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Big Iron Bridge(s)

Big Iron Bridge (だいてっきょう) (1973)

  

The original large red iron bridge in the Plarail range appeared in 1973 as Big Iron Bridge (だいてっきょう). Like later bridges it spanned a two straight rail distance and like the later 1980s Big Iron Bridge it included two straight rails and three bridge supports. Earlier releases from 1973 to 1975 or so had a straight edge to the ends of the bridge but this was changed to the angled ends seen here from 1975 to the discontinuation of the bridge in 1981 to make way for the later Big Iron Bridge shown below.

The big iron bridge is made up of two identical side pieces and two rectangular top pieces that sit on three bridge supports. These supports predate the Block Bridge Girders and were in use alongside both the early 70s bumpy-top bridge girders and the later 70s and 80s bridge girders with track clips.

The bridge can be set up so the ends of the supports rest in one of the slots of the bridge supports, allowing you to connect multiple bridges together in a line, or they can be moved in to a second pair of locating bumps on the underside of the bridge sides. Then other bridge girders can be clipped into the track. Unlike the more well-known 1997 Big Iron Bridge and other modern two-straight bridges, there is no support for the rail joint in the middle of the bridge that hangs down, and a center bridge support has to be used (unless you can find a suitably stiff 2x Straight Rail). Because the later stacking Block Bridge Girder was made to be compatible with the Iron Bridge, they are theoretically also compatible with the Big Iron Bridge. The plastic on some of these bridges has grown rather brittle with age, although my example seems to be fairing fairly well.

Bridge supports are unmarked as are seemingly every other piece in the ensemble. The rails included are roughtop rails probably from the later 70s. Early examples of the big iron bridge from 1973 would have included smooth rails.

 

J-04 Big Iron Bridge (大鉄橋) (1981-1996)

<--- J-03 Iron Bridge

J-05 Drawbridge Rail -->

The second Big Iron Bridge was released as 大鉄橋 in 1981 and was in production for the next 15 years, surviving the transition to Thailand production and gaining the J-04 number in the late 1980s. The example shown here is from the 1990s and was made in Thailand. The Big Iron Bridge cost 700 yen.

Like the previous big iron bridge the bridge is constructed from two identical side pieces with two roof sections connecting them on top of three bridge supports. The roof supports for this version (top left) are more square, with a slightly squatter but noticeably longer area.

I have several mostly later examples of this bridge, including one with the original hanging bag without the hang tag but with the green cardboard backing, as well as a second example with the cardboard backing. This card shows how to use and assemble the bridge and also has the phone number's of Tomy's different offices at the time. These cards were used in the 90s with bagged accessories to show how to use the product.

Early 90s production big iron bridges were apparently exported to Germany as part of the Tomy Express range, although the only packaged examples I have seen had white tags and had been used to show the products at European toy expos.

This version of the Big Iron Bridge last appears in the 1995-1996 catalogue and was replaced by the more well known R-04 Big Iron Bridge in 1997.