fall inside a hole

Tomica & Plarail 2001-2002 Catalogue

Click photos for full size

In 2001 Tomy began to modernize the range with several new and more real-to-life trains released with a mix of 1990s and older components still in production. This was the last catalogue with the Tomica Plarail World logo on the front.

New for 2001 was the "Time Station" time-travel exploration theme, with debuted with the Time Station D-51 with monorail and the Ancient Egypt Adventure Set. No other sets in the theme were ever produced, although the D-51 was rereleased a few times...

Several cool new sets for 2001 including a new 923 series Doctor Yellow set joining the camera-equipped 922 series set and the Railway Yard Set Full of Freight Cars.

The Plarail train selection at the time, with a mix of 1970s and 80s toolings hanging out with newer trains developed in the 1990s as well as updated paint colors for some of the older Shinkansen trains.

The Plarail rail selection, with the modernizations from the 1990s present but without any of the cool rails that would come out in the mid and late 2000s... and the accessory selection, with some numbers still missing and the original colorations of classic accessories like the J-11 Signal Station, J-12 Pedestrian Overpass, and J-23 Country Station which would all be rereleased in new colors for the 2003 range refresh.

The Thomas the Tank Engine Plarail range, which had been fleshed out with new characters throughout the 1990s.

The Talking Thomas or Talk n Action series as well as the Thomas Big Loader and Big Big Loader and other Thomas toys made or sold by Tomy.

Go! Go! chibi Shinkansen trains, character trains, Tonka imports, and the winding-down Hikarian range.

The "21st Century Tomica Town" with new sets and garages

Tomica folding playsets - the small square stacking ones are rather intriguing - and, of course, the old 70s Tomy garages still on sale in modern colors... and the Tomica Town range with one new 2001 release.

The main range of diecast Tomica cars available in 2001. Some of these numbers have signified the same model of car or truck for several decades...

More Tomica including battery powered ones that make sound as well as gift packs.

Licensed Tomica and new Tomica Limited models.

Motor Tomica road and accessories, two new cars only sold for a year or two that could be turned on or off by putting your hand over them and the Motor Tomica range, which was still pretty well-filled at this point in time.

Tomica Bit Racers, little cars with interchangeable parts that could race around plastic racetracks, and Tomica Bit Char-G, compact remote control cars that could be quick-charged from their remotes.

Plarail and Tomica "related goods", books and charms and a Tomica desk... Tomica and Plarail games with plastic playset accessories for the Sega Pico.

The back cover has Tomica and Plarail club membership information and two promotions, a steam locomotive experience trip that could be entered using a postcard in the Time Station D-51 set and a Tomica playtable giveaway enterable with purchase of two different Tomica playsets.