Class Business Awards 2026.
👉 Watch Mandy’s full interview here.
Join us on Saturday 10 October 2026 at the National Conference Centre in Solihull for The Class Business Live, bringing finalists, judges and sponsors together for practical ideas, honest conversations and brilliant sector connection.
Then, from 6:00pm, it is time to get dressed up and celebrate the people creating extraordinary experiences for children, families and communities at The Class Business Awards & Afterparty.
