![]() |
Tomica are a series of small 1/64 scale die-cast cars from Tomy first produced in 1970. By 1976 over 100 million total Tomica cars had been produced, with 200 million produced by 1979. The range expanded to include plastic buildings and playsets and several different styles of road. This page (will eventually) cover my small collection of "regular" Tomica vehicles as well as Tomy's Motor Tomica (also called B/O Tomica and Plaroad) range that was similar to and integrated into Plarail. Also covered are other Plarail-adjacent road systems like Plahighway and the original 1980s Plaroad.
Sets | Trains | Rail | Scenery | Tomica | Catalogues | Thomas series | Exports |
Year |
Name |
Description |
Photo |
---|---|---|---|
Tomica Town is a series of plastic stores and other buildings made to fit the Tomica diecast cars and a series of cardboard road pieces to create cities with curbs, parking spaces, garages, shops, and other amenities
Year |
Name |
Description |
Photo |
---|---|---|---|
Motor Tomica (モータートミカ), called B/O (for Battery/Operated) Tomica from 1993 to 1996, was one of Tomy's most well-developed road systems with a wide range of cars, road, and accessories. Like previous car systems Plaroad and Plahighway it featured its own sets, accessories, and cars as well as crossover sets with Plarail. The system was designed to fit in well with Plarail and Tomica Town as well as traditional Tomica. In the 2000s Motor Tomica changed to being sold under the Plaroad name and had a more cut-back lineup
Year |
Name |
Description |
Photo |
---|---|---|---|
August 1996 | B/O Tomica New Town Station Set | Plarail crossover set with very neat elevated train station with multi-lane road pickup/dropoff area |
![]() |
1997 | Motor Tomica Basic Set | Cool set showing off the parallel rail and road sections with DD51 and Honda CR-V |
![]() |
July 2004 | Plaroad Bulgy Basic Set | Thomas-series Plaroad set with Bulgy the green double-decker bus and figure eight of Plaroad |
![]() |
Year |
Name |
Description |
Photo |
---|---|---|---|
1993 | B-01 Nissan Fairlady Z | Red Nissan Fairlady Z |
![]() |
1993 | B-02 Nissan Fairlady Z Patrol Car | Motorized Nissan Fairlady Z police car |
![]() |
1993 | B-03 Toyota Estima | Blue individual release Toyota Estima | |
1993 | B-04 Toyota Estima Ambulance | Motorized Toyota Estima in ambulance livery |
![]() |
1993 | B-05 Toyota Crown Majesta | Pearl Toyota Crown Majesta |
![]() |
1993 | B-06 Toyota Crown Majesta Taxi | B/O Tomica Crown Majesta in taxi getup |
![]() |
January 1994 | B-09 One Man Bus | Commuter bus produced in several variations |
![]() |
January 1994 | B-11 Mitsubishi Pajero | Silver Mitsubishi Pajero | |
1994 | B-13 Mitsubishi Pajero Highway Public Corporation Patrol Car | Pajero released in yellow Japanese highway patrol livery |
![]() |
1994 | B-14 Amusement Park Bus | Circus animal-themed bus |
![]() |
August 1995 | B-17 Nissan Skyline GT-R | Silver Nissan Skyline |
![]() |
August 1995 | B-18 Crane Truck | Yellow service crane truck with extending boom |
![]() |
1996 | B-20 Honda CR-V | B/O Tomica blue Honda CR-V |
![]() |
February 23 1996 | Bertie | Individual B/O Tomica Bertie the Bus from the Thomas the Tank Engine series |
![]() |
1997 | A-02 Honda CR-V | Motor Tomica silver Honda CR-V |
![]() |
1997 | A-05 Nissan Skyline GT-R | Purple Nissan Skyline |
![]() |
1997 | A-12 Toyota TownAce | Blue Motor Tomica Toyota TownAce |
![]() |
1997 | AM-1 TV Network Car | White TV truck with rotating satellite dish |
![]() |
1997 | AM-2 Advertisement Car | Red box van with rotating Plarail and Tomica advertising banner |
![]() |
1997 | Bertie | Rereleased Motor Tomica Bertie |
![]() |
June 19 1998 | Bulgy | Individual Motor Tomica Bulgy the Bus |
![]() |
March 30 2000 | Lorry | Motor Tomica Lorry 1 from the Thomas series |
![]() |
2004 | C-01 Tobu Bus | White commuter bus sold under the Plaroad name |
![]() |
2004 | TC-01 Plaroad Bertie | Rereleased Plaroad Bertie |
![]() |
2004 | TC-02 Plaroad Lorry | Plaroad Lorry 1 |
![]() |
2004 | TC-03 Plaroad Bulgy | Green grocery-stand Bulgy |
![]() |
Like Plarail and the other previous road systems, Tomy sold individual packs of different styles of road pieces. B/O and Motor Tomica road was dark grey with blue junctions and later Plaroad sets had lighter grey road, with a handful of other colors in a few sets
Year |
Name |
Description |
Photo |
---|---|---|---|
1993 | D-01 Straight Road | Four pack of straight road |
![]() |
1993 | D-02 1/2 Straight Road | Six pack of half straight road |
![]() |
1993 | D-03 Curve Road | Four pack of curve road |
![]() |
1993 | D-04 Intersection | Four-way intersection with directional levers |
![]() |
1993 | D-05 T Road | Three-way intersection with road ramp |
![]() |
1993 | D-06 Slope Road | Two sloping pieces of road |
![]() |
1993 | D-07 Pier | Six white road piers |
![]() |
D-09 Tunnel | Yellow and grey expandable tunnel that can stack with itself and the road pier system |
![]() |
|
D-10 Bridge | Nice green suspension bridge with two piers and straight road |
![]() |
|
D-11 Automatic Railroad Crossing | Large detailed automatic railroad crossing piece with many often-missing small accessories |
![]() |
|
D-13 Townhouse (with Garage) | A two-story house with an operating garage that connects to Motor Tomica road |
![]() |
|
1997 | D-15 1/4 Straight Road | 12 pack of 1/4 road straights |
![]() |
1997 | D-16 Action U-Turn Road | ||
1997 | DR-01 Straight Rail & Road | Cool parallel rail and road straight with accessories |
![]() |
1997 | DR-02 Curve Rail & Road | Cool parallel rail and road curve with accessories |
![]() |
1997 | DR-03 Overpass Bridge | Yellow rail overpass tunnel with road underneath and a variety of small accessories | |
1997 | DR-04 Overpass Tunnel | A green hilly tunnel for rail with a grey road bridge over top | |
2004 | D-01 Straight Road | Four pack of Plaroad light grey straight road |
![]() |
2004 | D-02 1/2 Straight Road | Six light grey Plaroad half straight roads | |
2004 | D-03 Curve Road | Four Plaroad light grey curve roads |
![]() |
2004 | D-04 Slope Road (with 2 Piers) | Two Plaroad slope roads with two orange piers. | |
2004 | D-05 Road Bridge Pier | Six pack of new Plaroad orange road and rail girders | |
2004 | D-06 1/4 Straight Road | 12 quarter straight Plaroad sections | |
2005 | D-07 T Road | Plaroad T junction with ramp |
![]() |
2005 | D-08 Intersection | Plaroad four-way intersection |
![]() |
2005 | D-09 Traffic Light |
The original Plaroad (プラロード) series was developed in the mid 1980s and like Plahighway before it and Motor Tomica after it both standalone Plaroad sets and crossover Plarail ones were released. Plaroad reused some Plarail components like girders and could be stacked into multi-level layouts. Alongside Plarail's brand refresh and transition to new power in 1987 most Plaroad items were repackaged in Plarail packaging and sold as Plarail accessories rather than a companion range and they disappeared from production around 1990. In the 2000s Motor Tomica was also sold under the Plaroad name
Year |
Name |
Description |
Photo |
---|---|---|---|
1985 | 101 Straight Road | Four pack of straight road |
![]() |
1985 | 102 Small Curve Road | Four pack of 90 degree curved road |
![]() |
1985 | 104 Slope Road | Pair of sloped road |
![]() |
1985 | 105 1/2 Straight Road | Six pack of half straight road |
![]() |
1985 | 106 Turnout Road | One pair of road turnouts |
![]() |
1985 | Plaroad Basic Set 301 | Small standalone Plaroad set with charging base gas station and red Nissan Skyline |
![]() |
1985 |
J-20 Rail Road Crossing | Automatic/Manual crossing for Plaroad and Plarail. Sold as a Plarail accessory |
![]() |
1986 | Rail Road Level Crossing Set | Plarail crossover set featuring an L Limited Express crossing a Plaroad bus at a level crossing, with an elevated "highway" overpass |
![]() |
Plahighway was Tomy's first companion road system for Plarail developed in the late 1960s that lasted until around 1974. Road was originally tan but changed to a light blue in the 1970s. Standalone sets as well as Plarail crossover sets with operating crossings were released. A "police chase" style set with two cars and a highway interchange was exported to some countries as late as 1979. More information about the domestic Japanese range can be found in the Plarail Museum's Plahighway Annex
Year |
Name |
Description |
Photo |
---|---|---|---|
1972 | Highway Police Chase | Large Plahighway set exported through Sears in North America with remotely-controlled switches and automatic toll booth |
![]() |
1975 | Highway Police Chase | Smaller export Plahighway set with police cruiser and red car on a highway interchange |
![]() |
In 1994 the Tomica and Plarail catalogues were unified. More Tomy catalogues can be seen on the Tomy manuals and catalogues page.
Title | Description | Cover |
---|---|---|
'87 Tomica Catalogue | 1987 Tomica die cast car catalogue |
![]() |
'90~'91 Tomica Catalogue | 1990-1991 Tomica car and playset catalogue |
![]() |
Tomica Plarail '94 Catalogue | The first combined Tomica and Plarail catalogue from 1994 |
![]() |
Tomica Plarail '95~96 Catalogue | 1995-1996 Plarail and Tomica "flippy" catalogue |
![]() |
Tomica Plarail World '97~'98 Catalogue | Integrated "Tomica Plarail World" catalogue from 1997-1998 |
![]() |
Tomica Plarail World '98~'99 Catalogue | Second Tomica Plarail World catalogue from 1998-1999 |
![]() |
Tomica Plarail World 1999~2000 Catalogue | 1999-2000 Tomica and Plarail catalogue |
![]() |
Tomica Plarail World 2000~2001 Catalogue | The 2000-2001 Tomica Plarail World catalogue |
![]() |
Tomica & Plarail Catalogue 2003~2004 | Late 2003 Plarail & Tomica catalogue |
![]() |
Tomica & Plarail Catalogue 2004 | 2004 Tomica Plarail catalogue |
![]() |
Tomica & Plarail Catalogue 2004-2005 | Transitional 2004-2005 Tomica Plarail catalogue |
![]() |
Sets | Trains | Rail | Scenery | Tomica | Catalogues | Thomas series | Exports |