Plarail Real Class

[kndy]

Takara Tomy has announced the debut of their new Plarail series aimed towards adults.  Plarail Real Class.

 

https://www.takaratomy.co.jp/products/plarail/realclass/index.htm

 

 

[Kamome]

Seems a strange idea although there are plenty of adult collectors of pura-rail. Nice it’s compatible with the regular stuff but not sure I’d be onboard paying ¥7700 for a slightly longer, slightly more detailed pura-rail train. 

[kndy]

I agree.  For that price point, I would buy an N Scale train.  Granted, I never got into Plarail Advance and I wonder if this is a sequel to that.  

 

[Beaver]

I like it! But then I am a big fan of classic tinplate trains. To my mind, Plarail is no mere toy, but the modern tinplate railway.

 

One of my modelling dreams is to create a retro garden railway, like the sort of thing adult fans of tinplate were creating from the 1920s to the 1970s. With actual tinplate old and reproduction both crazy expensive, a sort of neo-retro approach using Plarail would be much more practical.

 

Though I would probably do this with the steam outline and early electric stuff as that fits better with the retro ideal.

Edited April 13, 2023 by Beaver

[kndy]

I guess in someways, it meets people in the middle.  As KATO and TOMIX are going for larger basic sets (and costing more), the Plarail Real Class is like N Scale quality for plarail trains on a AA battery.

 

I do like how they come with three tracks that can attach to plarail blue tracks, but I do like it.  Y7700 ($58USD - currently) seems like a lot, but for four trains cars and three tracks, it's not so bad.  Still affordable for adults who are not fully in to NGauge and can't have a good sized diorama in their home.

 

Also, the two trains featured for debut will surely sell quickly and probably will have strong resell value used as well.

[cteno4]

It’s like a nice toy, but I would not call it n scale quality. Also it’s the shorty model, so not super prototypical. I see it more as maybe they are reaching for the parents that want to play with nicer trains with their kids and be willing to pay more for it when kids are not ready to play with parent’s n scale trains yet. Also I’m sure some kids have more discerning tastes and would like to have nicer looking trains that are less toy like (and maybe more like their parents n scale).

 

not sure a lot of regular modelers would be happy with these for a layout, but there is a subset of modelers that have done things with toy trains and dioramas. But these days with the cost of a train and loop of track and controller getting high inexpensive options may suit some. One of the reasons I’m working on the mini onetrak is a way to get new comers a way to maybe get a loop of track and a 1 or 2 car train or a pocket train for around $100 and have a way to start doing scenery and some layout/diorama stuff as inexpensive as possible.

 

doesn’t trip the old tin plate button for me, that is something very special and sort of magical combo that plastic can’t do…

 

 

always makes me very happy to watch this again and again!

 

jeff

[katoftw]

Wow double the price for 5 minutes extra of paint and some fancier grey tracks. Still looks like a cheap plastic kids toy.

 

Some guy or gal at Tomy is gonna get fired for this.

[bill937ca]

Video by ビックカメラ【公式】 (Bic Camera)

 

 

[cteno4]

59 minutes ago, katoftw said:

Some guy or gal at Tomy is gonna get fired for this.

Or promoted if they tap a sub market willing to pay extra for the few additions.

 

we shall see!

 

jeff

[Welshbloke]

I've seen videos of some fun things to do with plarail (the pub with a double track mainline laid along the bar, mini return loops each end, and open wagons of bar snacks being hauled by Thomas and friends was probably the best to date). This just feels weird though. The appeal of plarail as an adult is that it's cheap fun. You wouldn't worry about using it to carry peanuts around as it wasn't massively expensive and is easy to dismantle and clean if it gets an unexpected shower of beer, and nosediving off the bar if something gets snagged isn't likely to do much damage either. Likewise you wouldn't be worried about building an impromptu garden railway with the stuff and getting it dirty. Pushing a higher priced version is odd, on that basis.

Edited April 13, 2023 by Welshbloke

[bill937ca]

2 hours ago, katoftw said:

Some guy or gal at Tomy is gonna get fired for this.

In Japan its a group decision  not a guy or gal  decision. Probably little chance its a gal too.

[cteno4]

Yeah it’s been great fun over they years playing with it with friends kids. If my grand nephews and nieces were nearby I’m sure I would have boxes of it to play with them (and I’m sure myself!). Also as you note it could really do something outside. I’m imagining a track sweeper car! 
 

but it ain’t n scale and I doubt will trigger much in mainstream modelers, but may be a good sized niche market for something a bit nicer and a little less toy like. We shall see.

 

jeff

[Beaver]

Already on preorder and arriving in June apparently. Looks like Tomy are committed now.................

[Kamome]

On 4/14/2023 at 7:14 AM, bill937ca said:

In Japan its a group decision  not a guy or gal  decision. Probably little chance its a gal too.

In my experience of Japanese business, they’re very happy to pin it on an individual if something goes wrong.

[katoftw]

On 4/14/2023 at 8:14 AM, bill937ca said:

In Japan its a group decision  not a guy or gal  decision. Probably little chance its a gal too.

I'm not sure if your being sarcastic or not.  I know I was.

[dabsan]

On 4/13/2023 at 8:01 PM, cteno4 said:

It’s like a nice toy, but I would not call it n scale quality. Also it’s the shorty model, so not super prototypical. I see it more as maybe they are reaching for the parents that want to play with nicer trains with their kids and be willing to pay more for it when kids are not ready to play with parent’s n scale trains yet. Also I’m sure some kids have more discerning tastes and would like to have nicer looking trains that are less toy like (and maybe more like their parents n scale).

 

not sure a lot of regular modelers would be happy with these for a layout, but there is a subset of modelers that have done things with toy trains and dioramas. But these days with the cost of a train and loop of track and controller getting high inexpensive options may suit some. One of the reasons I’m working on the mini onetrak is a way to get new comers a way to maybe get a loop of track and a 1 or 2 car train or a pocket train for around $100 and have a way to start doing scenery and some layout/diorama stuff as inexpensive as possible.

 

doesn’t trip the old tin plate button for me, that is something very special and sort of magical combo that plastic can’t do…

 

 

always makes me very happy to watch this again and again!

 

jeff

Such a wonderful video 🙂

[kndy]

Prices have come down quite a bit on Amazon Japan.... Great for those who are pre-ordering.

[kndy]

Hobby Watch recently interviewed Plarail Real Class developer Iwata-san.  Here is an abridged version of the article.

 

https://hobby.watch.impress.co.jp/docs/interview/1509076.html

https://hobby.watch.impress.co.jp/docs/review/1509534.html

[Kamome]

Thanks for posting @kndy

 

It seems a very interesting take on the problem of the declining birth rate. 

 

"There are less children being born in Japan so let's try and attract an older customer, with essentially an updated and slightly more expensive version of a toy designed for pre-schoolers. We're going to choose nostalgic trains so what could go wrong?"

 

Actually when you see the product, it is stocked in toy shops, next to existing pura-rail lines so I'm not convinced it'll succeed in getting past round 2. I actually thought Pura-rail Advance had more going for it although this also never really caught on. 

 

I'm not saying it's a bad product, the existing Pura -rail range is very good quality and comprehensive and the only upside to the Real Class range seems to be a slightly longer, but still unrealistic length and dimensioned train with added plastic glazing and possibly a raiseable pantograph . The price was around 5000 yen (7700 yen on the website) and yet the existing trains aimed at children are 1800-3000 yen for the 3 car sets depending on what gimmicks are included, lights, sound or figures etc..

 

Pura-rail is a great product and I loved playing with my kids using it. They are now 7 and 9 and have pretty much grown out of it (with the exception of the odd set up) and I have little to no interest in using it without them. The limitation on its usability are fair outweighed by what else is available to adult railway modellers. The only thing going for it as an adult collector is it's price-point and the reality you could make a huge multi-tied layout for much less money than N gauge or HO. Its robustness may also lend itself to some outside or garden related shenanigans. 

 

The rental layout shop in Kokura, Stage One has a Pura-rail set up, but very small children want to run N and HO scale with the rest of the punters so it gets sadly overlooked when other more shiny offerings are available. 

 

 

 

[kndy]

I totally agree with you.  I don't know if it will last, especially that they are making the tracks only available on the Takara Tomy store.  I can't run them unless I put them on the blue tracks (granted it comes with three graystraight tracks - which I do like).  With that being said, because both trains I do like...I ordered it and got them today.  Haven't opened the boxes yet though.

 

It's sad because I do think that Takara Tomy really tried with Plarail Advance, but with Plarail Real Class, they are trying again and if they dropped down the price to under Y4000 I think it would have a better chance.

Edited August 10, 2023 by kndy