Fantastic Knock-Off Bridge

**Super** · **Super** 01-28-2016, 09:38 PM Track Engineer

My first package arrived from China through AliExpress.com with a fantastic (I think) knock-off, copy cat Tomy compatible bridge thats made to fit the plarail tracks. Take a look at the pictures below...

The bridge is the same length as two Tomy straight rails or double length rail great for spanning long distances without the use of a middle riser if elevating the bridge. The bridge looks great flat on the ground or elevated with the use of standard Tomy girders/risers as they fit snugly in the made for recess under the bridge. Uses 3 AAA batteries and when a train passes over the bridge the Thomas & Friends song plays...In English, and the four corner lamps light up. The lamps only work when the music plays and they are flashing so I am going to try and modify the bridge to mute the music and have the lights work with the on/off switch. This is the song that plays https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hw522GIskVc It is very well made as far as I can tell and there is no logo or makers mark. I was supposed to get 2 but they only sent one. Has anyone else seen or have one? I think it is fantastic. Was like $20USD with free shipping, well worth it if you ask me. What do you think?

Nigels · Nigels 01-28-2016, 10:28 PM Posting Freak

Now that is pretty cool, take away the Thomas theme and it would be a great bridge for Plarail Advance trains and match the raised grey track as well Smile

**Super** · **Super** 01-28-2016, 10:36 PM Track Engineer

I agree Nigels. I am sure there is a way to re-wire the music off and by removing the two track buttons it still may work with the Advance trains. I was hoping the sounds of this was more on the steam train or diesel as they only said it had sound. I wasn't that concerned about the sounds as I thought the sound and light switch would be different but alas there is only one. Might get annoying after a while. It only stays on for a while but long enough to become too much at least for me.

anc6802 · anc6802 01-28-2016, 10:51 PM Member

Thats a sharp looking bridge, it might be better quality than genuine plarail bridges. I especially like how the girders are a matching color and how they recess into the bottom of the bridge. I bet its a nice flush fit look from a side view.

Nice find indeed!

Tramp · Tramp 01-28-2016, 10:54 PM Senior Member

Great buy super, that looks great, I really like it, if I was wanting to stop it playing music, I'd just snip one of the speaker wires off and tape the ends, what was the bridge advertised as? Did they label it as dumica? Or was it labelled as something else?

**Super** · **Super** 01-28-2016, 11:56 PM Track Engineer

(01-28-2016, 10:51 PM)anc6802 Wrote: Thats a sharp looking bridge, it might be better quality than genuine plarail bridges. I especially like how the girders are a matching color and how they recess into the bottom of the bridge. I bet its a nice flush fit look from a side view.
Nice find indeed!

@Anc680
I agree and the girders do fit nice and flush and another bonus is you don't see the tops of them. Those gray girder/risers did not come with the bridge, they are ours. There is one drawback as the can't be hooked up end to end as I was hoping for.

(01-28-2016, 10:54 PM)Tramp Wrote: Great buy super, that looks great, I really like it, if I was wanting to stop it playing music, I'd just snip one of the speaker wires off and tape the ends, what was the bridge advertised as? Did they label it as dumica? Or was it labelled as something else?

@Tramp
That should work for a quick fix on the sound but I think I will have to do a bit more to have the lamps stay on with the use of the existing on off switch. Won't know how simple that will be until I open it up. There were several sellers listing this bridge. The seller I got this from listed it as an electronic music bridge. Give me a bit and I will try to search and get listings for this. I originally saw this as part of a set but the more I delved into the site I found a lot sold by themselves. I have a complete Thomas set on its way that I bought specifically for some of the knock off accessories that came with it. As far as a Dumica train, yes, but I didn't order it from this site. I used Ucwepns link to get the steam engine set from a seller in Poland. The shipment made it to New York before the snow storm hit them and its been slow getting out.

sunhuntin · sunhuntin 01-29-2016, 01:42 AM out of the game

thats a good looking bridge! not to keen on the song... would be better without words i think, but would also be ok on a HUGE layout like ucwepns were it only gets activated every so often.

i like that the lamps work, too. do they stay on all the time, or just when activated?

**Super** · **Super** 01-29-2016, 02:16 AM Track Engineer

(01-29-2016, 01:42 AM)sunhuntin Wrote: i like that the lamps work, too. do they stay on all the time, or just when activated?

@Sunhuntin
The lamps only come on when activated and flash until the music is finished. I am going to modify this so the music doesn't play and the lights can be stay on using the on/off switch. I am actually surprised that I haven't seen one of these in someones YouTube video given that I have looked at hundreds of them.

I have already heard back from the seller which is very quick. They have admitted it was their fault and they are going to issue me a refund. Want to see how long that takes.

@Tramp
Here is a link for searching the bridges I did. You have to scroll through to find these. A word of caution, check the measurements if they have them. If they don't read further and they may list the package size. I discovered many whos package size is not big enough for this size bridge so its eith a short version or I don't know what. http://www.aliexpress.com/wholesale?catI...mas+bridge

A big THANK YOU goes out to member Brtrainz for turning me on to AliExpress. Without him I never would have received this awesome bridge.

DalaGStanator · DalaGStanator 01-29-2016, 10:29 AM a.k.a. TheIsraeliSudrian

Now this looks like part of a train show layout. The only thing I don't like about its design is that the track bows up in the middle. Would've been far better if they just left it straight. It doesn't even have any Thomas markings or similarities from the outside, although it does almost look like the top part of a Sudrian (of Sodor) bridge.

You should make a video BEFORE you "DeThomasize" it (it always makes me think "WHYY!!?? [Image: icon_mad.gif]

", partially because the good, old Thomas items of this scale are getting harder to find).

**Super** · **Super** 01-29-2016, 10:52 AM Track Engineer

I wondered the same thing. The track bows up in the middle because the electricals and battery compartment are under there. I like this idea better than making the whole thing thick, big and bulkier and the need to use some type of short riser to get on to it.. Keep in mind that this is not a "Thomas item" but copy cat. This did come in a set and I will see if I can find a link showing it.