fall inside a hole

Welcome to the Tomica Plarail World

In 2001 the Plarail Fan Club merged with the Tomica Fan Club, and this Welcome to the Tomica Plarail World informational leaflet was sent to members.

Click photos for full size

The front and rear covers of the pamphlet.

During this time the Motor Tomica system was well-established and many Plarail crossover sets were being released. This page talks about how the Tomica Plarail club will inform members of upcoming products and to enjoy Tomica Plarail World, the name crossover sets were sold as in the later 1990s and early 2000s. The right page shows the membership card, mentions the exclusive Tomica and Plarail Day releases sent to members, and the webpage and mail order services.

A timeline of Tomica products from its start in 1970 through to the early 2000s, including a few of the Motor Tomica-Plarail accessories.

A timeline of Plarail releases including 1960s Plastic and Electric Plastic Trains, a 103 series Electric Plastic Train (Green) (actually, I believe it is an early 1970s example pictured) as well as a circa 1970 Electric Super Express Hikari with third generation gearbox and new lead and tail car tooling; 1970s Chin Chin Tram with driver stickers and several later production examples of 70s trains like a new power L Limited Express, the West Hikari in place of the Hikari with Light, and the Plarail Day Benkei and Rotary Snowplow reissues; some accessories; a few 1980s releases like the 2-Speed Shinkansen, the first two-speed new-power train; 1990s Shinkansens like the 2-Speed Nozomi, E2 Hokuriku Shinkansen, E3 Akita Shinkansen Komachi, 500 Series Shinkansen, and 700 Series Shinkansen, and early 2000s releases like the EH500 Kintaro and EF210 Momotaro.

Plarail and Tomica fan club member's drawings and photographs, with their membership numbers attached.

More about member benefits, giveaway Tomica and Plarail, fax, internet, and phone services.

These two pages cover using the phone and fax lines, and that you have to enter your membership number.

There are some remarks from the chairman of Tomy at the time about developing Plarail and Tomica, about the selection of the length of the rails to fit in the boxes and the color based on how it appeared in department store lighting, and how Tomica are not 100% accurate scaled replicas because they do not always look right when scaled down.