Plarail TOMY Thomas NEW RELEASES

I've just unpacked and tested my two new E233 Shonan Colour trains with "special connection" couplers (released: June 17th), coupled them together... and find out that they have serious issues with some Plarail track elements:

• they had trouble (almost derailed or derailed and back-to-the-track-again situation) at R-28 Double-Track Turnout
  
• the 1st car of the 2nd train sometime swings pretty badly on the R-10 U-Turn Track, and
  
• it cannot climb the R-18 Slope Elevated Curve Track Set. 
  

I even tried to slow it down (using low speed on RC instead of it's fast new 1-speed-motor), but the result is always the same:







So here is a general remark: Caution! Trains with the "special connection" can only be used on simpler layouts.

Hmmm...I wonder if the last version before this remake of the couplings had the same problem. We use to have this problem when having a super long train but obviously this it not long and actually as long as it was supposed to be designed for. Testing must not have gone far enough before approving this for production. I also wonder if all the trains that have this new coupler have the same problem?

(07-28-2021, 11:02 AM)Super Wrote: Testing must not have gone far enough before approving this for production. 

Right. This should not happen:



Really disappointing. 

Problem here is having the motor units on either end. The middle of the train is then too light and stringlines the whole thing. Happens on the real railway too when freight trains aren't assembled carefully!

Is it just me or have Plarail / TOMY not released any Thomas trains this year?  (Motorised)
With all the re-releases of local trains, maybe they could re-release Donald or Douglas, maybe Murdoch or Freddie.
They might help introduce a new generation to the older characters you can't buy.
Just a thought.

It's not just you, AOF04. They really re-released a bunch of commuter trains, and what's worst - the relatively recently released models! Of course, it would be nice to see some Thomas characters re-released (Stepney with no stickers comes to mind, and Edward with small wheels, and...), but no.

They are re-releasing 2 commuters and one Shinkansen in September again! And Hankyu 1000 is exactly the same model as the previous one (no new gimmicks), while Special Rapid Service will lose it's main characteristic: beautiful station announcement sound and get this new "connect gimmick" that didn't exactly pass the test with flying colours... 

Yes, Thomas & Friends re-release would be much better!

They really should do Toby, Emily, Diesel, Salty, or Diesel 10 with CGI-styled faces. I'd buy them. Especially if Henrietta had a face (even if it was just a sticker).

(07-28-2021, 09:47 PM)Trainfanz Wrote: Problem here is having the motor units on either end. The middle of the train is then too light and stringlines the whole thing. Happens on the real railway too when freight trains aren't assembled carefully!

maybe we can modify the middle carriage with add some weights like the metal bars the engines have.

@ Leyland

We could. But that's not the point. We shouldn't improve their faults on new trains. This just shouldn't happen. If they invented new couplers, they should test it properly and prove that they work on all plarail elements, not just on simpler layouts. Just my thoughts.

I am curious about the original nose to nose, retractable magnetic coupling trains having this problem. Those rear cars with the retractable mechanisms weighed quite a bit if I remember correctly.