Plarail New Releases 2025 onwards (non-Thomas)

What is the R-17 F-far and what don't you like about it?

The new red bridges. I thought they might be quite useful myself, so I'm curious too.

   

 I wonder if this might be a repaint of an existing Plarail model (like the 5000) or something totally different?

Looks like a completely new mould to me.

[Super]

LOL...my over the hill brain assumed that R-17 referred to a train and I was looking all over for one. 🤔

Those red viaducts are actually a remake of the hard to obtain vintage bridges from the past. They are remade a little taller to fit the height of the modern risers and made so that they are self contained meaning they don't need a riser/pillar on each end to hold up the rails. I would be very interested in getting some of these if they had come in the grey color 😁. A coupe of years ago I worked with Nigels to recreate these with his 3D printers in grey with the same modifications that they used in this new release. He did a great job.

Thanks for setting me straight Dr Chris 👍

So I now assume that Plarail is no longer making these three way points that were only released in 2014. I still don't understand a reasoning or logic as to why Plarail/Tomy re-uses these numbers on new releases.

   

I can only assume they're reusing the catalog numbers to replace items that weren't selling well or replace items that were gonna get discontinued soon. To be fair, I don't see the 3 way switch get used very often.

I still don't understand a reasoning or logic as to why Plarail/Tomy re-uses these numbers on new releases.

As far as I can tell they've been doing it since 1995 (when the number J-13 was re-used). I doubt we're going to get an explanation now!

   

 I would be very interested in getting some of these if they had come in the grey color 😁.

On the other hand, I think that red bridges like this would look great on your only-gray-not-blue plastic tracks layout!

What would the right side of this illustration mean? Given the X, bridges cannot be stacked on top of each other, but a combination with risers is possible?

[Super]

As far as I can tell they've been doing it since 1995 (when the number J-13 was re-used). I doubt we're going to get an explanation now!

Oh I realize there will be no explanation now...I just don't see the logic in it as it becomes confusing when searching. I might accept it if it was because they are running out of letters and numbers but that isn't true. I am not smart enough to do the math in my head but there must be thousands of new combinations of letters with numbers so why continue to reuse them?

What would the right side of this illustration mean? Given the X, bridges cannot be stacked on top of each other, but a combination with risers is possible?

Thats a good question. If I were just to guess from the image...with that big 'X' I would assume that they can't be stacked at all in any configuration as I also would assume that there would be a green check mark next to the ones that could. Maybe a translation of what it says would clear it up for us?

What would the right side of this illustration mean? Given the X, bridges cannot be stacked on top of each other, but a combination with risers is possible?

Translation (as Super suspected):

' It is not possible to stack straight bridge rails on top of each other, nor is it possible to stack straight bridge rails and bridge block piers '

[Super]

Thanks Dr Chris 👍

Limited release, Tokyu Toyoko Line Wrapping Train (Green Frog).

https://tokyu.com/items/67616a8b467cc704fbf26e02

   

Pre-order sales start on 15-Jan-25, reservations will close when the reservation limit of 240 is reached. General sales will start on 03-Feb-25, with no limit on numbers specified except that you may only buy four at a time.

This train commemorates the 70th anniversary of the start of operation of the old 5000 series, and began operation on 04-Sep-17 as the "Toyoko Line 90th Anniversary Wrapped Train (Green Frog)". The design of the old 5000 series, popularly known as the Green Frog for its green paint and rounded exterior, was reproduced on a currently operating 8-car 5050 series with a wrapping, and it is still in operation.

   

The old 5000 series made its debut on the Toyoko Line, which connects Shibuya Station and Sakuragicho Station, in 1954.

   

Note that all on-line translations of the name of this train give it as 'Blue Frog', which your own eyes will tell you is clearly wrong. This error arises because the Japanese character 青 (ao) can refer to either blue or green depending on the context. Although a separate word for green (midori) has been introduced in relatively recent times, ao is still used, as for example the word used to refer to the colour on a traffic light that signals drivers to 'go'.  This is of particular interest to me because the same situation arises in my own language, Welsh, where for example the word now commonly used only for blue is still used in the word for grass.

Thanks, Chris!
Would love to see the old Blue Frog as a Plarail model too!