fall inside a hole
Bandai Pocket Fantasy
First written December 23, 2024Bandai's Pocket Fantasy (トーマスタウン) series included several boxed sets of small plastic Thomas the Tank Engine characters based on the previous and coexisting Thomas Town series.
Most of the earlier characters that were already produced for Thomas Town used the same toolings for Pocket Fantasy - the very early releases even have red coupling pegs like Thomas Town characters but most Pocket Fantasy trains can be identified by their white connecting pegs. Around 2004 some of the Thomas Town and Pocket Fantasy toolings began to diverge, with the two ranges having their own versions of later characters.
Like Thomas Town, the dates on the licensing stickers are accurate with release dates and can be used to identify Pocket Fantasy releases. The early red-coupling Pocket Fantasy trains can also often be differentiated from Thomas Town using these stickers.
| Year | Name | Description | Photo |
|---|---|---|---|
| October 2002 | Pocket Fantasy Station | Storage case that unfolds out into a playset with road and rail features and interactive elements |
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| May 16 2009 | Big Thomas Station | Rerelease of the unfolding Thomas-shaped playset storage case with new bannered Pocket Fantasy Thomas | |
| May 16 2009 | Play and Clean Up Box | Storage case that slides open into a multi-level playset |
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There were a few special release Thomas Pocket Fantasy items in Japan.
This clear blue Pocket Fantasy Thomas was included as a "freebie" with the toddler magazine Maebe in March 2006. It would have been neat if the stickers on the side were transparent in the blue parts...
This silver Thomas was included with a Thomas the Tank Engine HAPPY BAG sold by Hoopee Woopee beginning in April 2011. I think it is neat that he just has a black number 1 with no other lining. A similar gold Thomas was included with a different bag in 2010.
Actually, I have the little zippered pouch that the Thomas originally came in as well, although I don't have the larger bag.