Well this is the thing, I don't actually know how it steers, I'm guessing based on the limited description on the box that there's no reverse steering, yet until I get it out and read the manual, I actually won't know for sure.
Another guess I have is that reverse steering will be possible, but only in one direction. Here's why.
![[Image: image.png]](https://i.postimg.cc/YGGR7Lyv/image.png)
Look closely at the light column, and you'll notice the order of lights [from left to right] is Left-turn, Reverse, Forward, Right-turn. This has me thinking that maybe each turn direction is in a different direction [i.e, Left is a Reverse Turn, Right is a Forward Turn]. Only problem with this logic is that of course that means it would be impossible to make a normal left, or reverse right turn, making driving more tricky still as it would involve longer routes to account for unusual turns.
My next theory is that potentially the direction last driven in will decide the turn direction. For example, if you drive the lorry in reverse, then change to a turn, it will turn in reverse, or if it was going forwards, then the turn will be forward. This would assume the lorry has the capability to remember it's last driven direction.
In theory this could be achieved by an electronic gearbox, so perhaps it kicks into a 'forward' gear when Forward is selected, then 'reverse' when Reverse is selected, and only changes gear on a direction change, not on a turn. Most basic RC vehicles don't use gearboxes to change direction, rather they just reverse the electronic polarity to run the motor in reverse, but since this is TOMY and we all know how much they love a complex mechanism, I'd be willing to bet an electronic gearbox might have been their solution.
EDIT - So I found the precious 10 seconds of footage of one of these things in use attached to another one of those Plarail/Tomica promotional VHS tapes avaliable to view on YouTube, and in conclusion, I don't still know with any certainty exactly how it steers and if it can reverse steer, but it does appear from the video that the steering direction is forward-only, as the only time it is shown steering, it moves forward. As said, we shall see, there was little footage shown and for all I know there may be a reverse steer function they just elected not to show.
Another guess I have is that reverse steering will be possible, but only in one direction. Here's why.
Look closely at the light column, and you'll notice the order of lights [from left to right] is Left-turn, Reverse, Forward, Right-turn. This has me thinking that maybe each turn direction is in a different direction [i.e, Left is a Reverse Turn, Right is a Forward Turn]. Only problem with this logic is that of course that means it would be impossible to make a normal left, or reverse right turn, making driving more tricky still as it would involve longer routes to account for unusual turns.
My next theory is that potentially the direction last driven in will decide the turn direction. For example, if you drive the lorry in reverse, then change to a turn, it will turn in reverse, or if it was going forwards, then the turn will be forward. This would assume the lorry has the capability to remember it's last driven direction.
In theory this could be achieved by an electronic gearbox, so perhaps it kicks into a 'forward' gear when Forward is selected, then 'reverse' when Reverse is selected, and only changes gear on a direction change, not on a turn. Most basic RC vehicles don't use gearboxes to change direction, rather they just reverse the electronic polarity to run the motor in reverse, but since this is TOMY and we all know how much they love a complex mechanism, I'd be willing to bet an electronic gearbox might have been their solution.
EDIT - So I found the precious 10 seconds of footage of one of these things in use attached to another one of those Plarail/Tomica promotional VHS tapes avaliable to view on YouTube, and in conclusion, I don't still know with any certainty exactly how it steers and if it can reverse steer, but it does appear from the video that the steering direction is forward-only, as the only time it is shown steering, it moves forward. As said, we shall see, there was little footage shown and for all I know there may be a reverse steer function they just elected not to show.
Been building Plarail worlds since 2001; Building when I can in 2023 
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