fall inside a hole
Tomy Express Set 03 (1989)
(First written September 5th, 2023)
The Tomy Express Set 03 is a German-market Tomy Express set based on the 1989 Plarail Super Hikari Three Dimensional Station Set. It features a two-speed Super Hikari with added "TOMY EXPRESS" text, dark blue rails, and a two-level panel station with sloping curve rails.
The back of the set box advertises other Tomy toys like the Racing Turbo and Pop the Pirate as well as Tomy Express trains and accessories. I would like to get some of the three-pack Tomy Express engines as well as the rolling stock. Some of the other items shown I have not seen in their final German packaging. It appears this set may have stayed in production and on sale longer, as it received multiple internal packaging changes. In addition to early styrofoam packaging like the Japanese set and other Tomy Express sets a second cardboard inner box variation also exists. Other later sets like the Tomy Express Multi Set 01 seem to have only had cardboard inner packaging.
Set contents| Quantity |
Item |
Photo |
|---|---|---|
| 3 pieces |
Super Hikari with TOMY EXPRESS text on the power car |
 |
| 2 | Straight Rail (Tomy Express dark blue) |
 |
| 7 |
Curve Rail (Tomy Express dark blue) |
 |
| 2 | Stop Rail (Tomy Express dark blue) |
 |
| 1 |
Turnout Rail (L) (Tomy Express dark blue) |
 |
| 2 | Turnout Rail (R) (Tomy Express dark blue) |
 |
| 20 pieces | Slope Curve Rail (one entire accessories worth, including four each "A" and "B" rails and 12 Mini Bridge Girders in Tomy Express dark blue) | |
| 11 pieces | Panel Station (comprised of two white bases, six windows, one white roof, and two signs) |
 |
| 1 | Yellow garage |
 |
| 2 pieces | Block Tunnel (front and rear sections only) |
 |
| 4 |
Catenary |
 |
| 2 |
Standing
Tree |
 |
| 1 |
Signal |
 |
The Super Hikari was exhibited as the prototype for the 300-series Shinkansen but the design was changed significantly between being shown in 1989 and the 300 series' debut in 1992. The Tomy Express version of the Super Hikari has large "TOMY EXPRESS" text in red on the power car but is otherwise the same as period Super Hikaris.
This set remained in production for a few years and my boxed copy with a later cardboard variant of the internal packaging has an engine dating to 1993. My loose copy of the set is missing the production sticker on the roof of the power car body shell (or it was produced before the stickers were introduced circa early 1991).
All of the track in this set is made in Thailand and is the same dark blue as other Tomy Express sets as well as the Tomy Train sets on sale around the same time in America and other parts of Europe. It also suffers from the same shrinking and splitting problems as Tomy Trains track.
Being based on a series of Plarail sets, the set features the only Tomy Express release of any of the panel station components. Two bases, six windows, a roof, and two signs are included to build a two-level interchange.
Unlike the localized Elevated Station used in some other Tomy Express sets, the signs on the panel station were not translated or adapted and are just left blank (original Japanese sign to the right).
All of the other components of this set are made in Thailand
The yellow shed included in this set is also originally from the Super Hikari Three Dimensional Station Set and is somewhat easier to find in this set than in Japan. In addition to the two complete copies of the set I have also found components from at least two more examples of the set, although I believe I only have three of the yellow garages total.
Being based on a series of Plarail sets, the set plays out pretty similarly. The engine having two speeds and the layout two levels with the panel station connecting the two makes for a nice set, and the siding with garage and extra stop rail adds to the play appeal and is also a nice place to get the hard to find yellow garage. The garage was rereleased in yellow in a November 2023 remote control set, but the molding is the updated one with the new Tomy logo on the roof of the garage, leaving the logo-less version exclusive to this set and its Plarail counterpart.
(Click for video with sound)