Plarail TOMY Thomas NEW RELEASES

[Super]

Thanks for the comparison pictures of the Maglev. Indeed there is a difference when seen like this that I would have missed just knowing it was released.

Really not much of a difference here, IMHO. (The price goes up slightly, though: the 2019 model was 2800 JPY, the new one is 3080). 

The new one has the new leading car made by Hitachi while the old one has the old leading car by Mitsubishi I believe.

If not mistaken, this toy is inaccurate in that there is only one leading car of this new type. The other end should still be the old one.

-plarnold

[Super]

Thanks Plarnold. I do like the newer streamlined one with, what looks like, a small drive window.

THIS VIDEO compares old and new JR Kyushu's Aru Ressha.

And I'm sorry, Super, they didn't correct the gold(ish) colour: it's again a bit dull, I suppose. 
In fact, beside the box, they didn't change anything. Even the plakid is the same. Oh, they changed the motor: now it's one speed train...

They could really make it properly this time: they know how a golden train suppose to look. And they miss the opportunity yet again. 

I love my Aru Ressha anyway, but they could at least paint some elements on the roof this time, it would look much better...

[Super]

Thanks Mr No.

Too bad

As we know, the main thing about the new E233 Shonan Colour is that it has a special rear coupling, so the two trains can be connected:



To do that, you obviously need two trains, now, do you?

Hobby Search informs us about that, too: 

"If you have 2 sets of dedicated connection gimmicks on the tail car, you can connect [E233 series Shonan color] to each other."

That's why I'm puzzled by this limitation:

"This item is limited to 1 per household."

Per household? So not even my mother can buy me another one so I can have 2 and connect them? 

https://www.plazajapan.com/4904810174998/ 

has them and does not seem to have a limit

Yes, they do have them. And two of them are already in my basket... Plazajapan is great, and they pack the goods in an excellent way!
I already have Chuo (orange), Keihin-Tohoku (blue), Keiyo (pink), and Yokohama (green) in the E233 series, and the Shonan Colour E233 double-decker, so this one (err... those two! ) is a must. 

A video of the new S-31 E233 series Shonan color ("dedicated connection specification"):
E233系3000番台（専用連結仕様）のプラレールを開封（湘南色　東海道線　宇都宮線　高崎線　上野東京ライン　湘南新宿ライン） - YouTube

[Super]

Those couplings look a bit clumsy. For some reason I thought these were magnetic.