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Action Series Mini Mini Rail No 2 Limited Express Set

Originally written July 20, 2025

The Mini Mini Rail Action Series No 2 Limited Express Set (アクションNO2 SET特急電車) was released by Bandai as part of Mini Mini Rail's early Action Series - or, as these early boxes call it, the Action Serise. The set has an oval of track with reversing siding and an L Limited Express train with reversing chassis.

This track layout was also released with the reversing Hikari train during the early Action Series era.

Set contents

Quantity	Item	Photo
3 pieces	Limited Express Train
1	801 Long Straight Rail
8	807 Long Curved Rail
1	808 Short Curved Rail
1	812 Points (Right) (manual)
1	815 Stop Rail
2	818 Forward/Reverse Switch Rail
1	Signal
1	Semaphore Signal
4	Overhead Line Pole (single)
2	Standing Trees
1	Buffer Stop
2	N batteries

The train is a three-car 485-series L Limited Express train. The two end cars have ひばり (Hibari) headmark stickers and the middle car has two pantographs.

This generation of early Action Series chassis saw versions of the L Limited released with the reversing chassis in the front car, like shown on the box, or in the middle car as actually included in the used copy of the set that I bought. It is interesting that this variation appeared in the only two-years-or-so that these early two-N battery Action Series trains were produced. The reversing switch hangs out of the front right of the chassis with the power switch near the rear wheels.

As the No. 2 set, the layout is still fairly small, an oval with stop rail and reversing rail incorporated as well as a manually-switchable turnout leading to a reversing siding. Being an earlier Action Series set, the rail is still the original grey color.

A buffer for the siding, two types of signals, and the later more durable type of tree are included as well as overhead wire holders.

Here is the instruction sheet for the set, which show how to lay out the rails and install the batteries. Actually, there was also just the cover to a copy of the 1977 catalogue, which is a pity because I quite would have liked to scan that one...

The early Mini Mini Rail series No. 2 set was a larger oval with passing loop set, but this layout does seem a little less impressive in comparison... The reversing feature is certainly neat, and a buffered siding does perhaps show it off more than the endless loops of the old set. Click the GIFs above for the higher frame rate video versions with sound.