Plarail TOMY Thomas NEW RELEASES

When should we expect 2021 new product announcements? Hoping they make Kenji and Duchess, as the TrackMaster ones were, as usual, sub par.

[Super]

Aren't we all Fred. I've got a feeling that they may be waiting until after the New Year and maybe even closer to the Osaka Plarail Expo in February if they even have it. Then again  it seems that the real neat stuff is revealed at the Tokyo Plarail Expo (the big one) in the Spring if they have that one. Who knows with the Chinese Virus and where it will be in the World then. Then again they may have been impacted with employee quarantines that could have slowed production. . All this is just speculation on my part and I have no inside information.

While we are waiting for the new announcements, let's see what is already released... Here is a new release - SC-05 Chuggington Wrapping Train.
(Released November 19, 2020)
I still can't understand why did they omit the type & series of the train? My friend Google says it's the Ichigo EC Wakayama Electric Railway 2270 Series Okaden...

[Super]

I like the towns Christmas Tree Mr No.

From Twitter -

おいでよ！未来の発明ショー！関連プラレール
「ケンジとトーマスのおいかけっこセット」2021年3月下旬発売予定 https://t.co/z2cERvCRYN

come together!  Future invention show!  Related Plarail
 "Kenji and Thomas's Oikakekko Set" Scheduled to be released in late March 2021

https://twitter.com/FfarquharLine/status...04160?s=09

Kenji appears to be a pullback engine. Hopefully there is an option to change out his chassis like Merlin for a powered one, or even better an individual release with coaches.

Is it just me or have some of Plarail's recent offerings been somewhat lackluster? A decade ago we got a set with Thomas and Hiro, both powered, with a complete station, a spur track with shed, and two trees, and now we get a set with one powered engine and half a station and nothing else. At least it appears the Thomas is a printing variation to match the jet engine he's pulling

[Super]

Thanks Duck...I was just wondering why we haven't seen anything new being talked about. Sounds like it may be revealed at the Osaka Plarail Expo if there is one. Looks like a hefty price so it must be coming with a loop of track and one of those poor excuses for a station. Hmmm...wonder what that Jet Pack thing is? Upon first glance it looks stubby like Trackmaster II rolling stock. Would like a closer look but thats probably in the future when we get better pictures.

Hmmm...its called "Catch and Run Set"?

Is it just me or have some of Plarail's recent offerings been somewhat lackluster?

No, it's not just you. Time of the big, meaningful sets - with tunnels, bridges, special stations, mountains and other elements, - is apparently over. 

What's the point of calling this new one "set"? Anyone can buy a circle of tracks and 2 switches, and - poof! - it's a set! 


@ Super

Nice description of that half-product of a station that I can't see without my bifocal glasses!

Christ, I just noticed the 6600 yen price tag- not far off 70 dollars for a set that has one powered engine, a pullback, and virtually no accessories beyond a station! You can get the current dokidoki mountain set for about 55 dollars on sale from Amazon.

Regular price for a single release engine is what, like 2700 yen on Amazon? Throw a little on top of that to cover the Thomas, jet engine, and the Kenji with the pullback - lets call it 3500 yen. A two pack of stoppers is 550 yen - even though the set looks to use the new half straight stopper, I'll just say it covers the two half straights as well. There doesn't seem to be regular curve rails or the double track switches available from Tomy on Amazon Japan right now, but on hobbysearch they are 385 yen for four curves and a four pack of straights and 440 for the switches not on sale. Altogether to me that comes to 5645 for two packs of curves, four straights, the switches, two stoppers and buffers, and a three car train, which will build you a similar loop with two full size stoppers between the points and a three straight long side length instead of two and a half. I just don't see the value there, unless the promo for Thomas and Kenji is covering something up.

The Thomas and Hiro set with the complete station building, siding with shed, three trees, and two powered engines was 5200 yen on hobbysearch, for comparison

[Super]

Maybe that Jet engine has some gimmick like lights or sound. It could have a generator supplied by the wheels maybe much like the optional rear coaches for Shinkansens....just thinking out loud. Are you sure Kenji is a Pull-Back?

The line under 6600 yen (tax included) reads
※トーマス(動力車)、ケンジ(プルバック走行)
*Thomas (motor vehicle), Kenji (pullback drive)
The line under that just says Plarail is a trademark of Tomy