fall inside a hole

Skyliner (1978)

First written June 9, 2025

The Skyliner is an express train running between Tokyo and the New Tokyo International Airport (now Narita Airport) that began operation in 1978. It was originally serviced by the Keisei "AE" series trains that began being built in 1972 when a proposed Shinkansen line to the new airport faced public opposition (as did the airport itself - it was scheduled to open in 1973 but did not open until 1978). The AE series trains remained in service until 1993, gaining a new more colorful livery in 1983. The Plarail Skyliner was first released in 1978 and was later updated with the new livery in the early 1980s and new power in the later 1980s.

Skyliner (1978)

The Plarail Skyliner (スカイライナー) was first released in 1978 in the "train" series of fourth generation box. With the Skyliner already being a harder-to-find old Plarail, the very-short-lived fourth generation box is a real phantom gem... As of writing, the Plarail Museum does not have an example in stock.

EC-08 Skyliner (1978)

In later 1978 the Skyliner was rereleased in fifth generation EC boxes as EC-08 Skyliner (スカイライナー).

The Skyliner headmark reads "空港" or airport. It is a delightful 1970s cream and brown. Wow, I would have loved to see this train running... there are some very beautiful pictures of this train with its blue "Skyliner" headmark illuminated and headlights on floating around the internet. If there were ever to be a reissue I would so love for it to have headlights and a lit Skyliner headmark...

This train also reminds me a lot of Vio... I do not wish to disturb him, but I learned a great deal about old Plarail from reading his forum posts, Tweets, and blog. He was wrongfully and frankly xenophobicly run off the English forum site where I first encountered him by some other members, and I think he started to dislike me after that (that, or because I collect a lot of Thomas Plarail lol...)

The Skyliner uses a new chassis tooling that is dated 1978. It uses the plastic old power gearbox. My Skyliner is pieced together from two junk trains, one that had no power car chassis and the other that had no power car body shell or front battery contact.

I replaced the front contact using a bent strip cut from some thin aluminum. I cut a slot into the end and loosened the original rivet holding the front battery contact in place by deforming the rim and pushed it downwards until I could slot the new contact strip in between the remnants of the original and the plastic chassis. The gearbox also took some lubrication on the exposed shafts and contact cleaner inside the motor to get it running without having to entirely disassemble the plastic gearbox.

A nice four-car old power train... There is a coveted old late 1970s set that includes a large motorized airport with planes and other vehicles as well as the Skyliner power and tail car, another phantom gem.

In 1985 the Skyliner tooling was rereleased as the EC-08 Skyliner with later white bodies with blue accenting and a red stripe. In 1987 the new paint Skyliner was rereleased in new power form when the range transitioned to using the new power gearbox, and the new power Skyliner remained on sale until 1991.