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Bandai Mini Mini Rail Catalog (1975)

Catalogue from 1975 showing the early non-reversing Bandai Mini Mini Rail range with three sizes of sets and the only trains being the Hikari, D-51, and JNR 103 series. Click photos for full size

The cover shows the promotional layout also used on the common Mini Mini Rail sets of this early era.

The left page points out some of the features of Mini Mini Rail - that it is the world's smallest train that runs on the smallest battery, that the design is intricate and like a model train, and that there is a wide variety of parts that can be used to make different layouts. The right page shows the oval No.1 set and passing loop No.2 set.

The largest initial set, a large oval with slight asymmetrical crossing loop. All three layouts were available with all three of the initial trains, the Hikari Shinkansen, D-51 Steam Locomotive, and National Railways Train in four colors.

Track and accessory packs - I believe the pictured rail packs did all come out, but I don't think I have seen this style of tunnel or the neat red and blue roof stations with rear walls.

 The left page gives the numbers and names of the different rails in the range at the time, although to be honest I do not think I have seen the 917 crossover point with turnout control, 818 crossover point, or 821 double track straight rail and 823 double track crossover point. Then, a few track plans are shown.

Some of these layouts are neat, although I don't think any of them use any of the rails I mentioned above...

A double track loop which seems like they could have made it fit the double track curves... maybe these layouts were designed before the double rail curves and some other types of rail were developed? The page on the right talks about starting with one of the numbered sets and adding onto it - they mention a few products I don't believe I have seen, an EF-58 and EF-80 listed alongside the EF-65 that did appear late in the original pre-Action Series era with a D-51 hauled freight train with some of the cargo cars listed.

The left page shows the Mini Mini Car series, which first appeared in 1974, and were also battery-powered - this is where the Mini Mini part of the name comes from (it seems to me that Mini Mini Rail was longer-lived and better-surviving). The right page has other Bandai vehicle toys as well as a second advertisement for packs of pairs of N batteries, the "smallest battery in the world" and Bandai and other manufactures used on some toys in the 1970s. N batteries were harder to find even in the day and the Mini Mini Rails series was redesigned to use a AA battery in the later 1970s.

The back of this catalogue has the original owner's wish list written on the back.