My Tomica World - Introductions

'Lightning/Lightening Express' [Furano Express]
'Animal Express' [Meitetsu Blue Liner]

Do you have an authoritative source that refers to the Tomica World release of the Meitetsu Blue Liner as  'Animal Express'? The only Tomica World release of this train was in Super Deluxe Set No.7423, where on the back of the box it says:

"The trains are - the Lightening Express, with its sleek modern carriages, and the Fun Train with its wacky pictures on the carriages."

To further refine your list, the Kintetsu 21000 in the Tomica World Large Set No.7421 is referred to on the box as the 'Hi-Speed Express".

I mean, i've seen it referred to on Ebay by sellers as the 'Animal Express' a couple times [I suspect because of the animal designs], so that's what I generally refer to it as [out of habit more than anything] although I knew it was called the Fun Express on the actual set box, I managed to find that, as well as the Furano Express's 'Lightening Express' [gotta love that typo lol  ] in the process of looking for it's Japanese origins as the Meitetsu Blue Liner, being very surprised to discover that it had the animal designs IRL, I thought it was something made up for the Tomica World line initially... I'll edit my list accordingly 

Also, good to know about the Kintetsu 21000 being the 'Hi-Speed Express' - I figured it would have some kind of re-name for Tomica World but having no access to a box, I wasn't able to check. When I talk about it with my [less railway-savvy] uni colleagues, it's gained the moniker of the 'Japanese HST' since we all agree it somewhat resembles the HST when looked at from the front or side [evidently TOMY agreed as they produced their Virgin Trains HST using the same mould; Even so, seeing an 'HST' with pantographs still cracks me up as a B.R enthusiast  ]



Actually, a bit of trivia about the Tomica World Virgin HST; it's class/type number, as printed on the model is 82 100; anyone from the UK knows that the HST series [until recently with new formations] only ever carried the class/type numbers 43, or 253 [43 refers to the HST loco on its own, 253 referred to a complete HST consist with coaches].

However, the number 82 is a number applied to two types of equipment used by B.R, and latterly the private railways; the first was the B.R Class 82 loco of the 1960's, which looks nothing like the HST, and never served with Virgin, and second was the B.R Class 82 DVT, which did end up serving under Virgin, and latterly many other railways [including Greater Anglia, my local lines].

The 82 DVT itself looks like the front car of an InterCity 225 unit, but crucially has no engine, and no pantograph; It's basically a guards van with a driving cab that operates the loco from the other end of the train, removing the need for turn-around facilities.

My assumption for what happened in this case was that when Virgin contacted TOMY [or vice-versa as the case may be], Virgin sent pictures of their various fleets [in that era, that would have been West Coast and CrossCountry], which probably would have been a mix of the B.R Class 86/87 electric locos, B.R Class 47 diesels, HST's, and B.R Class 82 DVT's [which would probably be paired with either the electrics or diesels depending on compatibility/need]. All carried the same livery of black & red with Virgin logos; for those that had been repainted out of B.R livery. This would mean that a picture of a DVT carrying an 82 series number was likely in the mix.

Interestingly, the real Class 82 numbering series begins at 82 101, so the Tomica World unit, assuming the number is a reference to the 82 series DVT's, is a non-existent unit anyway, and as already noted, would also not have a pantograph either if it was a DVT 

In the event, it's probably safe to assume that TOMY most likely picked the HST as the basis for their Virgin Train, since the HST is probably one of the more iconic InterCity units in the UK and could re-use the 21000 Series shell, and maybe picked the number off a DVT to use as a fictional class number - again, this is all speculation on my part, I only looked into this as the HST is one of my favourite B.R era units, so I was curious to decode the Tomica World version's history, as far as possible 

Another bit of trivia would be with regards to the TGV; The two colour variants I would assume were meant to represent the then two distinct models of TGV in service under the SNCF around the time of Tomica World's release. This was the original Sud-Est [named for the LGV Sud-Est, France's original high speed line] from the 1970's, and the later Atlantique [named for LGV Atlantique] that was built in the late 1980's - The Atlantique was the first to carry the silver and blue livery that would become firstly a TGV standard, and then eventually the SNCF corporate standard livery until recently.

The Sud-Est, as built, carried the iconic orange livery that is now so associated with the TGV, later being painted silver to match the Atlantique [with the side-effect of rendering them indistinguishable to the untrained eye]
Both trains are mechanically very similar, and externally are virtually identical; so there was a logic to producing both liveries under Tomica World/Plarail since all that was needed was a different paintjob.

As a final kink in the TGV saga, the TGV mould is still in production [in a slightly modified form] for the Korean Plarail range, as the Korail KTX-1 [pictured]; This was possible since the KTX-1 is a somewhat modified TGV 'Reseau', which was the third variant of TGV in France, and again used virtually the same loco bodyshell shaping as the Sud-Est/Atlantique.



I suppose on that note of checking boxes/history, I should check my City Set box to see what they named the E3 Shinkansen, as I know it defo wasn't referred to as that in the West, not even on it's re-release in the Tomica Hypercity line...