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My Plarail collection

Plarail is a Japanese toy train system first released in 1959 by Tomy, a large Japanese toy maker. The Plarail range includes a wide variety of track and trains, accessories, cars, licensed character toys, and exported sets. The range is very popular as both a childhood toy and an inexpensive model railway substitute. A more detailed history of the system is available here. Chronicled on these pages are many of the Plarail sets, accessories, and trains that I own.

Sets

Trains

Rail

Scenery

Tomica

Catalogues

Thomas series

Exports

Sets

Plarail has seen many long-standing formats, trends, and unique gimmicks in its decades of production. Sets often include either popular, common trains that appeal to many or specific or set-exclusive trains and cars. Below is a list of many of the sets in my Plarail collection separated into different eras based on box style and age. Some pages about Round-Trip Plarail, Remote Control Plarail, and double rail sets are also available. Clicking on the name or photograph of the set will take you to a page with many more details about the set and its contents.

Early Plarail Sets (1959-1974)

Early Plarail sets came in a few styles, with early boxes having pasted labels and large color photographs with children playing on a promotional layout appearing in the later 1960s alongside the "merry-go" logo mark. In the early 1970s boxes showed a mix of set contents on their own and built into larger promotional layouts

Year	Set name	Description
1968	Electric Limited Express Hikarigo Set NO.1	Includes a first-generation powered 0-series Shinkansen with roof switch, early plastic couplings, a small oval of track, and early examples of some classic accessories
1970	Electric Locomotive Set	Oval set with railroad crossing and the new EF-15 Electric Locomotive
1972	D-51 Express Set	D-51 set with coaches, country station, crossing, and Y points
1972	Double Track Plarail Express Train with Elevated Track Set	Elevated double-rail set with crossover switch, double track iron bridge, and Express Train

Hikari-go mark era (1972-1978)

In 1972 the Hikari-go Plarail mark ringed in blue plastic rail was introduced and used into the later 1970s. This is considered the second part of the early old power era by the Plarail Museum

Year	Set name	Description
1974	EF-15 Electric Locomotive Overpass Panorama Set	First set to use the classic "overpass" layout, with early EF15 and freight train
1974	Super Express Hikari Turnout Set	First of the oval-with-passing-loop sets, with blue and white Super Express Hikari
1974	C-12 Logging Railway Set	Oval log loading and unloading gimmick set with old C-12 and country station
1975	Round-Trip Plarail 3D Loading and Unloading Set	The first Round-Trip Plarail set, with ED70 dropping balls into a hopper and picking them up again

Mid old-power era (1977-1988)

The yellow late 1970s and early 1980s boxes featured a similar cartoony style as the fifth generation "EC" train box. It was used regularly into 1982 and reappeared for a few mid-late 1980s sets, even into the early new power era

Year	Set name	Description
1977	Basic No.2 Set	Oval with passing loop and blue-nose Hikari 0 series
1977	Basic No.3 Set	Includes rim-drive L Limited Express and a medium-sized layout with a passing loop and siding
1979	Basic No.2 Set Hikari with Light	Rerelease of the 1977 Basic No.2 Set with the new-for-1979 Hikari with Light
1980	Forest Railway Loading and Unloading Set	Round-Trip Plarail log loading and unloading set with two-level log depot
1982	Tohoku Joetsu Shinkansen Set	Small basic set featuring the new 200 series Shinkansen

Late old-power era (1981-1986)

The later old power era featured very cool photographs of the set contents integrated into larger promotional layouts showing many cool trains and accessories

Year	Set name	Description
1981	Electric Locomotive Overpass Set	"Overpass" layout set with EF15 and freight train, nice station, and level crossing
1982	Beginner's Set Hikari	Introductory set with oval and two-car unlit Hikari
1982	Basic No.1 Set D-51	Includes rim-drive D51 and a small loop of track with old style railroad crossing
1982	Tohoku Joetsu Shinkansen Deluxe Set	Includes old power 200 series Shinkansen with front light, Plateau Lake scenery, and partially elevated layout
1982	Shuppo D-51 Set	Basic No.2 Set-style layout with country station, D51, cattle wagon, and "chuffing" mail car
1983	Mickey Poppo NO.1 Set	Basic oval set with Mickey Poppo Red and several family dolls
1984	Radio Control I'm a Driver Tohoko Joetsu Shinkansen Set	Plarail's first radio control set with old power 200 series Shinkansen
1985	Round-Trip EF-66 Blue Train Set	Round-Trip set with EF66 hauling blue train coaches around a small layout with train wash and garage on a siding
1986	Rail Road Level Crossing Set	First Plaroad crossover set with a railroad crossing between a red double decker bus and an L Limited Express

Early new-power era (1987-1995)

The introduction of the new-power gearbox in 1987 brought about all-new set and train boxes with a yellow informational stripe down the side and similar photos of children playing with the set built into a much larger layout

Year	Set name	Description
1987	Tohoku Joetsu Shinkansen with Light Set	New power rerelease of a 1982 basic set with a 200 series Shinkansen with light
1987	2-Speed Shinkansen Set	Includes 2-speed 100 series Shinkansen with the classic basic set passing loop layout with station
1987	2-Speed Shinkansen Three-Dimensional Station Set	Includes 2-speed 100 series Shinkansen and the first use of the modern slope curve rail as well as the panel station system
1988	I'm Driving the Super Hikari Set	Initial large radio control Super Hikari set with suspension bridge and panel station
1988	Hikari with Light New Overpass Set	30th Anniversary Plarail set with four-car Hikari and overpass layout
1988	Tohoku Joetsu Shinkansen with Light New Overpass Set	Overpass layout set with 200 series Shinkansen and exclusive intermediate car celebrating Plarail's 30th anniversary
1989	First Set	Includes a 0-series Shinkansen and a number of rare pieces like red track-to-surface ramps and yellow iron bridge supports
1990	Mickey Poppo Set	Disney set that includes a variant of the Mickey Poppo, modified overpass layout, Disney station, and "it's a small world" ride
1990	Hikari with Light Overpass Set	Includes 0-series Shinkansen with light and classic "overpass" layout with the new-for-1990 R-19 automatic turnout rail as well as two "bonus" straight track sections
1992	D-51 Sound Play Set	Includes rim-drive D51 with light, tender, and 24 series Blue Train cars, set-exclusive Sound Station, and a partially elevated layout with two iron bridges
1992	I'm Driving the Remote Control Nozomi Set	Updated version of the I'm Driving the Super Hikari set with the 300 series Nozomi
1993	Overpass Nozomi Set with Video	Includes 300-series Shinkansen and classic overpass layout as well as a VHS video
July 1993	Doll Play First Set	Initial Doll Play set introducing the series with 300 series Nozomi and driver and passenger figures to ride it
September 1993	Doll Play Ticket Play Station Set	Includes "Doll Play" 300-series Shinkansen, "Plarail Station" with functioning ticketing system, and reversing figure-eight layout

Early-mid new power era (1995-2001)

Starting in 1995 new sets had a thin red stripe separating the yellow strip and the set photo. Many sets showed the included train in a side-on photo at the bottom of the box. Motor Tomica was introduced and integrated into Plarail during this era as well

Year	Set name	Description
1995	I'm Driving the R/C Plarail Nozomi Set	Smaller remote control Nozomi set with no accessories
1995	Nozomi Three-Dimensional Loop Set	First of the figure-eight point rail and sloping curve "loop" sets with standard Nozomi
1996	Nozomi 4-Car Loop Set	Updated Nozomi "loop" set with additional "Plarail" 300 series intermediate car
August 1996	B/O Tomica New Town Station Set	Very cool Battery Operated Tomica set with Plarail train and station with multi-lane road pickup/dropoff area
1997	Motor Tomica Basic Set	"Tomica Plarail World" crossover set with parallel road and rail sections, DD51, and Honda CR-V
Summer 1997	Akita Shinkansen Opening Commemorative Set	Set commemorating the opening of the Akita Shinkansen with a connection gimmick between "mini" E2 and E3 shinkansens
October 1997	Hokuriku Shinkansen Asama Opening Commemorative Set	Includes three-car E2 series Shinkansen and two-car Asama L Limited Express with a two-layer layout with stacked panel stations to represent a transfer station between the Shinkansen and local trains
Late 1997	500 Series Shinkansen Nozomi Set	Another Shinkansen and conventional line connection set with panel station and L Limited Express Raicho
Late 1997	Komachi & Tsubasa Three-Dimensional Loop Set	Hello Mac store limited set with connection gimmick E3 and 400 series mini shinkansens on "loop" layout
1998	Doll Play Mickey Mouse Train & Colorful Rail Set	Disney licensed set with colored rails and several doll figurines which can be placed in the train or around the set
1999	Let's Play With Parents and Children!! Shinkansen Set	Nice set commemorating the 40th anniversary of Plarail with a special red and white new power 0 series referencing the 1960s and early 1970s red and white Hikaris and a 500 series Shinkansen plus a loop of double rail track with station
1999	700 Series Departure! Shinkansen Station Set	Cool set with the new 700 series Shinkansen train and two-platform elevated station
2001	Railway Yard Full of Freight Cars Set	Nice freight yard set with a three-way switch and lots of freight cars for the freight-livery EF-66 included

Mid new-power era (2000-2002)

Like the eighth generation train box, this style of set box was fairly short-lived and was replaced when the Plarail range was reformatted in 2002-2003. The boxes often focused on the real-life trains featured in the set with a diagonal motif on some boxes, but there were also many experimental boxes

Year	Set name	Description
2000	Let's play on TV! I am a Plarail driver	Includes a special remote control 922-series Doctor Yellow train with integrated camera that feeds back to the controller which can be plugged into a television
2000	First Try Set Red	Includes a nicely detailed and fairly accurate repaint of the old DD51 molding, container car, and small circle of track with switches
April 2001	Doctor Yellow Train Depot Set	Larger overpass layout with depot sheds and the first 923-series Doctor Yellow train
2001	First Try Set Dark Blue	Includes an EF66 with the running number EF 66 11 and a Schnabel-type large cargo car with removable machinery and circle of track

Late new-power era (2002-2014)

In 2002 and 2003 the Plarail train lineup was revamped with new details and toolings and the box style also changed to a yellow strip format with a blue stripe a focus on the set and its components as well as real-life trains. In 2007 the Tomy logo changed to Takara Tomy after their merger

Year	Set name	Description
2002	Shinkansen Kodama Set	Set with red arched bridge, "fresh green" Kodama 0 series Shinkansen, PlaKids, and station
December 2002	My Town Train Set Hokkaido	Small set with C11 171 steam locomotive and two old passenger cars
April 2003	Sound C62 Double Unit Set	Set featuring the first new Plarail C-62 steam locomotives in over 25 years. C 62 2 is powered and C 62 1 has an electronic sound function. The included layout is simple but features a green arch bridge and several PlaKid figures
March 2004	Kyushu Shinkansen 800 Series Tsubame Set	Small "entry" set with new 800 series Shinkansen and panel station
October 2004	Sound - Door Opening and Closing Yamanote Line Set	Double track loop set with station and electronic train that plays successive announcements for the stations on the line each time it is stopped, with additional noises when the intermediate car's doors are opened and closed
September 2005	Sound Steam D51 Set	Set featuring a cool water-vapor "steaming" D51 with sound feature and several neat color-matched accessories and grey rail
April 2006	E4 Max Depot Rail Set	New four-lane rail yard accessory with large oval of track and two-story E4 Shinkansen with magnetic rear coupling
2007	Subway Rail Set	A track set with no train but an oval with six subway tunnels, one of which is a detailed station
April 23 2009	50th Anniversary C12 Steam Locomotive Arch Bridge and Rail Set	Anniversary set with C12, unique freight cars, and figure eight layout with bridge and station
2012	Snow Country Rail Set	Vietnam-made version of the Plarail Expo "snowy" track set with a different tunnel

New-mechanism era (2014-)

In 2014 the "new mechanism" gearbox and chassis was introduced, with two-speed, reversing, and remote control versions following in the decade since. These boxes often cover part of the blue line between the different portions of the box with the set contents or a photo of the real train

Year	Set name	Description	Photo
March 2019	Action on the Rails! C62 Steam Locomotive Set	60th anniversary set with C-62 steam locomotive with rail-activated lights and sounds