The ugliest Plarail train! Your candidate is...

Mister No

As we know, beauty is in the eye of the beholder. But let’s be honest, we all find some Plarail trains not likeable or just plain ugly.

Ugly ducklings

What is ugly? A tricky question. A train could be ugly to us. Or we could like it and then suddenly realize that we find it somehow odd and… ugly. Or vice versa. Whatever the case, we have certainly come across trains that we did not like and considered ugly, despite the fact that many others liked them. Maybe the basis on which the model was built is ugly? Or the basis itself is OK, but the execution of the model building failed for some reason?

“Plarail Railway Company”

Plarail Railway Company is a fictional railway company that was “founded” in 2019 to commemorate Plarail’s 60th anniversary. It is a project by Takara Tomy in collaboration with real railway companies, to popularize railways, entertainment of children etc. The models in this series are, as I understand it, not based on any specific real trains. They’re just… made up. Takara Tomy offers some of the most luxurious (Best Selection) sets with the trains from this series.

And to me, almost all these trains are very ugly. As a rule, these are some variations of the Shinkansen trains, very modernly designed express trains etc. None of these fictional trains are steam trains, commuter trains or trams. The series consists of some rather bizarrely designed bullet-trains and the like.

“Dog Express”

In that series - in the “Best Selection” set with the new Plarail R-30 Triangular Point Rail and with a unique cat themed (!) station, but also as a model that is sold independently (S-57), without the specified set - they released the so-called Dog Express. When I saw it, I immediately thought that I would never buy that train, because it seems ugly to me. Regarding that train, they designed, as they say in the description, “an express train, the most comfortable of all Plarail trains, connecting urban and suburban destinations, allowing you to travel with your pet. Sunlight enters through large windows on the roof and sides, allowing you to relax and enjoy the sun with your pet. The design of the train was inspired by the image of a running dog”.

Making a video about a train I didn’t like

Of all the “Plarail Railway Company” trains, this one seemed to me to be by far the ugliest, and maybe it could be a candidate for the ugliest Plarail train in general. And I got that very train by mistake in one order. (They refunded me and let me keep the wrongly delivered train.)

My “catzilla,” Eve, also expressed a very critical opinion about this train:

I would never want to buy a train like that. However, now that I got it for free, I decided to unbox the train and make a video about it. And I had a lot of fun doing it! In the end the train… didn’t seem so ugly at all! I mean, I still wouldn’t want to buy a train like that, but… That’s how relative the concept of beauty/ugliness is!

This prompted me to ask you, have you ever found some Plarail train ugly? Have you changed your mind later? Or, have you ever liked a train at first glance and then later realized that it seemed ugly to you? In short:

What is your candidate for the ugliest Plarail train?

Super

Interesting Topic and one I don’t think has ever been asked here before. I will have to research more as I know there are some I found ugly or just didn’t care for.

Are those High Rise buildings new Mr No?

Mister No

No, no, Super, those skyscrapers have been on my big Plarail layout for a long time… The only thing new in this video is - Dog Express! 😁

Super

I don’t know why I am just noticing them now 🤪

Mister No

Can you believe that sometimes I see something in my own video and I’m amazed because I forgot about it. The other day, for example, I noticed a white snowplow on Skarloey in a Christmas video from 2021 or 2022 and was thrilled, like: Look, I have a white snowplow!! (Of course, I haven’t been able to find it in physical form yet.)

Off The Rails

Funny that they call it the “Dog Express” because in older American slang, a dog could refer to something or someone that was ugly!

But as for my pick of the ugliest Plarail locomotive or train? Given how rare this model is and the rarity of the of real engine, this may be unpopular to say but I would say the B20 steam switcher. It’s “all business” at the very least! It’s a cool item to have (if you have one, which I don’t) but it’s a bit homely.

Super

BLASPHEMY!!!!

Hi OTR…how ya been?

Off The Rails

It IS blasphemy!😅

Life is being, well… life right now.

Mister No

B20? Really? You mean this adorable little engine?

Speaking of steam locomotives (regardless of their rarity), I would say off the top of my head that most people would probably choose the ES-08 C12 as the ugliest Plarail steam locomotive (although I like that one too), because it’s simply made and looks kind of ordinary and was released in the cheaper ES series etc.

That’s how different tastes are. (That’s why I asked the initial question.) Thanks for sharing your opinion, OTR!

Off The Rails

Funny enough, I kinda like the C12. The current AA battery version is pretty ordinary though.

When I run our Plarail Christmas layout, I like to use the older C battery version in rotation with the usual C62 and D51. Come to think of it, the “big” C12 is a bit homely too! It’s oddly proportioned compared to the bigger steam locomotives. But I like running it!

I wouldn’t say there’s one of these little trains that I dislike. Maybe it would be fair to say that locomotives like the B20 or “big” C12 are endearingly odd rather than ugly? Inelegant perhaps?

In real rail fanning, sometimes, the more weird, misbegotten and downright ugly a locomotive is, the more people seem to love it. They stand out from the crowd of massive fleet purchases and catch attention, for good or ill. Here in the US, the old rebuilds like the Katy Alco/EMD hybrids and the Santa Fe rebuilt CF7s are great examples of “so ugly that we love them” locomotives for some railfans.

Super

Off The Rails the more weird, misbegotten and downright ugly a locomotive is, the more people seem to love it.

Thats me sometimes for sure, I like different 👍

Funny thing about Plarails original ‘C’ battery C-12 and C-11’s is that in the beginning of our getting into to this hobby and me knowing very little about trains especially from outside the US, is that I always thought that those original bulbous releases were what they really looked like and I loved that look. When they released the ‘AA’ version many years later I said, thats not right, thats not what they look like. And to this day, I actually like the Fat version better 🙂

leylandvictory2

if we include thomas plarail line, i say Bruno the caboose looks very ugly. I understand Plarail wants Bruno to be motorized. However due to height restriction, the top section of Bruno has to squished.

Mister No

leylandvictory2 Mattel produced Bruno as a push-along and as a normal (non-motorised) waggon. I think there is a talking version too, but no motor. Tomy, on the other hand, produced motorised Bruno. Why on earth did they do that?? Bruno is a caboose! Cabooses are not usually motorised!
I don’t have any Plarail AEG engines, but they all look somehow squished, pathetic and pretty much awful to me. Tomy really did not the best job regarding this product line…

Super

I can’t come up with an ‘Ugly’ train but in a classification of odd or unusual in the Thomas Plarail line, I would like to nominate Kenji and Rebecca.

Kenji for the large face on the tip of his nose just doesn’t look right to me. I was actually looking to buy two sets of Kenji just for the Coach Collection until I saw the Pantographs on the roofs which turned me off.

Rebbecca for the huge face, the ultra tiny Cab and huge Tender behind that tiny Cab which makes it look even smaller, all looks out of place to me.

DalaGStanator

Mister No I think there is a talking version too, but no motor. Tomy, on the other hand, produced motorised Bruno. Why on earth did they do that?? Bruno is a caboose! Cabooses are not usually motorised!

Yes, there is a Talking (interactive) Bruno. That variant comes in a set with Thomas, who also talks and interacts.

In AEG, the rolling stock that wouldn’t have their own engines (such as Annie, Clarabel and Bruno) can move by themselves over short distances, but they still need the engines (locomotives) to go any further. That must be why he has a powered variant.

The Tomy Newbie

The Monster Inc Plarail Dream Railway comes to mind when I think of something ugly. I will say, I do like the car with the canisters.