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Tomy-Express

First written September 2024
Expanded May 2025

Tomy's Tomy-Express was a German series of toy trains based on Plarail with several sets and individual accessories and trains released between the late 1980s and early-mid 1990s. Sets and components were manufactured by Tomy in their Thailand factory that opened in 1987 and were distributed by Tomy's European headquarters in the U.K. Previously, Tomy had collaborated with Stelco to release the Stelco Junior Express series in West Germany.

Tomy-Express trains

Trains for the Tomy-Express series were based closely on their Plarail equivalent but often with Tomy Express text on the side or occasionally localized stickers. The range included several period Shinkansen trains as well as the C12 and D51 steam locomotives. Actually, almost every single one of these Tomy-Express trains is one of my favorites from the regular Plarail range - I love the first three Shinkansens and really like the Super Hikari and steam locomotives and the freight cars are all good too...

Plarail equivalent	Description	Included in
Hikari (no light)	0 series Shinkansen, only released as a two-car train	Tomy-Express Basic Set
Tohoku Joetsu Shinkansen with Light	200 series Shinkansen with Tomy Express text and light with red lens	Tomy-Express Set 01
2-Speed Shinkansen	100 series Shinkansen with Tomy Express text on the power car	Tomy-Express Set 02
Super Hikari	Super Hikari with Tomy Express text	Tomy-Express Set 03
C-12 Livestock car Mail car Guard's van	Standard old-power C12 only released in a large set with the classic mail van, cattle car, and black brake van	Tomy-Express Multi-Set 1
Shuppo D-51	D-51 steam locomotive with tender, "chuffing" mail car, and whistle	4101 Dampflok mit Anhänger u. Trillerpfeife
Big Sneaker Train	Big Sneaker Train with TOMY stickers over the Japanese ones of the original release	4104 Zug, 3-teilig
Refrigerator car Esso tanker Wood car Car Transporter	Plarail log car with logs, Esso tanker, refrigerator car with TOMY stickers, and blue auto rack with two small cars	4108 Güterzug-Waggons

Track & Accessories

Tomy Express rail is the same standard as Plarail but was produced in dark blue like the rails used for Tomy Train. A variety of rails were produced in dark blue for different sets and track packs. With Tomy starting Thailand production in 1987 and starting to make dark blue Tomy Train rail around 1988, these dark blue tracks were some of the earlier Thailand-production track.

4301 Long Straight Rail

Standard straight rails (in dark blue, of course) were sold as 4301 Schienen Gerade, Lang in the earlier period of Tomy Express production, although it seems like later on Tomy stopped marketing these and pushed the track packs on the rear of later set boxes. These rails were manufactured from fresh Thailand toolings that were updated around 1993 to say Made in Thailand.

4302 Short Straight Rail

Half straight rails were sold as 4302 Schienen Gerade, Kurz in the earlier period of Tomy Express production. Like Tomy Train, earlier dark blue half straight rails are prone to splitting.

4304 Curve Rail

Curve rails were sold as 4304 Kurvenschienen. A few different toolings were used over Tomy Express' production period.

4306 Bridge Rail

Pairs of slope rails in dark blue were sold as 4306 Bruckenschienen. Because Tomy Train uses a different style of ascending track, this is the only time these toolings were used in dark blue.

4308 Adapter Rail

Packs of ~1/6 straight long joint rails in dark blue were released as 4308 Schienenadapter.

4311 Switch (Left, Right)

Pairs of single/double point rails were released as 4311 Weichen, Links, Rechts.

4300 Accessory Set

Seemingly around 1991 Tomy released the 4300 Zubehör-set with four each regular and half straight rails, a circle of large radius curves, a pair of single/double points, and three of each joint rail.

A handful of Plarail accessories as well as track packs were released for the Tomy-Express series. The Plarail staple catenary, standing tree, and signal were also all used in Tomy Express sets.

Plarail equivalent	Description	Included in
J-02 Block Tunnel	Four-piece tunnel	4202 Tunnel Tomy-Express Set 01 (entrance and exit pieces only) Tomy-Express Set 03 (entrance and exit pieces only) Tomy-Express Multi-Set 1
J-04 Big Iron Bridge	Double-straight long red iron bridge	4203 Große Brücke
J-07 Car Wash 1334 Train Wash (Tomy Train)	Train wash in red like released for Tomy Train	4205 Zugwaschanlage
J-09 Garage	Classic Plarail garage in harder-to-find yellow	Tomy-Express Set 03
J-10 Signal	Functioning signal with red base that connects to included stop rail	4207 Haltesignal m. Bremsschiene
J-18 Railroad Crossing with Sound	Small railroad crossing with shed concealing bell	Tomy-Express Multi-Set 1
J-22 Elevated Station	Platform commuter station with localized stickers	Tomy-Express Set 02 Tomy-Express Multi-Set 1
Panel Station	Two-level panel station with roof and signs	Tomy-Express Set 03

Sets

The first wave of Tomy Express sets seem to have come out around 1989 when Tomy's Thailand factory began producing Plarail, having started producing dark blue rails for the Tomy Train series around 1988. Earlier sets had lift-top boxes with foam parts trays like Plarail sets but later on sets came in large cardboard boxes with inner cardboard trays. Some sets seem to have stayed in production into 1993.

Year	Set name	Description
1989	Tomy-Express Set 01	German release of the small Tohoku Joetsu Shinkansen with Light Set with 200 series Shinkansen
1989	Tomy-Express Set 02	Version of the Plarail 2-Speed Shinkansen Set with dark blue rails and "TOMY EXPRESS" 100 series Shinkansen
1989	Tomy-Express Set 03	Version of the Plarail Super Hikari Three Dimensional Station Set with Tomy Express Super Hikari and dark blue rails
	Tomy-Express Basic Set	Small set with two-car 0 series Shinkansen and oval of track with limited accessories similar to the 1982 Beginner's Set Hikari Plarail set
1991	Tomy-Express Multi-Set 1	An original set for the Tomy Express range with a C12 and freight train in an enlarged overpass layout with outer loop