fall inside a hole
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My Tomy Train Collection
| Sets | Trains | Rail | Accessories | Thomas series |
Tomy Train was a train system developed by Tomy for international sale in the late 1980s. Engines and cars have magnetic couplings and figures and accessories have magnetic and other interactive play features. Track was similar to Plarail track but made from dark blue plastic and the loading gauge was larger to accommodate taller, chunkier engines with reversing gearboxes. The Tomy Train series seems to have been most successful in the U.K. but was also released in America, Australia, and some other parts of Europe. Many pieces included LEGO-style studded surfaces and the building toy compatibility was one of the advertised selling features.
From 1988 to 1990 the series was sold as TOMYTRAIN or Tomytrain in Europe. In the United States, this was separated into Tomy Train. Starting around 1991, Europe began using TOMY TRAIN or Tomy Train with the "TOMY" being the curvy red Tomy logo of the era and the TRAIN being a bold, stencil-like typeface. Meanwhile, new 1991 sets were called Tomyville in the United States, transitioning to TOMYVILLE TRAINS in 1993. After 1993 the regular Tomy Train range was phased out in the United States, with only the Thomas sets and engines released in the U.S. in 1994 and 1995 as well as some older accessories repackaged in Thomas packaging as the Thomas the Tank Engine & Friends Battery Operated Railway. In 1996 and 1997 a smaller Tomy Trains range was sold in the U.K. The U.S. range was supplanted with the Plarail-based Battery Operated Rail System in 1997 with Europe, America, and Australia all moving to Tomica World products for 1998.
Sets
| Year |
Set name |
Description |
Photo |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1988 | 1120 Tomy Train 1 | Oval with passing loop basic set with steam engine, yellow well wagon, red coach and caboose |
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| 1988 | 1121 Tomy Train 2 | American release TOMYTRAIN 2 with Santa Fe-style diesel locomotive, well wagon, box car, caboose, station, and railroad crossing |
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| 1988 |
1122 Tomy Train 3 |
American
release Tomy Train 3 with Amtrak-style diesel locomotive, well wagon,
container car, caboose and forklift |
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| 1991 | 1125 Tomytrain 3 | Updated European Tomytrain 3 with green steam locomotive and new log loading station |
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| 1991 | 1126 Tomyville Log 'n Load Train Set | American "Tomyville" set that includes an Amtrak-style diesel locomotive, log car, caboose, log truck, and log loading and unloading station |
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| 1993 | 1127 Tomy Train 2 | New European intermediate set with Signal Station and Hi-Speed Express train with light |
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| 1993 | 1327 Tunnel Sound Train Set | Updated Tunnel Train Set sold under the "Tomyville Trains" name |
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| 1993 | 1135 The Great Freight Train | Large Tomyville Trains set with elevated section and operating freight cars and accessories |
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| 1996 | 1144 Busy Freight Train Set | Larger freight train set with crane and log station variants |
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More
about Tomy Train |
More
information about the branding changes and other sets and
accessories |
Trains
Tomy also sold engines and carriages individually or in multi-packs.
| Year |
Name |
Description |
Photo |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1988 | 1313 Engine, Carriage and Driver Set | Assortment of the initial Tomy Train engines and rolling stock including Santa Fe-style engine and box car, red steam engine and red carriage, and Amtrak-style train with yellow well wagon |
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| 1990 | 1320 Car Carrier Set or Animal Wagon Set | Two-pack assortment of red and blue car carriers with yellow and red cars and red and green drop-side trucks with cow and pig figures |
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| 1992 | 1327 Chug Along Express Set | Blue steam locomotive with matching "chuffing" Chug Along car |
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| 1992 | 1328 Engine Assortment | Assortment of three initial Tomy Train engines plus green steamer with driver figures |
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| 1992 | 1329 Carriage Assortment | Individual assortment of blue container and flatbed, red open carriage, red Santa Fe-style box car, and yellow well wagon |
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| 1992 | 1331 Inter-city Engine with Carriages | Four-car Intercity 125-type train |
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| 1993 | 1336 Construction Wagon Set | Spinning cement mixer and surveying car two-pack with figure |
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| 1993 | 1338 Hi-Speed Express | Streamlined express train with working headlights |
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Track
Like for Plarail, Tomica World, and other similar systems, Tomy sold track packs for TomyTrain.
| Year |
Name |
Description |
Photo |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1988 | 1300 Straight Rails | Six straight rails |
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| 1988 | 1301 Curved Rails | Six curved rails |
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| 1988 | 1302 Stop, Reverse, and Half Track | Set of one stop rail, one reverser rail, and a half straight rail |
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| 1988 | 1303 Point Rails | Pair of turnout rails |
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| 1988 | 1304 Slope Rails | Pair of sloping rails with racked sides, one "up" and one "down." |
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| 1990 | 1334 Tomy Train Track Pack | American track pack with eight straight rails, eight curve rails, four half straight rails, a pair of turnouts, a stop rail, and a reverser rail | |
| 1992 | 1342 Adaptor Track | Pack of joint rails, mail order only until 1994 |
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| 1993 | 1335 Crossover Points | Crossover point rail and four half straight rails |
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| 1993 | 1337 Automatic 3-Way Points | Automatic three-way point adapted for Tomy Train and opposing single/double point rail to help incorporate it into layouts |
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| 1994 | 1340 Y-Shaped Points | Tomy Train figure-eight point rails |
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Accessories
Tomy sold a decent range of accessory packs and sets in varying configurations.
| Year |
Name |
Description |
Photo |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1989 | 1305 Bridge and Six Girders | Pack of six red bridge girders and two yellow bridge sides |
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| 1988 | 1306 Road Crossing | Railroad crossing with automatic gates, removable signs, and road ramps |
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| 1988 | 1307 2 People | Driver and "53" shirt passenger figures |
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| 1988 | 1308 Station | Train station with large yellow base, sign, seats, and railings |
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| 1988 | 1309 Crane | Working magnetic gantry crane with operator and container |
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| 1988 | 1310 Fork-lift Truck and Driver | Yellow forklift and TOMY-hatted operator figure |
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| 1988 | 1311 Signal and Stop Track | Lit signal and stop rail |
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| 1988 | 1312 Electronic Crossing | Electric railroad crossing |
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| 1990 | 1314 Bus Link Accessory Set | Neat pack including three figures, spring-loaded bus, railroad crossing, and two each of straight, curve, and point rails | |
| 1990 | 1315 Freight Depot Accessory Set | Nice freight pack including gantry crane, forklift, container, two logs, driver, and two each of straight, curve, and point rails |
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| 1990 | 1316 Inter-city Station Accessory Set | Accessory pack including two straight rails, two single/double point rails, two figures, and the LEGO-style Train & Bus Station | |
| 1990 | 1317 Siding Accessory Set | Track pack with automatic 3-way point, single/double point rail, three straight tracks, stop rail, operating signal, and bumper |
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| 1990 | 1318 Station Announcer/Talking Station | Talking station with a small acoustic phonograph to play different sounds and announcements |
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| 1990 | 1319 Automatic Stop/Start Station | TomyTrain release of the Plarail automatic departure station with changing signboard and ringing bell | |
| 1990 | 1330 Tomy Train Crossing Pack | American Tomy Train pack with crossing, fir tree, and tunnel |
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| 1990 | 1331 Tomy Train Commuter Pack | Pack with spring-drive bus, passenger car, and driver figure | |
| 1990 | 1332 Tomy Train Freight Pack | Pack with yellow forklift and driver, two blue containers, and flatbed car |
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| 1990 | 1333 Tomy Train Station Pack | American Tomy Train pack with passenger station, stop rail, passenger carriage, and two figures |
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| 1990 | 1335 Bridge and Track | American Tomy Train pack with two yellow iron bridges, four Tomy Train risers, four straight rails, two curve rails, and a pair of ascending track |
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| 1991 | 1323 Freight Station and Depot Accessory Set | Neat pack featuring log-loading freight station, log car and truck, and log unloading depot |
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| 1991 | 1325 Turntable and Engine Shed Accessory Set | Pack featuring the small Plarail turntable refit for Tomy Train locomotives, engine shed with integrated stop and return rail, straight rail, half straight rail, return rail, stop rail, and two buffers |
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| 1991 | 1326 Suspension Bridge | Four yellow suspension bridge side pieces with eight block piers, two of each sloping curve rail, and four straight rails to create a nice short bridge. Plus two joint rails |
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| 1992 | 1332 Sound Play Station | TomyTrain version of the Plarail Sound Play Station |
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| 1993 | 1334 Train Wash | Round-Trip Plarail-style train wash with reverser |
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| 1993 | 1339 Signal Station | New passenger-style station with red roof, ticket kiosk, and signal that changes as a train passes |
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| 1994 | 1341 Long Tunnel | Individual release of the tall stud-topped tunnel with two middle sections like the Plarail Block Tunnel |
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| 1994 | 1346 Autobridge Set | Automatic swing-type bridge that crosses over two "Fun-Runs World" road lines, another Tomy toy |
Catalogues and instructions
There were several Tomy Train catalogues and pamphlets, but unfortunately I only own a few. Several more variations can be seen on this webpage. Also available are scans of my Tomy Train manuals.
| Title | Description |
Cover |
|---|---|---|
| 1988 TOMYTRAIN pamphlet | Foldout 1988 pamphlet used early on in Europe and the U.S. |
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| Tomytrain Train Spotters Handbook | First U.K. "Train Spotters Handbook" style catalogue from 1991 |
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| My Tomy Train manuals | Also shown on the relevant pages on this site, here is a ZIP file of my scanned Tomy Train instructions |
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Thomas series
Beginning in 1992, a range of Thomas the Tank Engine characters and sets were released that were compatible with Tomy Train. Like other Tomy Train trains, these locomotives all had reversing gearboxes and magnetic couplers and were some of the only TomyTrain engines to have different wheel arrangements than the standard four wheels, although the gearboxes inside are pretty much identical.
Trains
| Year |
Name |
Description |
Photo |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1992 | 1333 Thomas the Tank Engine Accessory Set | Thomas and his two coaches Annie and Clarabel and Sir Topham Hatt figure |
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| 1994 | 1343 Percy and the Troublesome Trucks Accessory Set | Percy with two brown troublesome trucks and driver |
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| 1994 | 1344 Edward the Blue Engine | Edward with tender and driver |
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| 1994 | 1345 James the Red Engine | James with tender and driver |
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| 1995 | 1347 Gordon the Big Express Engine | Gordon with tender and driver |
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| 1995 | 1348 Henry the Green Engine | Henry with tender and driver |
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Sets
| Year |
Name |
Description |
Photo |
|---|---|---|---|
| October 1992 | 1126 Thomas the Tank Engine Set | Decently sized oval set with a suspension bridge and engine shed siding as well as Thomas, Annie, and Clarabel released in Europe and the U.S. |
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| 1993 | 1134 Thomas the Tank Engine Starter Set | Small oval set with Thomas, Annie, and Clarabel released in Europe and the U.S. |
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| 1996 | 1146 Thomas and Percy's Big Adventure | Large U.K. Tomy Trains set with Thomas, Percy, trucks and coaches, a large layout with bridge, station, sidings, and three sheds |
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| 1996 | 1353 Basic Set | Small American circle set with Thomas and just Clarabel |
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Accessories
In the U.S., some older Tomy Trains accessories were repackaged in new Thomas-packaging seemingly to try to clear stock.
| Year |
Name |
Description |
Photo |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1995 | 1349 Bridge & Track | Rerelease of 1335 Bridge and Track with new Thomas packaging |
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| 1995 | 1350 Elsbridge Station | Station with Sir Topham Hatt and driver figures and Elsbridge sign |
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| 1995 | 1351 Track Pack | Track pack with six straights, six curves, and two turnouts | |
| 1995 | 1352 Railway Crossing | Rerelease of 1330 Crossing Pack with crossing, tunnel, and tree in Thomas packaging |
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The Tomy Train series was popular enough to attract imitators - Echo Toys sold an Action Playset Build A Train set as well as an Electronic Melody Action Playset circa 1991. The components to these sets appear occasionally in listing of Tomy Train toys. These sets were sold in Europe, Australia, and I think even the United States - I am pretty sure I saw some of the track at a yard sale one time, and I have seen the sets for sale on eBay shipping from the United States.