Plarail
Encyclopedia
is a toy train
and track system made by Tomy
and introduced in Japan in 1959. It was expanded into an battery-operated electric toy train system in October 1961. The system is usually known as "Plarail system" in Asia and "Tomica World" outside of Asia. The trains run on a special plastic usually blue "track", and the roadway vehicles run on a special gray "road".
In March 1992 a product line featuring "Thomas the Tank Engine and Friends" was introduced. under the name Thomas Tomica Road & Rail. As such the toy line is compatible with other Tomy Tomica Road & Rail sets or the "Tomica World" system in general. A large number of models have been released in the range, including the majority of major and minor characters from the TV Series. In 2007, HIT Entertainment
's subsidiary HIT Toys picked up the license to produce the Tomy range formerly known as Thomas Tomica Road & Rail. The Trackmaster engines are compatible with Tomy's Motor Rail and Road merchandise. Trackmaster's life-like brown coloured track is easily connected to existing blue track from TOMY (two adapters were included in every playset made until late 2008, but the adapter can still be bought online).
Plarail is not compatible with most other brands of model railway. It does though have a similar rail gauge
to the wooden toy train systems so that rolling stock may run on both systems to some degree. "Choo Choo Track & Toy Co." for example offers track adapters to connect the wooden tracks
with similar gauge such as the blue plastic tracks from Tomy with the dove tail connectors and the tan tracks from Trackmaster.
Paramodel is a group of Japanese artists that utilize Plarail tracks among other things for their works of art and installations.
Software related to Plarail has been released for several Playstation platforms, such as "Kids Station: Plarail Tetsudō Monoshiri Hyakka", published by Atlus Co. in 2002 for Playstation 1 and
"Plarail: Yume ga Ippai!" released in 2002 by Tomy for PlayStation 2
. An early program called "Digital Plarail" seems to have been released in 1995 for PC. Various DVD titles have been released in 2009.
Toy train
A toy train is a toy that represents a train. It is distinguished from a model train by an emphasis on low cost and durability, rather than scale modeling. A toy train can be as simple as a pull toy that does not even run on track, or it might be operated by clockwork or a battery...
and track system made by Tomy
TOMY
is a Japanese toy, children's merchandise and entertainment company created from the March 2006 merger of two companies: Tomy and long-time rival, Takara...
and introduced in Japan in 1959. It was expanded into an battery-operated electric toy train system in October 1961. The system is usually known as "Plarail system" in Asia and "Tomica World" outside of Asia. The trains run on a special plastic usually blue "track", and the roadway vehicles run on a special gray "road".
In March 1992 a product line featuring "Thomas the Tank Engine and Friends" was introduced. under the name Thomas Tomica Road & Rail. As such the toy line is compatible with other Tomy Tomica Road & Rail sets or the "Tomica World" system in general. A large number of models have been released in the range, including the majority of major and minor characters from the TV Series. In 2007, HIT Entertainment
HIT Entertainment
Hit Entertainment is a British-American entertainment distribution company established in 1989, and originally the international distribution arm of Jim Henson Productions called Henson International Television...
's subsidiary HIT Toys picked up the license to produce the Tomy range formerly known as Thomas Tomica Road & Rail. The Trackmaster engines are compatible with Tomy's Motor Rail and Road merchandise. Trackmaster's life-like brown coloured track is easily connected to existing blue track from TOMY (two adapters were included in every playset made until late 2008, but the adapter can still be bought online).
Plarail is not compatible with most other brands of model railway. It does though have a similar rail gauge
Rail gauge
Track gauge or rail gauge is the distance between the inner sides of the heads of the two load bearing rails that make up a single railway line. Sixty percent of the world's railways use a standard gauge of . Wider gauges are called broad gauge; smaller gauges, narrow gauge. Break-of-gauge refers...
to the wooden toy train systems so that rolling stock may run on both systems to some degree. "Choo Choo Track & Toy Co." for example offers track adapters to connect the wooden tracks
Wooden toy train
Wooden toy trains are toy trains that run on a wooden track system with grooves to guide the wheels of the rolling stock. While the trains, tracks and scenery accessories are made mainly of wood, the engines and cars connect to each other using metal hooks or small magnets, and some use plastic...
with similar gauge such as the blue plastic tracks from Tomy with the dove tail connectors and the tan tracks from Trackmaster.
Paramodel is a group of Japanese artists that utilize Plarail tracks among other things for their works of art and installations.
Software related to Plarail has been released for several Playstation platforms, such as "Kids Station: Plarail Tetsudō Monoshiri Hyakka", published by Atlus Co. in 2002 for Playstation 1 and
"Plarail: Yume ga Ippai!" released in 2002 by Tomy for PlayStation 2
PlayStation 2
The PlayStation 2 is a sixth-generation video game console manufactured by Sony as part of the PlayStation series. Its development was announced in March 1999 and it was first released on March 4, 2000, in Japan...
. An early program called "Digital Plarail" seems to have been released in 1995 for PC. Various DVD titles have been released in 2009.
External links
- Plarail at Takaratomy (Japanese)
- World of Tomica at the UK site of Tomy.
- Museum of Plarail (Japanese)