fall inside a hole

Tomy Train 2 (1993)

Originally written December 14, 2024

In 1993 the U.K. release of Tomy Train 2 was replaced with a new updated Tomy Train 2 set that included the neat Hi-Speed Express and Signal Station, some of the later components released for the "regular" Tomy Train system.

 Set contents

Quantity	Item	Photo
7 pieces	Hi-Speed Express
4 pieces	Driver, operator, and two passenger figures
2	Straight Rail
3	Half Straight Rail
14	Curve Rail
2	Slope Rail (one of each type)
1	Stop Rail
1	Reverse Rail
1 pair	Turnout Rail
6	Bridge Girder
2 pieces	Bridge
7 pieces	Signal Station

The train in this set is the new-for-1993 Hi-Speed Express, the only Tomy Train train with a light function. It is based on European express trains, in particular the TGV, aiming at the European market similar to the previous Inter-city Engine with Carriages. Actually, although Tomy Train seems to have been popular in France, this set seems to have been a U.K. exclusive at least into 1994 and the 1994 European catalogue says the Hi-Speed Express was not available there individually either, although it is implied to have been on sale in Germany, the Netherlands, and Spain in the 1994 European catalogue.

The powered front car takes two AA batteries, which it kind of seems the chassis was originally designed for anyways, but this one has specific slots that power the wheels and lights separately. The chassis has a translucent front section that holds an incandescent bulb that shines through a shaped headlight piece in the body shell. This example dates to March 1994.

The intermediate cars are based on the regular Tomy Train carriages with lilac-purple chassis. The tail car mounts on another standard-style chassis and can hold another figure. It has a nice T1 mark on the side, which I kind of wish was on the power car as well.

In addition to the fairly standard overpass-style layout, the set includes the new-for-1993 Signal Station. The little ticket booth has a magnet to hold a figure in place and the signal changes as the train passes and hits the protruding lever.

The set includes the full original compliment of figures, including the female passenger with original white legs - for a time around 1991 this figure came with pink legs, but it seems they reverted to being white later.

Although this set was originally only sold in the U.K., I found this copy for sale in the United States - although not really common, it is certainly not unheard of for people to move and bring toys or for people who had previously imported them or bought them on a trip or something to later get rid of them. Nicely, it included the original multilingual instruction sheet - funnily that they included all the other translations, when the European catalogue from 1994 shows the existing Tomy Train 2 set on sale outside Great Britian.

The new Tomy Train 2 showed off some of the later additions to the regular range before it was somewhat cut back in the mid 1990s.

Set name	Tomy Train 2	Release period	1993-1995, U.K.
Vehicle rating		Track rating
Accessory rating		Overall
Notes:		More photos	tt_tomytrain_2_(1993)

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