Hey All I bought this japanese TOMY Plarail Hiro and Thomas set from an ebay seller and it cost about US$60 including delivery. The main reason I bought this set as it was only an extra $30 over the price of a TOMY Hiro with 1 truck :) The amount of pieces included in the set add up to great value I feel and it even includes a Plarail Thomas.\r
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The set includes a modest loop of track, a pair of single to double track points, a regular single points, an engine shed, a Maithwaite station, a buffer stop & 2x trees. Lets not forget the 2x locomotives included as well Hiro and Thomas the Japanese Plarail versions. All these pices are things that I can use on my railway so i didnt have to think too long about making this purchase :)\r
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Hiro from Plarail is a lovely big engine and is based on a real life 2-8-2 (Mikado) D51 steam locomotive, He is black with gold/brass colored detailing throughout, he has red wheels and the face that is very recognizable from the Movie and TV . He runs on a single C size battery contained withing the boiler, he features the lovely big drive unit that is used in a number of other engines like Diesel 10, Boco and a few more, this drive unit is almost silent and is a joy to watch running around with a very faint buzzing sound. He pulls the 6 express coaches with no problems with trion or slowing down, this is due to the weight of the c size battery and the lovely drive unit.\r
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Thomas from Plarail is a big surprise as it has amazing build quality compared to others I own, the way it runs quite fast and pulls a decent load with its super smooth drive unit make it the best Thomas I have ever owned (I have around 7 at last count), the face is nice and its looking off to the left slightly, all the good details are there like the white running plate and perfectly fitted decals. This Thomas is one that I thought would find its way into my spare parts box but not a chance of that because this one is a freaky gem thats wanting to be worked hard so I will be using this one in the future :)\r
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Overall I am very happy with this set and if you are wanting a TOMY Hiro then this set would suit as its the way to get some good bits and pieces as well as a quality TOMY Thomas, This TOMY set just shows how much quality has dropped since Trackmaster have been owned by Mattel, and I feel it shouldnt have to have such a sharp detail and quality drop for the sake of profit and I am sure allot of you feel the same.\r
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I give this set a 10/10 (yes you are reading right) thats how much I think of this set, I highly recommend it even just to remind us all how good TOMY/Trackmaster Thomas and his friends used to be. The Japanese are very fussy with quality and it shows in the final product. \r
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I know allot of you just think I am bashing Trackmaster and Mattel for no reason but I bash them because I love them and want them to lift their game, they make allot of engines/sets/pieces that I love, this isnt just limited to Thomas either because I am a big Hotwheels and matchbox fan too.\r
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Thanks for watching Guys and Gals!! Leave a comment I love it when you do, all opinions are welcome :)
