fall inside a hole
Plarail 60th Anniversary Plastic Steam Train (2019)
First written April 10, 2024Expanded and reformatted August 2026
In 2019 in celebration of Plarail's 60th anniversary a reissue of the 1959 Plastic Train was released with a powered box car that allows the train to easily be rolled by hand. The Japanese text プラレール60周年記念 復刻版 プラスチック汽車 on the box translates to Plarail 60th Anniversary Reprint Edition Plastic Train but the English text on the box reads Plarail 60th Anniversary Plastic Steam Train. The box has a wood grain effect on the front but is honestly sort of plain, it seems like they could have done more with the yellow stripe on the left. The cardboard seems a little thinner than older boxes, but I think it is pretty normal for the time.
The back of the box shows a timeline of some different Plarail products.
The pack includes a reissue of the original five-car Plastic Train with locomotive, black box car, blue well wagon and tanker, and log car with logs. Each part of the train comes wrapped in its own plastic bag. I purchased this lightly used example for very cheap in 2021. The Plastic Train was previously reissued as part of the 40th Anniversary Plarail Limited Edition pack.
This reissue Plastic Steam Train is an unpowered push train like the original, with a hollow cab and bulkier rear coupling for the powered box car. Some of the box panels compare this modern reissue with an early metal-coupling type Plastic Train. One cool feature of this reissue is the front coupling like the original Plastic Trains had, something that the 1999 reissue did not feature.
The black box car uses the flat-type drive unit and a single AA battery. Like other Plarail at the time, it was made in Vietnam.
Because the power car is a separate car, you can play with this plastic train like the original hand-powered one (or you could just turn off the box car or remove the battery). The well wagon and tanker cars are simplistic but obviously representative of the late 1950s and 1960s freight cars.
This version of the Plastic Train offers a nice alternative to the powered 1999 version. The rolling stock is similar, but should be as they both represent the same older rolling stock.
The log cars are the most different, with the newer one (right) having thicker round pegs that are now part of the chassis mold and painted instead of separately fitted like the 1999 (and 1959) versions. The stoppers on the end of the log car to prevent the logs from falling are now taller. The chassis are a new closed-off design now made in Vietnam.
Inside is also a modern replacement parts form and an online survey card.
There is also a limited edition of 1000 pieces version of this pack given out to winners of the Reissue Plastic Train Giveaway Campaign. The box for this set has not for sale text and a white silhouette of the train on the front, and the back has the emblem in the battery information section and lacks a UPC, although the timeline is the same. Some of the side panels have the 60th Anniversary emblem on the box car.
Inside, the contents are identical except for the box car having a gold stamp of the Plarail 60th Anniversary logo on one side.
As the Plarail Museum notes, it would have been cooler if this giveaway set had reproduced the yellow version of the old plastic train, similar to how the Fan Club Exclusive Plarail 40th Anniversary Album had the color variations of the general sale 40th Anniversary Plarail Limited Edition Set reproduction Plastic and Electric Plastic Trains. Both my power cars are dated May 2nd, 2019, so it seems both types were produced at the same time.
Its a neat giveaway product, but a little sad that the emblem is only on one side of the van...
Here is the letter that accompanied the giveaway sets, which thanks the winner for purchasing Tomy products and participating in the giveaway and informs them that they have won.