fall inside a hole
Tomix Thomas the Tank Engine Trains
First written September 25, 2024
With the success of Thomas the Tank Engine on Japanese television and Tomy's Plarail Thomas series and other Thomas toys selling well, in the late 1990s Tomy began producing N gauge Thomas the Tank Engine ready to run trains, sets, and accessories as part of their Tomix range. Four engines - Thomas, Percy, James, and Henry - were produced, with Gordon planned but never produced. Allegedly, the 2002 mechanism update of Thomas around when FineTrack was introduced was the first N gauge model train with a flywheel, predating the more-in-scale DD51 with flywheel also released by Tomix in early 2004. This series was produced into the mid 2000s and was even exported overseas, with the range being revived in 2016 with CGI-updated Thomas, Percy and James with updated motors.
Thomas-series trains
Tomy sold Thomas-series engines and rolling stock in individual or multi-pack releases. In 2021 a more traditional N scale Tomix model of the real-life Oigawa Railway Thomas the Tank Engine was released as an individual engine and in a large train pack with seven coaches including one with an additional drive mechanism and motor and a dummy ED501
| Year | Name | Description | Photo |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1998 | Thomas the Tank Engine Train Set | Thomas with Annie and Clarabel |
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| 1999 | James Train Set | James with tender and two troublesome trucks | |
| 1999 | SCRuffy Freight Car Set | Rolling stock pack containing troublesome truck S.C.Ruffy and a troublesome van |
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| 1999 | Yellow Tank Wagon Set | Sodor Fuel tanker and troublesome truck | |
| 2000 | Thomas N-Gauge Accessory Set | Export package of Thomas, Annie and Clarabel |
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| 2001 | Henry Express Train Set | Henry with tender and brake coach |
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| 2001 | Express Passenger Car (Red) | Individual red express passenger car | |
| 2002 | Annie and Clarabel Passenger Car Set | Annie and Clarabel two-pack | |
| 2005 | Percy the Tank Engine Car Set | Percy with mail car and three additional interchangeable faces | |
| 2005 | Mail Car (Thomas Series) | Individual Sodor Mail car | |
| 2016 | Thomas the Tank Engine Train Set | Rereleased CGI-face Thomas with Annie and Clarabel | |
| 2017 | Percy the Tank Engine Train Set | Percy with S.C.Ruffy | |
| 2017 | James Train Set | James with tender, troublesome truck, and van |
Thomas the Tank Engine Train Set (1998)
The first Tomix Thomas-series train was, of course, Thomas himself with his coaches Annie and Clarabel. The example shown here is an early example with the original drive system - circa 2002 Thomas gained a flywheel (apparently the first in an N gauge locomotive) and when rereleased in 2016 the motor was updated to a coreless type. I quite like the face on this version.
Thomas has nice molded details like front and rear lamps and the coaches each have faces resembling those seen in the television series.
The top Thomas shell can be popped off the running board by carefully squeezing in his face and the rear of his cab and lifting out the clips at either end. Inside is a block weight and the motor unit. Both are held in by one screw each on the underside of the chassis. There are wiper pickups resting on the tops of all six wheels, with one screw holding another weight and the chassis block in place in the running board.
The wheels are pinned through the lower block, with small gears on one side providing six-wheel-drive from the worm gear on the motor output.
Annie and Clarabel's roof and windows can be carefully pulled out of the top of the coaches and the coach body unclipped from the chassis to reveal the weight inside.
Thomas N-Gauge Accessory Set (2000)
In the early 2000s a few of the Thomas Thomas-series trains were imported to the United States. These have the Tomix logo and were handled by Tomy's Hobby Division. I believe these all would have been the original drive type - I am not sure if the flywheel-equipped Thomas was ever formally exported by Tomy.
SCRuffy Freight Car Set (1999)
Two-pack release with the troublesome truck S.C.Ruffy, who was memorably pulled apart when in the "rotted" appearance represented here with "rusty" orangish bracing lines and a troublesome van.
The troublesome van also has a nice face sculpt resembling one used on the Thomas television show. Both pieces have nice molding all around with. Like other Tomix Thomas-series trains, they were produced in China.
Henry Express Train Set (2001)
Starting in 2001 a model of Henry was sold with a red brake-type express passenger coach. Individual passenger cars without the brake compartment were also sold to expand Henry's train.