Raving Toy Maniac

Newest GUINNESS WORLD RECORDS® Title Presented to TOMY for World's Tallest Toy Train Track

TOMY set the GUINNESS WORLD RECORDS® title for Tallest Toy Train Track, building tower that reached 17 feet 4 inches with innovative Chuggington StackTrack™, in front of hundreds of excited kids and their families on Saturday, May 11, 2013.

OAK BROOK, Ill., May 13, 2013 -- TOMY, the maker of the innovative Chuggington StackTrack™ Railway System, set a GUINNESS WORLD RECORDS® title for Tallest Toy Train Track on Saturday, May 11, 2013. The record-setting train track, constructed with Chuggington StackTrack - a durable die-cast railway system that enables kids to build vertical toy train layouts - towered 17 feet 4 inches tall. In order to set the GUINNESS WORLD RECORDS title for World's Tallest Toy Train Track, TOMY Master Builder Jason Moreno and his helpers needed to construct a layout utilizing the Chuggington StackTrack die-cast railway track that met or exceeded 9 feet 8 inches in height, and a commercially available Chuggington StackTrack die-cast railway train had to travel from the top of the track all the way down to the bottom. Hundreds of kids and their families watched in anticipation and were delighted as the engine completed its journey down the spiraling StackTrack tower.

Moreno constructed the larger-than-life toy train layout as part of the Grand Centennial Parade of Trains in Vanderbilt Hall in New York City's Grand Central Terminal. The building began at 8:00 a.m. and was completed at 1:00 p.m., in time for the GUINNESS WORLD RECORDS Adjudicator to authenticate the record-setting event and present the certificate to a delighted TOMY crew.

"This is a very exciting achievement for our company and for Chuggington StackTrack," states Willie Wilkov, TOMY's VP of Marketing Communications and Branding. "We are proud and honored to now be counted among the select GUINNESS WORLD RECORDS title holders."

TOMY Master Builder Jason Moreno adds, "I went into the build being 100% confident we could set the record, but I'm not going to say it was easy!" Moreno worked on the build, which featured nearly 1,000 track pieces for more than five hours. "It was exhilarating and when that train made it through more than 140 spiraling turns and hit the bottom, I am sure you could hear the cheers and screams throughout Grand Central Terminal!"

Inspired by Chuggington's modern characters and fast-paced adventures, TOMY's Chuggington StackTrack die-cast railway combines train and construction play in a full line of toys. The line features playsets and high-performance engines that allow budding engineers to build tall, spiraling toy train layouts. Easy to connect and simple enough for preschoolers to build on their own, the Chuggington StackTrack die-cast railway system is a durable and sturdy solution for adding elevation to train sets and creating amazing action.

About Grand Centennial Parade of Trains

An extraordinary assembly of historic train cars spanning the heyday of luxury rail travel, as well as the latest in railroad technology, will be on display together for the first time at the free and family-friendly "Grand Centennial Parade of Trains" weekend, which is part of Grand Central Terminal's ongoing Centennial celebration. The historic train cars, including an observation car from the iconic 20th Century Limited – arguably the most famous train in the world – will come from across the country to Grand Central Terminal. Accompanying the private train cars will be a number of cars from Metro-North Railroad's collection, including the newest in the Metro-North fleet, the M8 commuter car that was introduced in 2011, and cars from predecessor railroads serving the New York region. In addition, an area of Vanderbilt Hall will be transformed into "Kid Junction," which will be full of free activities for children and families to enjoy, including an activity area and a modular train display from the "Chuggington" animated train series and creative activities led by New York Transit Museum staff and The New York Botanical Garden. Metro-North employees will staff departmental demonstrations, where families can learn how many functions support a smooth-running railroad. In conjunction with the "Grand Centennial Parade of Trains," many of Grand Central Terminal's retail tenants will offer special deals and promotions on May 11 and 12. An updated list of specials will be posted on http://www.grandcentralterminal.com. These offers are good while supplies last and are subject to change.

About Chuggington™

Chuggington is a contemporary, action based, energetic and vibrant CGI series for children aged 2 – 5 years. The series follows the adventures of three young trainees - Wilson and his friends Brewster and Koko – as they ride the rails and take on exciting challenges that test their courage, speed and determination. Along the way, and with help and support from a strong community of engines and people, they learn positive values and new skills empowering them to become the best trainees they can be. Further information is available at http://www.chuggington.com.

About TOMY International

TOMY International (http://www.tomy.com) is a leading global designer, producer and marketer of a broad range of innovative, high-quality toys sold to preschoolers, youths and adults under the TOMY®, Ertl®, Johnny Lightning® and Tomica® brands as well as products for mothers, infants and toddlers marketed under its The First Years®, Lamaze, JJ Cole® Collections and Boon® brands. TOMY International also markets its products under popular and classic licensed properties such as Chuggington, Pokemon, Dinosaur Train, John Deere, Disney's Winnie the Pooh, Princesses, Cars, Fairies and Toy Story, and other well-known properties. TOMY International's mission is to inspire and fulfill the dreams of children and parents worldwide. TOMY International reaches its target consumers through multiple channels of distribution supporting more than 25,000 retail outlets throughout North and South America, Europe and Australia. TOMY International is a wholly owned subsidiary of Japan-based TOMY Company, Ltd. (Tokyo Stock Exchange Code No. 7867). © TOMY