fall inside a hole

Tokai Type Express Train (1975)

First written May 14, 2024

The Tokai express service on the Tokaido main line was initially serviced by 153 series trains but as more of the line traversing steeper or snowier areas was electrified in the 1960s the 165 series of trains were developed to handle the growing line. Just over 700 165 series trains were produced between 1963 when they entered service and 1970 with trains remaining in use on the Tokai service until 1996 when they were replaced with 373-series trains. In 2007 the Tokai service was eliminated.

Toukai Type Express Train (1975)

The first Tokai-type were released as とうかいがたきゅうこうでんしゃ or Toukai Gata Kyukodensha (Tokai Type Express Train) in third generation lift-off-top boxes. This style of box can be seen in the Plarail Museum. Although the original box shows the Tokai type with a metal gearbox, it does not seem they were actually produced this way, and even very early Tokai types use the old plastic friction-drive gearbox.

Early examples of the Tokai type express train have inset doors, but the tooling was updated to have raised sections seemingly to make the shells easier to paint on the production line.

Tokai Type Train (1976)

In 1976 the Tokai 165 series was rereleased in fourth generation "train" packaging with the protruded doors. These earlier Tokais would have still had the bent up power switch, but otherwise are fairly identical to the later 1970s and 1980s old power Tokai types.

EC-05 Tokai Type Train (1978)

In 1978 the box style changed again to the longer-lived EC series of boxes. these later 70s Tokais had shorter, unbent power switches but continued to use the 70s milky plastic gearbox with motor contacts towards the center. The sticker on the front of the train reads アルプス or "alps" with the head mark reading 急行 or express.

The green and orange is a nice color combination and it stands out nicely from the blues and whites that a lot of Plarail is made from.

Although there are differences from the earlier Tokai releases mentioned above, it is somewhat hard to date particular examples of this generation of old power Tokai type train. This was before the introduction of production stickers and at least between the two examples I have I could not find differences in the train toolings although one seems to be from the 1978-1980 era of consistently-yellowing couplings and the other from some time after. I am not sure if later Japan-made Tokai trains used the tooling that was adapted for the mid 1980s radio control trains but some of my later Thailand-made new power Tokai types do seem to be descended from the radio control toolings.

During the "winter era" in the early-mid 1980s when few new toolings were produced the 165 series Tokai type was recolored for a number of train including the Shinkansen Relay and the first two-speed Plarail train, the Commuter Express.

In the late old power era the last print run of fifth generation EC series boxes actually contained new power Tokai-type trains but in the style of the old power ones - namely, the roofs left unpainted green. These are fairly uncommon.

Tokai Type Express Train (New Power) (1987)

After the odd new-power in old-power body Tokais at the end of the old power era the new-for-1987 new power Tokai Type Express Trains (東海型急行電車) featured nice grey-painted roofs as some other older Plarail trains received with the move to new power. It looks very much like the classic Tokai type but the new grey roof makes it look even better, and having a relatively flat roof the power switch is not very intrusive.

Early new power examples would have been built in Japan with brass contacts and early new power gearboxes. With the closure of two of Tomy's Japanese factories in the mid 1990s the tooling was moved to Thailand and later new power 165 series trains continued to be produced there in seventh generation packaging until the range was refreshed in the early 2000s.

I have somewhat by accident ended up with a train-yard full of late 1990s new power Tokai types including five made in August 1998 and one from November 1999 as well as four additional intermediate cars matching this type of Tokai. The 1998 examples all have the older single-split coupling while the 1999 train has the modern type.

The power car chassis was updated from the old "banzai" mark to the curvy logo with the move to new power and these Thailand-made examples are descended from the modified tooling for the mid 1980s remote control Tokai train.

S-34 165 Series Tokai Type Express Train (2003)

When the range was refreshed in 2003 the Tokai type 165 was rereleased with JR lettering and a silver line across the windows as S-34 165系東海型急行電車 S-34 165 Series Tokai Type Express Train. After Tomy and Takara merged in 2006 new boxes for 2007 carried the Takara Tomy logo instead of the Tomy one.





The box shown here is a 2016 print run example produced in Vietnam, where production of many Plarail trains moved in the 2010s.

These newer trains have some changes to the livery including the orange section extending onto the roof instead of the green on previous versions and JR markings.

The chassis on this example is marked as produced in December 2017 and has a cardboard informational card like many other modern releases. It reads This express-type DC train was created in 1963 and is equipped with a powerful motor to run in the mountains. This orange-green coloring called "Shonan color" was a common color scheme at the time.

The S-34 Tokai Type Express Train was retired in 2020 and the S-34 designation was given to the new S-34 Car Transport Train with EF65 locomotive.