Plarail TOMY Thomas NEW RELEASES

So there is a planned release of the Shikishima luxury train next month...



But this train was already released in February 2018...




...and it was a bit different. I noticed the lights (different colours) and especially the drivers cab windows. It seems to me they were transparent and now they will be mostly black. The old windows look better and more detailed in my opinion. What do you think?



old cab:


New model will have very different front and back cab:


Or is that just pictures, and it will be really no such differences when the train actually comes out in June?

Also, I think the windows on cars 2, 3 and 5 could be better (closed), but there will be apparently just holes as before...

[Super]

The trailing car looks to be the same as the original release. The side windows are different on each side. That picture of yours only shows one side. As far as the lights are concerned I believe that is like you say...the photography made them more yellowish. The original release has white Engine lights as does the Dining car. I agree with you on the the other cars windows but they may have done this because those three open up to place PlaKids in them and the open windows allow to see inside.

It's a unique and interesting train and intriguing why they are re-releasing it so soon.

Aesthetically it's not my cup of tea though.

If anyone is interested, here is Suzukawa's video on that train from 2018 when they released it for the first time:



As Finno said, it's not my cup of tea either, but if they made any improvements (especially on those holes-windows) I might consider it.
In reality, this is one of the most luxurious trains in the world (10.000 dollars a ticket!), and these cars (2, 3 and 5) with holes on the Plarail model don't look luxurious to me at all, sorry.
Also, after I watched Suzukawa's video closely, I noticed that the front and rear cabs are different in 2018 release too - only the rear cab has transparent windows and you could put a plakid in it. They could make all other windows like that, it would be much better than holes.
I think they re-releasing it so soon maybe because it would look nice on a layout together with the new (also six-car-train) Twilight Express they are releasing at the same time. I'm sure there's gonna be many combined buys of that two items...

Maybe Mattel is forcing Plarail to slow down production on Plarail Thomas products because they want people to buy more Trackmaster and prove they're more superior.

Some engines like Rebecca and Red Rosie are already sold out on Amazon Japan, it looks like they might not get back in stock, could this mean the end of the line for the Plarail Thomas range altogether?

It depends on the contract stipulations.  Perhaps Plarail wants to focus more the Japan railway instead since they have the monopoly of the Japan Toy train market more or less

Also with that Plarail Thomas is extremely popular. There's still a lot other engines in stock on the site.

[Super]

This cool Departure station will be available in July 2020 

And also this Let`s Connect Plarail 5 (Set of 10) (Shokugan) comes mid July:



Of course, again those two Shinkansens and Narita. No commuters...

New couplers?

And also this Let`s Connect Plarail 5 (Set of 10) (Shokugan) comes mid July:

This is not regular Plarail, the cars are about 70mm long, about 50% of regular Plarail size, and the gauge of the tracks reduced accordingly, maybe the same as Capsule Plarail track. Despite there being a representation of an on/off switch, they are not motorised. It is made by F-Toys Confect (i.e. candy) under licence from Plarail. I seem to remember F-toys making pre-painted 1:144 scale snap-together helecopter construction kits many years ago, but I'd need to check the memory-banks.  Not surprisingly (this being #5) there are four previous 3-train sets available, the first released in October 2017. We probably need a separate thread for these.