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Tomy Plarail Super Rail/Action Rail '88 Catalogue

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1988 was the second year of "new power" direct-drive gearbox production and a mix of new and old power trains are shown on the cover. It is a nice little marketing display... I like the block building skyscrapers in the background, the stacked block piers had not yet taken over. The Big Sneaker Train on the back has red wheels. This catalogue was printed in February 1988.

1988 was recognized as the 30th anniversary of Plarail. An older Plastic Train is shown as well as the 2-Speed Shinkansen.

 

Sets for 1988 - the neat anniversary Hikari with Light New Overpass Set with bonus 30th anniversary intermediate car, the Tohoku Joetsu Shinkansen with Light Set, 2-Speed Shinkansen Set and the larger 2-Speed Shinkansen Three-Dimensional Station Set... The Beginner's Set is still shown, but I believe it was only made with old power, and the original old power version of the Rail Road Level Crossing Set is shown, but a new power version was also made for 1987.

The later 1980s Plarail range - some old-power pictures are used, but most of the three-car trains had been updated for new power. Plaroad cars are also shown.

Accessories, a mix of long-lasting accessories, some new parts like the Horn Rail and other recent parts like the Ticket Play and Chatting Stations as well as Plaroad road and Plarail Town buildings.

Rail - a lot of these pieces are still around... A few have been updated or discontinued. The opposite page shows some example layouts one could build.

Super Rail! The nice big bogied trains were available at this point... the system had a bit of a revival with the economic boom of the later 1980s.

The "Action Rail" section includes the then-current Big Loader - it was around this time that Tomy's Thailand manufacturing facility, which had opened in 1987, started making Big Loaders. The Hello Kitty licensed Plarail Land sets are shown as well as some more example layouts... I think some of these have appeared in other Plarail catalogues.