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Tomica World Thomas the Tank Engine Set
First written May 28, 2024
The Thomas the Tank Engine set is a European Tomica World and Thomas Motor Road & Rail set with a small loop of track with railroad crossing with sound and Thomas with two trucks.
Thomas the Tank Engine Set (First Tomica World box) (1999)
The 7405 Thomas the Tank Engine Set was first released in yellow Tomica World packaging in 1999. These early Tomica World boxes were printed for multiple languages for sale in Europe.
It does not seem that the new-for-1999 sets were commonly imported for American sale, and there was never an American variant of this set.
Set contents| Quantity |
Item |
Photo |
|---|---|---|
| 3 pieces | Thomas (six wheels, painted face) with Troublesome Truck and Van |
 |
| 1 | Half Straight Rail |
 |
| 8 | Curve Rail |
 |
| 1 | Stop Rail |
 |
| 1 | Railroad Crossing with Sound (color variant) |
 |
| 1 | Tree |
 |
| 1 | Signal |
 |
I quite like that this set does not include Annie and Clarabel - it seems like every set over and over includes them, and the individual release does as well, and while I understand that Thomas is the main character and Annie and Clarabel are part of the standard release, its nice to see Thomas with some freight cars in sets as well. The truck face is the original "laughing" face often paired with the van. Being new for 1999, this set seems to have always included the six-wheel Thomas, with these older copies having the old logo chassis and painted face. Being from 1999 or later, the trucks have the slightly updated chassis with more support around the screw but the 1996 dates.
These early Tomica World sets also come with signals and trees with wider bases for some reason. Also included is a set variant of the Plarail J-18 Railroad Crossing with Sound. This little crossing has an (often broken) sign and a bell inside a small shed which is rung as the train's wheels run over the trigger. This was included in a few other sets, and is a nice color variation on the usual green base and reddish-pink shed roof.
The instructions for this set show the six-wheel Thomas battery instructions.
Click for video with sound!
This is obviously a pretty basic set, a starter set of sorts, but I think the freight cars and ringing crossing are both fine pieces to include in a small set like this.
Thomas the Tank Engine Set (Second Tomica World box) (2001)
In 2001 a new red and blue Tomica World box was designed which used the new squared-off Tomy logo. I am not sure exactly which variations of Thomas may have come in this box - it likely overlaps with the late 2001 Thomases with old logo chassis and plastic faces seen in Thomas Adventure Sets from around the same time, but production also would have continued into the era of the new logo chassis in 2002 and it may have started early enough to come with the six-wheel painted face Thomas like the 1999 box.
Thomas the Tank Engine Set (Motor Road & Rail box) (2003)
In 2003 the European range transitioned from using Tomica World branding to the blue Thomas Motor Road & Rail packaging.
This release of the set comes with all 2003+ updated-logo components. The example shown here was produced in 2006.
Set contents| Quantity |
Item |
Photo |
|---|---|---|
| 3 pieces | Thomas (2003+ version) with Troublesome Truck and Van |
 |
| 1 | Half Straight Rail |
 |
| 8 | Curve Rail |
 |
| 1 | Stop Rail |
 |
| 1 | Railroad Crossing with Sound (color variant) |
 |
| 1 | Tree |
 |
| 1 | Signal |
 |
The Thomases in these sets are all the newer plastic face, new logo chassis type, with the one in this example being produced in March 2006 and thus using the newer smaller gearbox type.
The trucks are also the new logo chassis type, and the crossing and track are also all marked with the squared-off Tomy logo.
These 2003 sets had new instructions printed in the Motor Road & Rail style.
| Set name | 7405 Thomas the Tank Engine Set | Release period | 1999-~2007, Europe |
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