Not Seen This One Before!

Super

I don't think I have seen this Vintage Plarail/Tomy release before. Since it has the vintage Boy & Girl Logo it had to appear between 1967 & 1981. Not sure exactly what it is called but there looks to be two versions, one with a white roof and one with a gray as this seller shows. What I find interesting is that its not a friction drive but axle driven. Might this have been a very limited release?

https://www.jauce.com/auction/k431291424
https://www.jauce.com/auction/r368529401

PlarailTown

Looking at the box I don't think this is a limited release but I think it is called Pla-rail Limited Express Odoriko

chrisjo

That's the original 185 series Odoriko (おどり子号).

Here it is in the 1997 version of the Plarail Encyclopedia. It says that it was released in 1983 and production stopped in 1990.

According to the 'Plarail Museum' those are both '6th Generation' boxes, which were used approximately 1987-1994.

This is the cover of the May 1983 catalogue, note the logo top right:

...and sure enough, there it is for the first time, fifth down on the left.

Super

Thanks Dr Chris

I wonder if the gray roofed one was released earlier and the chassis was also used with the later white roofed release. But I am just guessing especially with which one was released first.

This is what I usually reference when looking at the Logos.
https://logos.fandom.com/wiki/Tomy

Looking at the boxes in the Listings they are Plarail and use the rounded font, red Tomy Logo which would put them in the years you have stated if those are original. 1981-2000

To me, the red wheels would indicate second generation Tomy's as I believe the first was yellow. I wonder if this could be a remake? What years was the real train with this color configuration around ?

chrisjo

Super wrote
What years was the real train with this color configuration around ?

According to Wikipedia the 185 series Odoriko Limited Express with the green diagonal stripes started in October 1981. They were then repainted in a different (orange & green Shonan) livery between 1999 and 2002. However, two sets were repainted back to the original livery in 2011/2012. Here's an excellent picture taken in 2016:

Also from Wikipedia: "The word odoriko means dancing girl in Japanese. The train service was named after the title of novel Izu no Odoriko (The Dancing Girl of Izu) by Yasunari Kawabata. The stage of the novel is the destination of the train, Izu Peninsula." Hence the peculiar English caption to the Jauce lots.

Super

Thanks Dr Chris

Well that should just about confirm that this Plarail release was at least 1981. Wonder if this also has that neat dancing girl graphic on the front as the real one does?

chrisjo

Super wrote
Wonder if this also has that neat dancing girl graphic on the front as the real one does?

It does..........

Super

That sticker is nice looking and perfect if this is to be like the real one. Thanks for all your information Dr Chris