Continuation of BigLobe Plarail Museum

I saw the 3 car set a month ago too, but the chassis was mistakenly mixed with another SL. But I did not see the set with the turntable at all this year. The turntable is a masterpiece, but it is way too common and the price is too high now... there is a reprint of the turntable in blue or green that uses diamond connectors and has less rail ports (for Thomas sets)

Phantom Gem 64: ちかてつふくせんセット　Double Track Subway Set

Finally, the clear images of the set surfaced online being the only 1 of the 2 sources in the world. Actual manufacture period is unknown, but sales started around 1973? as estimated from the subway 3 car set. Today is the very first time that this set was ever exhibited. Blue 90 degree curve is ultra rare, only found in the already known phantom gem Cross Hanebashi Set and this set, never released as a single item. Subway train is silver plated, so grimy hands from sweat and body oils will ruin the paint. Rubber gloves is best used to handle the trains.

Oh...wow...I didn't know that...I had never heard of 90 degree blue tracks, wow. I love learning about new things. I would imagine they discontinued those due to derailments of longer trains. There are 90 degree dark grey tracks that were released with the 2016 Rainbow Bridge set that was meant for Bertie to roll on. Rainbow Bridge Set

I had always liked that station platform in that set as the seats looks the right size for HO figures. Wasn't this platform or some variation of it, also available in other sets?

(05-31-2020, 01:57 PM)Super Wrote: Wasn't this platform or some variation of it, also available in other sets?

Yes, the already known phantom gem Chinese Plarail Sets and as single items. This station is known as Shanghai Station, and has terrible colour combinations like other Chinese Red Arrow and Kintetsu Vista Car.


 

(05-31-2020, 01:57 PM)Super Wrote: 90 degree dark grey tracks

Those are not the same mold. The 90 degree curves have different colours: red, yellow, blue. I have red so far.

Thanks Vio

Wow, so there are more 90 degree tracks made other than those blue ones in red and yellow?

The Cross Hanebashi Set has all the colours, but that is cream of cream rarity. Only our team leader and or course the Plarail Museum is known to have the set at the moment. (The set with the single deck yellow EF-15) http://nayuho.hatenablog.jp/entry/2018/10/22/190229

Thank you Vio. Here is a picture from your Link...

(03-29-2020, 04:11 PM)Vio Wrote: Phantom Gem 54: All Groove-less Tokai Express Trains Until 5th Generation EC Box

The groove-less Tokais have been fairly common over the last month, so we decided to not classify it as a true phantom gem anymore. Lots of them are seen in driving events and in auctions. The 4th generation boxed Tokais (only with the box) will still be counted.

Therefore we replaced it with another item:

Phantom Gem 54: プレートガーター　Plate Garter

Released in 1975, and quickly became out of print in early 1976. It is a single item, but not released in a set. Today it is extremely difficult to obtain, and only the people who have the rail will know that it is rare. It's extremely hard plastic and the shape allows it to withstand the weight of passing trains without a dedicated pier in the middle. This plate garter also has a rail molded behind. The more it extended, the more it bends. So the ideal number of plate garters in an extended plate garter bridge is 3.

(05-31-2020, 01:40 PM)Vio Wrote: Phantom Gem 64: ちかてつふくせんセット　Double Track Subway Set

Today is the very first time that this set was ever exhibited.

I'm sorry, 2 were exhibited in auctions before, making it the 3rd one. The images are only available from 2 sources online. The set was never exhibited in Expo, Driving Events and TV shows.

To add on to facts: Last time, プラレ番長 (the owner of the Museum) did not expect a subway train set. When it was delivered to him, the greatest shock of his Plarail collecting career hit him very hard until he had a slight trauma leading him to exclude the set from the main set list and claim it as one of his personal favourites although he did not own the set, and also stop posting new entries in the museum after 2009, the final post year. In that page, he did explain why he removed the set from the set catalogue in a very distressed manner: "オレの衝撃は果てしなく大きかったぜ。全くプラレール、侮り難しだ". The tone of his language, the expression of seeing an unknown set so late in his career. It was undeniable.

I never thought the red Plate Garter Bridges were made to be used upside down. I assumed that the track piece on the bottom was so it set in the brick piers perfectly like a regular blue rail fit. Also, did Plarail actually make these bridges to be connected without the use of a pier in the middle or is this just something that a user did like connecting 2 Subway Tunnels without the use of a middle pier. I do have 2 of these red Plate Garter bridges..