fall inside a hole
Tohoku Joetsu Shinkansen with Light New Overpass Set (1988)
First written August 20th, 2024
Produced and released in 1988 to celebrate the 30th anniversary of Plarail (which was first commercialized as a highway toy with wooden vehicles in 1958 and as Plastic Rail in 1959), the New Overpass Set (ニュー立体交差 セット) was released with both the Hikari with Light and Tohoku Joetsu Shinkansen with Light as pictured here as the Tohoku Joetsu Shinkansen with Light New Overpass Set (ライト付東北上越新幹線 ニュー立体交差セット). The Hikari with Light New Overpass Set was released more widespread while it is believed that this version may have been a regional release in the area. In addition to the standard "overpass" layout with station and accessories, a special second intermediate car marked with a 30th anniversary commemoration message is also included. The box itself doesn't actually show the train with four cars anywhere, seemingly because they already planned on releasing the later version of the New Overpass Set without the fourth car. There is not even any visual depiction that this version has a green 200 series train instead of a blue 0 series other than where the text says Tohoku Joetsu Shinkansen.
The ST mark signifying when the boxes were printed is 7 for 1987 on the Hikari version of the set while the 200 series version has an ST-8 or 1988 mark. The "New" in the name refers to this being the first new set to use the classic "overpass" layout in the new-power era, and is in fact the first (pair of) set(s) to include new power trains and regular slope rails. In 1989 the New Overpass Set was rereleased with a regular three-car Hikari with Light (in the same foam packaging tray, complete with now-empty fourth car bay). An exploration of the New Overpass Set can be seen on the blog of the director of the Plarail Museum. In 1990 it was rereleased with an included R-19 Automatic Turnout Rail as the Hikari with Light Overpass Set.
Set contents| Quantity |
Item |
Photo |
|---|---|---|
| 4 pieces |
Tohoku Joetsu Shinkansen with Light with set-exclusive 30th anniversary intermediate car |
 |
| 14 |
R-03 Curve Rail |
 |
| 2 |
R-06 Slope Rail |
 |
| 1 |
R-08 Stop Rail |
|
| 1 pair | R-11 Turnout Rail |
 |
| 5 |
J-14 Block Bridge Girder |
 |
| 1 |
J-17 New Railroad Crossing |
 |
| 1 |
J-22 Elevated Station |
 |
| 6 | Catenary |
 |
| 1 |
Row of Trees |
|
| 1 |
Signal |
 |
The 200 series Tohoku Joetsu Shinkansen with Light was first released in 1981 ahead of the real Tohoku Joetsu shinkansen line and was converted for new power in 1987. The example in this set is a Japan-made new power type with bluish-grey power switch. Included special for this set is the bonus intermediate car with 30th Anniversary of Plarail (プラレール誕生30年) on the side.
The intermediate cars in this set use the updated tooling from the mid 1980s radio control trains. This set is relatively uncommon (especially this 200 series version in the box) and it is not known for sure amongst collectors if the two different versions were sold regionally or how exactly they were distributed. These sets were likely some of the last with 0 and 200 series trains produced in Japan, as new-for-1989 sets like the First Set have Thailand-made trains from updated Japanese toolings.
This set includes the then-recent elevated station and new railroad crossings, both produced in Japan. The front cover of the box shows a station made up of a mix of elevated station and station platform components.
There is a fitting arrangement of accessories including a row of trees and many catenaries. It is 2024 as I write this, the 65th anniversary of Plarail, so this set is older now than the oldest Plarail was when it was produced, and Plarail that was 20-something years old at the time is now more than twice that age...
The manual for this set seems to have been shared between the 100 and 200 series versions. The same print might have been used on the later version of the set without the extra intermediate car, I'm not 100% sure. The enlarged layout shown on the third page looks rather neat...
Being a nice new-power train, the 200 series has no problems getting up and down the slopes. The highlight of the set is certainly the nice long four-car train with headlight... but the rest of the set gives it a good place to run, with an elevated section and a pair of turnouts to play with.
| Set name | Tohoku
Joetsu Shinkansen with Light New Overpass Set ライト付 東北上越新幹線ニュー立体交差 セット |
Release period | 1988, possibly limited areas |
| Train rating |
 
| Track rating |
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| Accessory rating |
 | Overall |
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| Notes: | Price | 3900 yen |