fall inside a hole

Motor Tomica Bulgy (1997)

First written May 31, 2024

Bulgy is a double-decker bus in Thomas the Tank Engine tv series and the Railway Series books it is based on. He is a rude bus who believes busses should replace rail lines and was turned into a henhouse after becoming stuck under a bridge that was too short.

Tomy first produced Bertie the Bus for the Motor Tomica system (then called B/O or Battery Operated Tomica) in 1995. In 1997 a Bulgy shell that used the same chassis was developed and first released in the Thomas the Tank Engine and Bulgy Set and then released individually in 1998. In the 2000s an updated green version matching Bulgy's later appearance in the television series was released in Japan and in the export Motor Road & Rail series. Unlike most Motor Tomica, Bulgy and most other Thomas characters use AAA batteries instead of N size batteries.

Motor Tomica Bulgy (1997/1998)





Releasing first in the Thomas the Tank Engine and Bulgy Set in 1997 and then in the Motor Tomica box shown here in 1998, early Motor Tomica Bulgys have the earlier style of grey power switch and the internal battery compartment introduced with the beginning of Thailand production Berties. The prototype of the Bulgy shown appears to use individual paper stickers instead of the final consolidated and printed plasticized stickers.

The inside box flaps show the battery installation information. A cardboard frame holds Bulgy in place inside the box.

Earlier examples of this chassis used the grey power switch like the earlier Japanese type while later ones use a black plastic switch.

7448 Bulgy (Tomica World) (1998)

In 1998 Bulgy was released as part of the Tomica World range in yellow hang-tag packaging. These Bulgys are the internal compartment type, with earlier examples being the grey switch type and later ones having the black power switch.

Motor Tomica Bulgy (screwed body shell) (2002)

In 2002 the Thomas-series Motor Tomica chassis shared with Bertie was updated to have a screw holding the top cover on instead of the internal compartment. This made the mechanism slightly simpler and less complicated. This chassis was used for Motor Tomica, Tomica World, Motor Road and Rail, and, eventually, the Plaroad versions of many of the Motor Tomica Thomas vehicles.

TC-03 Plaroad Bulgy (2004)

In 2004 Motor Tomica was relaunched as Plaroad and several Thomas characters were released in Plaroad packaging including Bulgy in a new green appearance. The tooling was changed to include a grocery delivery door, reflecting his appearance in later series of the Thomas television show.

Being first produced in 2004, these Bulgys all use the screw chassis.

4812 Green Bulgy (Motor Road & Rail) (2005)

In 2005 individual Green Bulgys were released in Europe in blue Thomas Motor Road & Rail packaging.

Late export Motor Road & Rail Bulgys such as those in the 2008 Thomas Mega Set have the production period stamped into the chassis as well as an N2390 sticker signifying compliance with Australian (and New Zealand) electromagnetic interference standards.

4875 Bulgy with Road (Motorized Road & Rail) (2006)

In 2006 Green Bulgys were released in the United States with two half straight road pieces. Green Bulgy was also included in the 2006 Thomas Ultimate Set.

These releases include the yellow caution sticker but are otherwise pretty much identical to other Green Bulgys.