fall inside a hole
Thomas the Tank Engine and Jeremy's Airport (2008)
First written October 16, 2024
Thomas the Tank Engine and Jeremy's Airport (きかんしゃトーマスとジェレミーの空港) is a Thomas-series Plarail set released in October 2008. The set is based on the 2007 Motor Road & Rail Thomas and Jeremy Airport Set and includes Thomas, an oval of track, the airport, Jeremy the jet, and a small runway and "sky" slope.
This set was released as sort of a companion to the Thomas the Tank Engine and Bertie's Competition Set from earlier that year, with both including a storybook and, I suppose, based on stories from the Thomas show. The back of this set's box suggests a way to combine the two sets.
Set contents
| Quantity |
Item |
Photo |
|---|---|---|
| 3 pieces | Thomas (set variant expression - looking up), Annie and Clarabel |
 |
| 1 | Jeremy |
 |
| 3 | R-01 Straight Rail |
 |
| 3 | R-02 Half Straight Rail |
 |
| 8 | R-03 Curve Rail |
 |
| 1 | Straight Road |
 |
| 2 | Curve Road |
 |
| 1 | Road Ramp |
 |
| 1 | Transparent Slope Road |
 |
| 1 | Transparent Road Ramp |
 |
| 1 | Transparent Bridge Pier |
 |
| 2 pieces | J-02 Block Tunnel (set variant) |
 |
| 1 | J-20 Girder Bridge (color variation) |
 |
| 1 | Airport |
 |
| 2 | Standing Tree |
 |
| 1 | Story booklet |
The Thomas in this set has his eyes looking up (and, I think, the eyebrows a little lower than usual) so that he can look up at Jeremy as he "flies." The Annie and Clarabel in this set are regular, and a bit of a downgrade from the slate wagons with cargo that was included in the European set. The Thomas in my set was produced in September 2008.
Similarly downgraded was Jeremy himself - the 2007 Thomas and Jeremy Airport Set includes a motorized Jeremy and a larger "sky" track layout for him to run around, but this set has an unpowered Jeremy.
The airport has a rail section on one side and a Motor Tomica-style road runway/tarmac section on the other. Stickers show people inside unlike the export version, which appeared empty, but the sign sticker is a little worse on this one in my opinion. The European airport has a road stopper around the back but that was removed from this version. Both of these airports use the same main airport building as the export-only Calling All Engines - Thomas and the Airport Set from 2005 but on the new larger road and rail base.
The track in this set is all squared-off logo Thailand-made track, mostly from early 2000s toolings. The road sections seem to be from new toolings after when Motor Tomica became Plaroad in 2004.
The set also has a few translucent blue road sections meant to represent sky or air where Jeremy takes off. The transparent blue road ramp was exclusive to this set. The block tunnel in this set is a darker green variant with what looks like large concrete bricks on the portal stickers, and a green girder bridge is also included and can be placed in multiple places around the layout. Two lighter green trees are also included.
The booklet included with the set can be folded up into a story book or unfolded and flipped over where it becomes sort of a playmat.
The Thomas the Tank Engine and Bertie's Competition Set from a few months earlier contained a similar storybook/playmat.
Also included was this small advertisement for more Takara Tomy Thomas toys like the Tomica Alpha series and Thomas Big Loaders.
The airport is a nice destination, even in this watered-down form, and Thomas looking up at Jeremy is a cute touch to the otherwise standard train.
Depending on how you put the set together, you can either have Jeremy's runway inside or outside of the loop of track. Overall, I find this set a little disappointing - perhaps it is just that the Thomas and Jeremy Airport Set is so much better in comparison. For me, the push place just isn't as neat as making the motorized one take off and spin around and land, and the standard Annie and Clarabel are abundant and pretty boring in sets... The tunnel, girder bridge, and trees are nice additions from the Motor Road & Rail set but it still pales in comparison.
| Set name | Thomas the Tank Engine and Jeremy's
Airport きかんしゃトーマスとジェレミーの空港 |
Release period | 2008, Japan |
| Vehicle rating |
  
| Track rating |
|
| Accessory rating |
| Overall |
|
| Notes: | Price |