Original Benkei Too Tall?????

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Was the original Benkei so tall that it had to come with riser extenders to make it under? The original was much bigger than the later re-release. Can anyone translate the instructions printed inside the cover of the box pictured below?



[Image: i-img1198x898-1577787107eoooht435711.jpg] [Image: i-img1198x898-1577787107hiewpx435711.jpg] [Image: ben2.jpg]
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  • Off The Rails
(12-31-2019, 04:04 PM)Super Wrote: Was the original Benkei so tall that it had to come with riser extenders to make it under?
Not got time to work on a translation this year, and the Kanji characters are too blurry for me to make them out easily, but I have absolutely no doubt that this is the case. I noticed these little yellow jobs on the Plarail Museum website a while ago, and came to the same conclusion.
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OK, here's the relevant page at the Plarail Museum. It compares the old and new versions of the Plarail Benkei:

http://www2u.biglobe.ne.jp/~akeda/DOLL/p...awari6.htm

The text before the pictures relates to the circumstances of the release of the new version and aren't particularly relevant here, just to say that the new one was a re-issue of the Mickey Steamer. The pictures themselves are self-explanatory.

[Image: image.png]

The final paragraph says that the proportions of the old product are much closer to the original (i.e. the real thing), but because of this the chimney is too high and it cannot pass under elevated tracks; therefore they made parts for raising them up - the yellow pieces on the right of the inner box. He also says that the original mould no longer exists.

The table at the bottom scores the two versions, old on the top line, new below, in eight categories. These are intended to be taken light-heartedly (あまり本気にしないでね = don't be too serious)!:
Proportions, Atmosphere, Taste, Driving Performance, Commitment, Package Design, Obtainability, Comprehensive Evaluation.
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  • Super
Thanks Dr Chris (I don't recognize you with the new Avatar)

Great information. Every time I look at that Plarail Museum I yearn for larger pictures but I imagine that the site was developed way back when people were limited on their megabytes they were allowed by their ISP's and the space & cost needed for a Web Site. Wasn't that when the term 'Thumbnail' was invented?

The original mould does not exist??? I always assumed that it was that mould along with some modification (poor ones IMO) that they used for the re-release of the Yoshitsune 7100-7105 that was released together with the Kyoto Railway Museum a couple of years ago. Maybe the no longer had the mould but they did retain the drawing/specs/schematic.




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These yellow extenders are only found in the Benkei Set and the individual Benkei train box.

Those yellow extenders only work for the old piers, won't work for new ones. Plus they sell for a high price. It is a miracle if these are found on auctions.
(This post was last modified: 01-10-2020, 05:21 AM by Super.)
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  • Super
Thanks Vio. You have to be right about finding them as I have never seen them. I am sure those were easily lost in the bottom of toy boxes or under couch cushions.
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