My Tomica World - Introductions

Hey guys!

Just posted a little heads up in the Tomica World section regarding what I think might be a rare Japanese Child Guidance set for you guys
to follow up on;
This ends in 3 days, and has no bids, so i'd get on it if it's really a rarity.

Anyway, not the main point of this post lol 

The main point is an update; I built my layout, which is more or less complete now [I do re-position things occasionally], and I'll get some pics soon; However, I also managed to get my hands on some more unusual Plarail components to add to the layout. 

For reference, I'm not looking to buy any more trains, except for the ones in the Tomica World [1990's export] range that I haven't got,  as i've now got some 40-odd trains which is more than enough to be getting on with; that said, a complete [as per the catalogue] set of the exported Japanese trains would be nice - Same goes for tracks, i'm trying to actively avoid track unless I can help it, as i've got more than enough. 

In any case, the unusual components include a 300 Series 'Nozomi' train case, similar in concept to the 'Giant Thomas' from the Tomica World range, except this one's a 300 Series Shinkansen that opens up to reveal 9 tracks and also the 'Plarail' add-on for the Sega Pico, which appears to be a controller that you attach to your console, then connect directly to your layout, with the aim being that you use one of your trains to control the game on-screen; I'll probably make a post about this when I've got it and had it running.

The final one, which i'm sure might be of interest is the Japanese 'Tomica World' promotional VHS that was missing from my 300 Series track-set. Believe it or not, I managed to track down a copy, and I'm going to digitize it and upload it to YouTube so the community finally has a decent-looking copy of at least one of the Japanese promo tapes [the only one I could find on YouTube was someone filming a TV screen as the film played]    

Anyways, stay tuned, as I'll be sure to get some pictures when the new stuff has arrived 

the unusual components include a 300 Series 'Nozomi' train case, similar in concept to the 'Giant Thomas' from the Tomica World range, except this one's a 300 Series Shinkansen that opens up to reveal 9 tracks and also the 'Plarail' add-on for the SEGA Pico, which appears to be a controller that you attach to your console, then connect directly to your layout, with the aim being that you use one of your trains to control the game on-screen; I'll probably make a post about this when I've got it and had it running.

I never knew either of those existed, though I should've guessed there would be a Japanese themed item that's like Giant Thomas. Are there any dates or other info anywhere on the 300 Series so we could get an idea what time it was from? The Pico peripheral sounds even more exciting, and I'll look forward to seeing it in action complete with the console. I assume by connecting "directly to the layout", there must be a special track piece that another wire from the controller plugs into (like how model train track is powered), and the game somehow detects a train's movements. I can only wonder exactly how it works and what the game does.

Are there any dates or other info anywhere on the 300 Series so we could get an idea what time it was from?

This? New in 1994 catalogue, this pic from 1995 catalogue. 未来特急のぞみ号コントロールセンタ. Future Limited Express Nozomi Control Center.
 

For the Plarail Pico device, google this: プラレール・ピコ

Diolch yn fawr, Chris! That's exactly it. Not only does it predate the Thomas version (as I thought), but it even looks to have more play value and doesn't look awful in station mode. I unironically like how the cab turns into a control tower and the orange tracks become the roof. They even made platforms in addition to the stop/go bars! It might even be passable as a central station in one of those large urban themed layouts (or maybe an entrance to an open air railway museum). Again, thanks for the info on it.



So, the device makes more sense than what I imagined. It does have track connectors at both ends, but it uses a turntable and stop/go bar (along with switches, levers and buttons) to detect what the engine is doing. I couldn't seem to find gameplay of the actual game, so I'm still holding out for Futaba's video. I even found a similar device for Tomica cars, which must mean there was also another game for them.

Hey Futa. Well jealous of that train collection you had delivered from Japan. I'm a collector of the Japanese trains mainly myself (we also collect Thomas and vintage Tomy Train as well, but more by chance). I'm currently assembling a parcel on Jauce with a few more trains and accessories so looking forward to receiving that, but nothing compared to the quantity on your order

Looking forward to seeing all that in action!

Hey Futa. Well jealous of that train collection you had delivered from Japan. I'm a collector of the Japanese trains mainly myself (we also collect Thomas and vintage Tomy Train as well, but more by chance). I'm currently assembling a parcel on Jauce with a few more trains and accessories so looking forward to receiving that, but nothing compared to the quantity on your order

Looking forward to seeing all that in action!

Hey there!

Thanks, gonna admit, this was a project of mine to try and keep the spirits up with all the stuff that's been going on, both in general and personally, and it's worked a treat   It's been a long ambition of mine [probably goes back to being a kid and seeing an ad for the Tomica World system on my old Thomas and The Magic Railroad VHS] to make a proper, big display layout with the Plarail system, and yeah, it's certainly coming together lol 

I counted, and yeah, combining my collection of almost all the export units released under Tomica World, and my imports from HobbyLink Japan, I got around 40-45 trains now? That's partly why I bought the giant 300 Series, 9 lanes of storage where I can park some of the bullet trains that I got, my 300 series included, naturally   

In terms of the export range of Japanese trains [per the 2000-2001 Tomica World catalogue], all i'm missing now is a Boso View Express and the train that came in the Super Spiral [not the Amtrak variant], if I can get those some time, that'd be grand.
I don't think i'll take it any further than that though, unless there's any special trains that turn up; i've basically got all the ones I liked, or wanted specially. Same goes for track and sets, got more than enough going on now, just gonna stick to the occasional accessory from here on out lol 

I guess this project was the equivalent of several years of collecting done in the space of a few months; I would have been collecting way before this given the chance, but my own situation [and finances] got in the way haha 

Anyway, thanks for dropping by, do stick around as I'll defo update on what happens with the Pico system when it's all connected up

Since I don't know how to fully delete posts, imma just remove the [now unnessecary] text and replace it with a smiley





Thanks again to everyone who helped get the username things sorted, much obliged. I'm looking forward to getting the Pico system here to good ol' London so I can see exactly what i'm dealing with, and hopefully get a demo on here for all of you great people at BPT forums!

That, and a nice clean transfer of one version of the Japanese Tomica World VHS, which as far as I know still doesn't have a clean transfer [correct me if i'm wrong], since i'm fairly sure that might be of interest to you guys - I have VHS digitising equipment that I use for archiving my significant VHS collection, so i'm well equipped for that [just hope the laptop can cope lol 

Thanks again guys 

Are there any dates or other info anywhere on the 300 Series so we could get an idea what time it was from?

This? New in 1994 catalogue, this pic from 1995 catalogue. 未来特急のぞみ号コントロールセンタ. Future Limited Express Nozomi Control Center.
 

For the Plarail Pico device, google this: プラレール・ピコ

That's the one   

Yeah, I got my one of these because I found it in the 'junk' category of Plarail on Jauce, cost the princely sum of 70 Yen 
The only issue appears to be the box, which is rather heavily sun-faded, otherwise it appears to be in remarkably good condition, even comes with little figures that sit in the various control seats on the unit, which often seem to be missing.



True reason for buying it was actually as storage space, gonna hook it to the layout and use it as a storage yard for, fittingly enough, the bullet trains I have that don't fit on my 10-layer track tower that i've got off to one side of the layout as a storage space for my trains   I thought that 9 lanes of storage built into a 300 Series was way cooler than adding 2 or 3 more tower layers, and actually worked out cheaper as well hehe 

Diolch yn fawr, Chris! That's exactly it. Not only does it predate the Thomas version (as I thought), but it even looks to have more play value and doesn't look awful in station mode. I unironically like how the cab turns into a control tower and the orange tracks become the roof. They even made platforms in addition to the stop/go bars! It might even be passable as a central station (or maybe a railway museum entrance) in one of those large urban themed layouts. Again, thanks for the info.



So, the device makes more sense than what I imagined. It does have track connectors at both ends, but it uses a turntable and stop/go bar (along with levers and buttons) to detect what the engine is doing. I couldn't seem to find gameplay of the actual game, so I'm still holding out for Futaba's video. I even found a similar device for Tomica cars, (which must mean there was also another game for them.

Yeah, that's what I've got, although mine is missing the red section that sits in front of the turntable; I'm looking to get a 3D printer at some point [mainly for modelling purposes, Hornby and TOMY alike] so maybe could make a replacement?





Honestly, got no idea how this functions in practice, i'm stoked to get this running for real. Mine also comes with a 500 Series front car; I'd assumed this was a random Plarail piece thrown in by the seller, but that pic you've uploaded seems to indicate that was a part of the set from the get-go? Gotta wonder if that means it's got some kind of special function for this unit specifically, although it just looks like the unpowered end of a standard Plarail 500 Series so who knows 

Obviously got a Pico to run this thing on too, and I'm definitely going to test out the Plarail unit's compatibility with other games; I bought a hot pink Pico [which I honestly think looks way better than any of the regular Pico units] that came with a bunch of software, including one of the two 'Sailor Moon' games for Pico, good for me of course, being a massive Sailor Moon fanboy lol 




And yeah, not that I need to confirm it, but there is indeed a Tomica version, I was sorely tempted to pick it up as well, but when I saw what the shipping bill would be, I decided to go for the more interesting of the two [to me at least] which was naturally the Plarail version, not least since I still think there may be some means whereby the rollers on the turntable might act as an input, allowing there to be some kind of control driven by a train? As can probably be seen, this really does just connect straight in via regular tracks, apparently it would have come with some special ramps for rolling a train up to the unit from the floor, but I think my one comes with one of the manuals that literally demonstrates how to use regular Plarail supports and track to connect one of these into either an existing layout, or one built around the unit itself, which is kinda neat.

I think somehow the unit itself and the cartridge have to be connected, as there is a connector present on the cartridge, but then again, i've seen similar add-ons where the add-on connects via the pen input [since the Pico has a touch-panel with a wired stylus pen], so again, we'll see, i'll defo make a thread about it here on BPT you can be sure of that

Honestly, got no idea how this functions in practice....

And here was me thinking you must be named after the Futabasaurus, a Cretaceous Pleisiosaur. Oh well...

https://game.watch.impress.co.jp/docs/20.../toy52.htm

Machine translation: "Plarail Pico is a set where you can learn how to drive a train using Plarail. The package includes a cartridge, a station building type controller, and a Plarail vehicle (Shinkansen) and rails. Place the station building type controller on the tablet of the PICO main unit, fix both firmly with the guide, and you are ready to go. I am thrilled by the boldness of the mechanism that the controller and the main body just "merge".

　Among the various modes, "Play with Plarail" is the centerpiece of this kit. Combine the rails with the station building type controller, build a course, and actually run the Plarail. As the controller moves, the train runs on the rails, accelerates, and stops. An animation linked to the operation is displayed on the TV screen. When the train departing from the station building type controller goes around the rail and returns to the controller again, stop it. Then, the screen switches to the image of the platform of the station, and new customers board. Then, we depart again and continue our journey on the Tokaido Line from Tokyo to Nagoya, Kyoto, and finally Hakata.

　Plarail alone goes around the same course, but by adding an element to stop at the station and carry passengers, it will power up the play on the Tokaido line. "

The 500 srs unit included has a hook on it so it's front car, no doubt powered, and controlled by the game.