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Tomy Train 3 (1988)
Originally written April 16, 2024
Tomy Train 3, sold as TOMYTRAIN 3 in Europe and Tomy Train No. 3 in America as shown here was the largest of the initial 1988 series of Tomy Train sets. It includes an Amtrak-style diesel locomotive, yellow well wagon, container car, red caboose, and the gantry crane and forklift accessory that operate with the container and log cars. Inside the outer box is a sturdier inner tray that holds the set components and a foam insert that holds the train and figures. Other than the design of the outer boxes, I am not aware of any content differences between American and European Tomy Train 3s.
The sides of the box show off its different operating features, like magnetic couplings, the lit signal, and operating crane and forklift, and a sticker on the front of the box advertises its LEGO and Tyco block compatibility. For whatever reason, the right box flap is printed the opposite way around to the left. In 1991 this set was discontinued in the U.S. and in Europe it was replaced with the new 1125 TomyTrain 3 set with log loading station and green steam locomotive.
Set contents| Quantity |
Item |
Photo |
|---|---|---|
| 8 pieces |
"Amtrak" diesel locomotive with container car, well wagon, and caboose |
 |
| 1 | Forklift |
 |
| 2 pieces | Driver and operator figures |
 |
| 6 | Straight Rail |
 |
| 4 | Half Straight Rail |
 |
| 12 | Curve Rail |
 |
| 2 |
Slope Rail (one of each type) |
 |
| 3 | Stop Rail |
 |
| 1 | Reverse Rail |
 |
| 4 pieces | Turnout Rail (two pairs) |
 |
| 2 | Automatic Reverse Rail |
 |
| 2 | Buffers |
 |
| 6 | Bridge Girder |
 |
| 2 pieces | Bridge |
 |
| 3 pieces | Crane |
 |
| 2 pieces | Container Station (sign not pictured) |
 |
| 3 pieces | Fir Tree |
 |
| 1 | Stop Sign |
 |
The locomotive in this set is a Tomy take on an Amtrak-style diesel locomotive. Its train includes a blue container car, yellow hopper car, and red caboose. Being an earlier set, the engines included have the studs in and around the rear "cab".
The locomotive uses the standard Tomy Train chassis and is too early to have a production sticker. The container comes off its car, as does the well wagon and caboose.
The figures in this set are the earlier type with no magnets in the feet. They include a driver for the train and a forklift/crane.
The biggest play features of the set come from the operating rolling gantry crane and forklift.
The crane can be used to load and unload logs and containers and the forklift has a button on the side that allows the forks to lift a container off of or onto a flatbed car.
The battery-operated signal is one of my all-time favorite Plarail accessories and it is very cool to have a Tomy Trains variation, and the elevated section with bridge is also nice. Tomy Trains elevated sections are even higher than normal Plarail to account for the taller loading gauge of trains. The yellow station platform base does not have any accessories other than a "Container Station" sign, which my copy of the set is missing. As the name suggests, the station is also the right height for the forklift to drop off or pick up containers.
The layout is similar to the "overpass" style Plarail layout but with the two additional sidings. The gantry crane can really be moved anywhere around the set (or, more generally, wherever you really want) but it is suggested to use it on the longer center line, with the other branch useful perhaps for loading up a container train for the locomotive to bring over to the crane.
Original 1988 sets all use the same shared instruction foldout, which shows the three initial sets as well as the early accessories on the front and assembly and battery instructions on the rear. Although American sets did not use the TOMYTRAIN branding, this early American leaflet (note added TOMY America blurb under the leftmost column of information) is almost a direct copy of the European leaflet from the time.
Being the largest set at the time, I think Tomy Train 3 shows off probably the coolest play features in the range at the time, the crane and forklift, with the cool illuminated functioning signal and the raised bridge making for a nice set.
In 1992 the European TomyTrain 3 set was updated to feature the Freight Station and Depot and was run by a green steam locomotive. The American set had gone off sale by that point.