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Bandai Thomas Mini Diecast Collection

First written October 12, 2024

The Thomas Mini Diecast Collection (トーマスミニダイキャストコレクション) was a series of several die-cast Thomas the Tank Engine capsule toys released by Bandai starting in 2002 and running through Spring 2006. The capsules cost 200 yen each and contained one metal vehicle (a few releases also include a plastic car or accessory). Trains used a relatively simple pin-and-hole coupling system, with a slightly different style used on later releases, and roll on simple rollers.

A Japanese site that has photos of most of the rest of the Mini Diecast series is archived here.

Koro Koro Thomas

In 2002 the Korokoro Thomas (コロコロトーマス) series was released to test the appeal of the Mini Diecast series. This wave, which featured the first six numbered Thomas characters, has extra detailing around the wheels than later series of the Mini Diecast Collection as well as thinner metal couplings. This set was later remade in 2004 at Toyota Netz dealerships with Netz stickers on the roofs as Thomas Mini Diecast Collection 0 (without the extra wheel paint). Other than the different dates and some differences in paint application, the toolings and most of the outward appearance of this series is the same as later ones. The Thomas pictured here has had its rear coupler broken, and both Thomas and James have yellowed faces - this is somewhat common on early Mini Mini Diecasts.

Thomas Mini Diecast Collection 1 (May 2003)

The first Thomas Mini Diecast Collection series was released in late May 2003. It includes six releases; Thomas with Annie, Henry, Duck, Bertie, Salty, and Harvey.

Duck

Series 1 Duck with a yellowed face.

Bertie

Series 1 Bertie, looking extra tall thanks to the Mini Diecast series squished proportions.

Salty

Series 1 Salty, with nicely tooled and painted details.

Thomas Mini Diecast Collection 2 (July 2003)

The second series of the Thomas Mini Diecast Collection was released in late July 2003. In addition to another release of Thomas, this time with Clarabel, James, Harold, Bill, Toby, and Elizabeth were also released.

James

Series two James, with grey wheels but without the second lighter grey side rods of the 2002 version.

Toby

Series two Toby, with nice details in the tooling. His numbers are stickers.

Thomas Mini Diecast Collection 3 (September 2003)

The third series of the Thomas Mini Diecast Collection was released in late September 2003. Thomas in this series includes a troublesome truck, with the other releases including Edward, Sir Topham Hatt and his car, Lady, Ben, and Diesel.

Thomas and Truck

Thomas in this series (who I don't have) included this plastic troublesome truck with covered tarp load.

Edward

Edward, with a nice smiling face. I do think it is a bit of a pity that trains like this don't have the chassis blacked out, it looks very nice on the Korokoro trains and with James' grey wheels.

Thomas Mini Diecast Collection 4 (November 2003)

The fourth series of the Thomas Mini Diecast Collection was released in late November 2003. This series includes Thomas with an angry face with a snowplow, Gordon, Donald, S.C.Ruffy, Terence the tractor, and Jack the excavator.

Angry Thomas and Snowplow

Thomas in this series has an angry face and comes with a snowplow that can be worn by other characters on their front coupling peg.

Donald

Donald, with nice painted side rods. Douglas appears in series 5.

Terence

Terence, with some nice tooled details and simple but effective paint application.

Thomas Mini Diecast Collection 5 (January 2004)

The fifth series of the Thomas Mini Diecast Collection was released in late January 2004. This series includes Thomas with a surprised face with fuel tanker, Percy, Douglas, Mavis, Daisy, and Thumper.

Douglas

Douglas, joining his twin brother from collection 4.

Mavis

Mavis with nice wasp stripes and the licensing information on the bottom.

Thomas Mini Diecast Collection 6 (March 2004)

The sixth series of the Thomas Mini Diecast Collection was released in late March 2004. This series includes Thomas with troublesome truck, Diesel 10, BoCo, Oliver, Trevor the traction engine, and Max the dump truck.

BoCo

BoCo, a nice inclusion with lots of relief around the side vents and other details.

Max

Max, a dump truck introduced with several other construction vehicles in the later model-series Thomas show. His bucket is not articulated, but he does have real wheels instead of little rollers like most other characters.

Thomas Mini Diecast Collection New Selection 1 (August 2004)

In 2004 two series of rereleased "New Selection" Thomas trains were released. The first New Selection wave from August 2004 included Thomas and Annie, Gordon, James, Percy, Harold, and Bertie. Other than the dates on the toys being updated from 2003 to 2004, the trains are pretty much unchanged between releases as far as I am aware.

Thomas and Annie

New Selection 1 Thomas and Annie with 2004 dates.

Thomas Mini Diecast Collection New Selection 2 (October 2004)

In 2004 two series of rereleased "New Selection" Thomas trains were released. The second New Selection wave from early October 2004 included Thomas and Clarabel, Edward, Henry, Terence, Lady, and Diesel 10. Like the first series, the updating of the year from 2003 to 2004 is the easiest way to tell these releases apart from their earlier counterparts.

Thomas Mini Diecast Collection 7 (December 2004)

The seventh series of the Thomas Mini Diecast Collection was released in early December 2004. This series includes Thomas with a troublesome truck with removable wood log load, Harvey and a pipe load, Salty and a coal load, Emily, Murdoch, Donald and a sand load, and Douglas with a sand load. This was the only series to include this interchangeable series of truck loads.

Thomas Mini Diecast Collection 8 (February 2005)

The eighth series of the Thomas Mini Diecast Collection was released in mid February 2005. This series includes Thomas with angry face and milk tanker, Bill and Ben (both with black sheep), Fergus, Spencer, Arthur, and Elizabeth with a white sheep.

Thomas Mini Diecast Collection 9 (April 2005)

The ninth series of the Thomas Mini Diecast Collection was released in mid April 2005. The trains from this series onwards used a new style of coupler that used a separate joint piece to couple together. This series includes Thomas, Oliver, and Toad as well as the narrow-gauge engines Skarloey, Rheneas, and Duncan with attached coaches.

Thomas

The Thomas in this series has a more neutral if not kind of somber face.

Rheneas

Rheneas with attached blue narrow gauge coach.

Thomas Mini Diecast Collection Christmas Special (November 2005)

A special holiday series of the Thomas Mini Diecast Collection was released in mid November 2005 as the Christmas Special. The trains in this series all use the new coupling system and come with removable Santa hats. This series is the only time any of the engines other than Thomas were released with the new style of couplings, so any new-coupling Edward, Henry, Gordon, James, or Percys come from this series even if they have lost their hats (all of mine have).