Tomica PraRail Thomas & Friends Train Freight Loading Set (Model Train) (japan import)

Product Information

Motorized Tomica [ edit ] B/O Tomica came in a picture box while the later Motor Tomica came in a window box.

Starting from 2004, Tomytec, a branch of Tomy, started producing realistic models - more for the collector market. They are marketed as the Tomica Limited Vintage Tomytec series and are mostly 1950s and 1960s classic Japanese vehicles such as the Honda S800, Nissan Cedric, Prince Gloria and Toyopet Crown. More details are evident on these compared to the regular Tomica models or even the Tomica Limited models.

In 2006 the Tomica Limited Vintage - Neo [TLV-N] line was created and currently includes vehicles from the 1970s and 1980s. As with the Limited Vintage series, the focus of the Limited Vintage - Neo series is on adult collectors. These models have a high level of realism, with more attention to details such as wheels, tires, paint, trim and emblems versus functions like opening parts or moving features but still has the suspension of the basic Tomica models. All the models are a consistent scale of 1/64. [8] Limited production in China started in 1990 with a few existing models in the regular line, like the no. 35 DOME Toyota Celica and no. 73 Isuzu Dump. Large scale production in China started in 1993 with the "British Line" of 36 models that Tomy Company of UK contracted Tomy of Japan to produce by using existing tooling. As a result, regular models of the same castings were also made in China beginning in 1993. Starting in 1994, all the new models in the regular line were made in China, and in May 1995, the production of existing models started to move to China as well. This was done in phases. By July 1997, all regular line Tomica cars were made in China. There were a few exceptions to this rule:

Production of Tomicas started to move to Vietnam in early 2009. This was also done in phases and took several years. Unlike the move from Japan to China during which no new regular models were made in Japan (besides the few exceptions), during this time new releases came from both Vietnam and China until 2013. Tomica Dandy [ edit ] Tomica Dandy Nissan Bluebird in 1/35, one of the larger scale. Most cars were 1/43.I don’t think either sets are suitable for children below age 3. Many toys are labelled ages 3 and up as it is normally the minimum age where toys are rated due to choking hazards, but with these train sets it’s also about the interactivity; children under the age of 3 are unlikely to be satisfied in watching a train go round and are likely to want to push the trains (see comparison with Thomas Take-N-Play below). Some of the Tomica features/accessories may also be better for children over 4 years old. Comparison with other Thomas Take-N-Play The road and cars in the Tomica set can be used alongside any of the sets, but only works with the Tomica level crossing (if that is desired). They are just standard push-along cars so can be used alongside similar Matchbox cars etc. Other series [ edit ] Long Tomica [ edit ] New long vehicles from the Tomica regular line are a bit smaller than the original Long Tomicas Chan, Danny C.Y., and Vic Davey. 1997. The Complete World of Tomy Diecast. Hong Kong: Northcord Limited. May. Rixon, Peter (2005). Miller's Collecting Diecast Vehicles. London: Mitchell Beazley. ISBN 9781845330309.

From time to time, Tomy produces shorter runs of cars with sound or light or both, based on castings from the regular series. The first of such series was the Sound Tomica, introduced in 1992. These cars have both sound and light. Upon pressing one set of wheels, the sound and light are activated for a short time. The Siren Tomica series from 1996 replaced Sound Tomica. These are basically the same design except the batteries can be taken out and replaced. In 2000, Tomy came out with the Chat Tomica line. These cars do not have light, but depending on the model, upon activation, "[t]hree types of recorded clips will be played (including the sound of sirens, voices and cries of animals).". [7] Conversely, the Technology Tomica cars introduced in 2010 only have lights. What is special is that they do not require batteries. Rolling the cars produces the electricity to power the lights. This line also represents the only made-in-Thailand Tomica in existence to date. Most recently, Tomy has released the Tomica 4D line. These cars have engine sounds and vibrations. The Tomica Limited Vintage Neo line focuses mostly on Japanese street cars manufactured in the late 1970s and onwards, but movie and TV drama vehicles and special race cars have also been introduced. Examples are cars from 80s police dramas such as Seibu Keisatsu and Abunai Deka or the JGTC Super Silhouette Skyline. Export versions of cars are also included, such as an American Datsun 510 instead of a Japanese Nissan Bluebird. More recently, as formerly late model vehicles progress into classic status and Japanese vehicles from the 1990s and 2000s become globally desirable, there has been an increase of 1990s cars released, such as the EF/EG/EK Honda Civic, the R32 Nissan Skyline GT-R and the Honda NSX. Tomy started producing motorized cars in the late 1970s beginning with the Power Tomica series. This series did not last long. In 1992, it released a new series called B/O Tomica (stands for battery-operated Tomica). This series was renamed Motor Tomica in 1997. They were produced and sold as single models until 2003. All the B/O Tomica are made in Japan, while all the Motor Tomica (including the Animated Motor Tomica) are made in China. To fit on the motorized base, these castings often have altered scales. In general, sport utility vehicles appear in their proper scales, saloons appear a bit bulky, and buses and lorries are disproportionately short. In 2005, a new series for motorized Tomica was released containing generic vehicles such as a police patrol car. This late series targets toddlers and is made of ABS plastic.Tomica ( トミカ, Tomika) is a line of die-cast toy vehicles (mainly cars) produced since 1970 by Takara Tomy Co. of Japan (formerly known as Tomiyama and Tomy Kogyo Incorporated). [1] Ostensibly, Tomica diecast were an outgrowth of Tomica World, an autonomous toy line of motorized train accessories that Tomy had created based on Plarail and produced since 1959. [2] Similar in concept, Tomica can be thought of as the "Japanese Matchbox", but focuses mainly on Japanese brands. Hong Kong was the first place outside of Japan where Tomica cars were produced. The production in Hong Kong only lasted a few years. Six models issued in 1971 and 1972 were made in Hong Kong: Gardiner, Gordon; O'Neill, Richard (1996). The Collector's Guide to Toy Cars: An International Survey of Tinplate and Diecast Cars from 1990. Random House. ISBN 978-0517159774. Johnson, Dana (1998). Collector's Guide to Diecast Toys and Scale Models (2nded.). Padukah KY: Collector Books. In 2005, to celebrate the 60th Anniversary of the renowned Thomas and Friends, Tomy started a Thomas the Tank Engine series. In recent years, Tomy has greatly expanded their specialized character Tomica series. Offerings include "Tomica Hyper Series", the Cars (Disney/Pixar animation) series, Pokémon, Ridge Racer, the Disney Motors series, Fast & Furious, and racing anime and manga, such as Initial D and Circuit no Ōkami.