DuckGWR's Collection

DuckGWR

Hey folks, thought I'd start keeping track of my recent purchases and that some of you might be interested too.

Today the first brand new Plarail I've bought in a while arrived from Amazon Japan.

My clear Thomas box came with a barcode like Muddy Poppins', but I took his tip of using a hair dryer to loosen it and it came right off.
Overall it pretty much completely reaffirmed my belief that it is overpriced. I liked that it has the slightly more grey then white running plate they have been using recently, however, I was disappointed to see that it has unpainted back buffers. The use of the opaque cab window sticker on the front instead of a clear one looks out of place, as do Winston's opaque door stickers.

I was also under the impression that the Percy and James had the bells inside, but they do not, which just makes that price tag hurt a little bit more. I'm sure in a few years it'll be way more expensive to get new.

But it does look really cool with the clear Annie and Clarabel (Well, Annie for now, Clarabel is still on the boat from Japan). Thomas is clearly the star of the show. Man I would have liked a clear motorized Percy or James...

I was very interested in seeing how the talking Thomas worked inside so I took it apart right away. The eyes are moved by two electromagnets which attract this little bracket to one side or the other. The bracket fits around stalks protruding from the back of the eyes.

There is also a cog geared to the back wheels which hits a switch to tell it when it's running.

The different track plans are interesting and the track selection is not bad for the size of the set, I particularly like the half straight stopper, but man the station is disappointing. I took it out to put the stickers on but that was about it. I also seem to remember this tunnel having stickers before... and Thomas too for that matter, but at least they give you the stickers for him! His back buffers are also unpainted.

The bridge might be the nicest piece of scenery. Personally, I don't mind the powered car, it's a little brightly colored but other than that I like it. Generally, I don't care for tender drive engines but the Thomas wheelbase isn't nearly as funky as Emily, Hank, Murdoch, or some of the others.

I really like the Thomas face in the Merlin set (and he actually has back buffers!)

It would have been a lot nicer if Merlin had been powered, and I was very annoyed for a second that he had no moulded coal, until I realized it was a play feature with the coal hopper, which is pretty cool.

The sticker sheet also included stickers for Merlin's buffers, which were already painted on mine. Maybe I'll use the extra stickers to fix one of the other Thomases.

Overall I really only like the Thomases from the clear pack and talking set, but I am pretty happy with the coal hopper set as a whole.

I have some more fun stuff on the way, and maybe I'll organize my old photos and do a little catching up someday.

Oh - if you haven't seen it and are interested in revisions of the standard Plarail Thomas, particularly the older ones, check out the video I put together a little while ago.
[video=youtube]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5ZQZVn28dtk[/video]
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5ZQZVn28dtk

MuddyPoppins

Great job on the video!

Tharazero1

Wow. Awesome

Super

That is a fantastic video Duck. I learned a lot. You speak very well with the commentary. Nice work. 🙂

DuckGWR

The Big UK Haul

Recently with some birthday money I decided it would be fun to import some things from the UK instead of Japan. There are a number of UK exclusives I was interested in, and after Japan it seems to be one of the better markets for used Tomy stuff, with older and boxed items you just don't see, especially not for a good price, in the US.

The first lot I won included a Thomas Adventure set, a Thomas and Cranky Deluxe Action set, a boxed Thomas the Tank Engine set, some dark blue TomyTrain bits and some old yellow box Tomica World engines

The auction didn't mention including the Adventure set box, but it did, and still had the Tomica World VHS inside.
I never realised just how small the figures in this set are!

I picked up a boxed Station Crossing Accessory kit because I really like the pedestrian bridge and was interested in owning the UK release. I have several of them from the 1992 Thomas the Tank Engine set, but this one has updated molding and wasn't that expensive. For an accessory kit its almost a set in itself, it has a suggested layout that uses all the included parts and leaves one side of the R-15 double track switch free so it can be added into nearly any set that has a straight track

One of the main sets I wanted was the Percy and Bulgy set. I really, really like when a set comes without Thomas and whatever engine it does include comes with the same rolling stock as the individual release. The sets in particular I was interested like this are the 1993 Henry set (its in the mail from Japan!), the Day Out with James set, and this set. None of these sets contain any particularly rare parts (the Lorry 1 in the James set is possibly the rarest, or maybe period correct parts to the Henry set), so I would really like the sets in their boxes. They layout is fairly simple and was used in a few regular Tomica World sets. I will have to find the Day Out with James set another time.
The listing I found also included a Thomas Medium set and a Tomica World road crossing, in poor condition.

And then another UK exclusive set, the rather impressive Roller Coaster Mountain set, not the individual accessory release. This set is massive and originally comes with four engines. It almost falls into my "sets with other engines with original rolling stock" category as Rusty and Oliver both have half their original rolling stock at one coach a piece. The particular set I got was unused but had no trains, so between buying it and it arriving I started putting the correct rolling stock aside.

Being unused, the set has several parts still in the original bags, including the flag for the castle and the windmill accessory piece. All the original cardboard inserts were also included in the box. I like the use of double track, and between the mountain, engine wash, station, windmill and Harold, and the number of engines, it feels like it has three sets worth of stuff in it. I like the UK variation of the mountain, with the grey tunnel midway up the mountain instead of green. I'm still undecided on if I prefer the UK's blue tracks sticking to the Plarail track colors or Japan's brown rails to fit in with the mountain.

Overall, here was everything I got, minus a Tomica World 7497 curve ascending track pack I forgot to include in the picture and some TomyTrain bits.

On the same day the UK stuff arrived a sealed Fisher Price Stanley arrived from ShopGoodwill as well

Super

Holy Smokes...thats a big haul Duck. I had no idea that an Oliver came in anything but a 3 piece by himself.

ajtrain944

That is awesome stuff. I like the Roller Coaster Mountain Set! Hope to find one my self one of these days!

Mister No

I too had no idea that Oliver comes in a Dokidoki / Roller Coaster Mountain set... And it's a great set, with much better layout than in the usual Dokidoki Mountain set. And it's an older Dokidoki Mountain (with the little castle)! With differently coloured pillars and grey middle tunnel?? And with four engines (including Oliver and Rusty)??! Awesome!! Oh, why don't they make such spectacular sets anymore! 🙂

Tharazero1

WOW, those yellow boxes are one of my favourite things to see, and it’s also great to know that it was you who got the Plarail Henry Set too!

DuckGWR

I know, I really like the UK DokiDoki/Rollercoaster mountain, maybe a version of the UK mountain with the Plarail brown rails would be cool... and having four engines in the set version is astounding, usually even the other bigger sets had max two engines and a road vehicle.

I recently saw a loose copy of that 2008 set released in the US that reused the TomyTrains name, and ended up winning it. It's a rather large set, I really like the spiral and want to get more of those subway style tunnels, and I really like the train that looks like a Santa Fe train. Unfortunately the Japanese high speed train is missing the tail car.

Some of the parts were still sealed in their baggie

The same seller had a 2000s UK Big Loader in the box, and as someone very interested in all the versions of Thomas Big Loader, I picked that up too. I'd really like to grab the late 90s UK box at some point.

A smaller haul for now, but I think its about time for some of my Japanese stuff shipped seamail to arrive.

Super

DuckGWR wrote
A smaller haul for now

LOL...doesn't look like a small haul to me 😉 Can't wait to see what a normal size haul is 🙂

The Santa Fe Super Chief F Unit look alike train is awesome

The tail car for the E-3 Konachi shouldn't be too hard to find especially if you peruse the Japan auctions but the can also be found on Ebay US because of this set being released in the States.

DuckGWR

Some pickups since my last post - the second of I think three total boxed 1992 Thomas the Tank Engine sets arrived, this one has the token hook and token included. I really like the wide radius curves.

Unrelated to Plarail (other than the one Plarail/Diablock/Pokemon crossover we discussed briefly a few months ago), the lot of Diablock Thomas sets I won arrived as well. These are pretty cool, and up until recently relatively unknown to English speaking Thomas fans

Shortly after a mixed lot of Capsule Plarail, Pocket Fantasy, and other random bits and bobs arrived. There was also some track and accessories.

And, after some shipping delays, the boxed D51 with light arrived from ShopGoodwill. It runs just fine, only wobbles a little from flattened traction tires, and the light works as well. I really like the style of these older Plarail engines.

Not a ton of stuff, but to tide you over here's some pictures of the collection I took last time I was home with the whole thing

Mostly Thomas Plarail and US/UK Tomy stuff, there is some Hornby clockwork sets as well as Meccano Percy up top, THQ battery powered sets, and lots of board games

Mix of big loaders, regular Plarail (in the yellow bins mostly), other ranges, and stray Plarail/Tomy

Yes, I'm currently between permanent engine storage solutions, I've massively outgrown the previous one. I only sorted them by manufacture recently

Super

Now thats what I like to see...trains stacked to the ceiling 😃

Thats quite the collection Duck.

Ah, first edition Thomas set, the one where he has no middle wheel and he and the coaches look in great condition.

Wow...the D51 in its box and has one of the cars from GoodWill...wow, great find.

Thanks for sharing your collection with us Duck.

DuckGWR

I grabbed a few more yellow Tomica World box engines off of eBay UK, as well as a Jeremy set with the motorized Jeremy and a few other things - the Harold mail delivery destination, another Cranky, a coal loader/water tower, and a UK Talk n Action Percy and Thomas.

When I got back to my apartment after Christmas, a large box of stuff from Japan had arrived-
Inside was the final (I think, at least) boxed larger 1992 set. This one has the 1992 catalog included, as well as the manual and token. I probably got that catalog the hard way, but I really like the set and it was in great shape for a good price anyway.

There was also a loose copy of the set, with another nice condition 1992 Thomas and a station with pole intact - I needed another one for the first boxed copy I bought a year and a bit ago. I also wanted more of the wider radius curves.
Also inside was the smaller 1992 set in the original box. It has another excellent condition early 1992 Thomas.

Similarly there was also a loose copy of this set, with the paper manual, as well as another hooked station and tablet, and an unbroken old flappy bridge. The Thomas in this set was a couple months newer, but similarly good condition and an original 1992 Thomas.

A Magic Railroad box style Diesel 10 and a 1999 redesign Thomas were also in the box, as well as an incomplete but boxed Thomas and Bulgy set. I also have a Tomica World version of the set, but I'm going for having all the 90s Plarail Thomas sets, preferrably boxed (I'm one away from having them all, I think. All but one of the ones I have or have coming are boxed right now.)

There was also a smattering of loose engines and rolling stock, some to keep and some to sell, two Busy Bee James, Olivers, a Yujin Percy, a Talk n Action Gordon I needed for parts (my other two both have cracked buffers, and I still don't have one with excellent tender stickers), two Talk n Action Diesel 10s (one with Dodge!), and an assortment of white running board engines to sell and help cover my addiction

In the new year I took a look around on Facebook Marketplace and saw a few interesting lots, one which included a nice selection of uncommon TrackMaster engines

Between the two lots I picked up, there was a Wooden Railway Day At "The Works" set, some smaller figure 8 sets and generic wooden track, a TrackMaster Action Canyon and a random assortment of extra track, and several diecast Take Along vehicles

Super

Holy Smoke Boxes Duck...you have been very busy during the holiday season...wow. Some great sets and hard to find items. Am I correct that you now have 3 of the Rural Hooked Stations and 2 tablets? That big Jeremy set is hard to get a hold of right?

chrisjo

DuckGWR wrote
This one has the 1992 catalog included...

Hi Duck, can you please post a set of pictures of the rest of the 1992 catalog? Scans preferably but otherwise photos as good as this one would be fine.

DuckGWR

Yep, I already scanned them

I quite like those remote control switches, I saw a "junk" pair sell recently but missed the end of the auction

I believe I have five stations with the hook intact and a sixth which is missing it (but is the right Made in Japan era one to have had it originally), and three tokens now.
I saw more copies of the Jeremy set on eBay UK then I expected, but usually missing pieces, as it is the one I grabbed is missing the slate trucks and loads

Super

Thanks Duck

I agree, those remote controlled switches look awesome. I was always out bid when they showed up in the Japan Auctions. I wonder why you don't see many of them available. How many years were they sold in? It looks like there were 2 available for different directions or are they somehow reversible? It also looks like the controller may operate up to 4 different switches or am I mis-reading the pictures? I can't seem to find videos of it in action.

Mister No

Oh, the airport, the remote controlled switches... and just look how many different types of stations! If they had such a large assortment today, I bet they would sell them as hot cakes! 🙂

DuckGWR

A few smaller things - I grabbed this version of the Thomas Basic/Medium/etc set off of ShopGoodwill

It includes the 2000s pamphlet with the picture of the Elizabeth prop in her "coming soon" space, a manual that must have been left over from the late Tomica World days, it appears to be a later TW US manual with the back page edited to not have the European multi language support-but still has the old full "Thomas the Tank Engine and Friends" cloud. Must have had copies left over, or they couldn't be bothered to change it

I have also been working on 3D printing recreations of some of the often lost Tomy accessories, the tree needs some more work but most of the others turned out just fine first try.

After the deep dive into Plarail's prehistory last year, I was on the lookout for a Keystone "Tot" Railroad set, and I ended up finding this one. It's my understanding that instead of the string holding the trains together they originally had metal rings that often fell off.

In the new year I've tried to focus on organizing things better. I've started boxing up individual sets I do not own the original boxes for and especially the engines. For now they are not particularly organized by range, character, etc, but they are not all over in random cardboard boxes anymore. I have also just about finished going through every boxed set I own and making sure that the track, engines, etc are all a correct period match and no trees or signals are missing.

The bins are long enough to fit three Thomas engines in a row, or one tender and one tank, but slightly short of fitting a regular 3 car Plarail train

And lastly, just when I thought my Talk n Action repair-a-thon was over, those UK Talk n Actions I bought opened up a big ol' can of worms that involved taking just about every TnA I own apart again. There should be some very big news coming once I put together everything I know for sure.