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Bandai Mini Mini Rail
Bandai produced and sold the Mini Mini Rail (ミニミニレール) series of train toys in Japan from 1975 until around 1982. The range features fairly small trains about the same size as N scale trains and aimed to be a more toylike alternative to N scale, which was more expensive and primarily imported into Japan in the 1970s until ranges and makers like Tomix and Gakken began to expand Japanese N scale production and the Japanese N scale market, leading to the N scale boom and the surviving prevalence of N scale in Japan. Bandai had released a similar series of battery powered cars as the Mini Mini Car series the year before - the small size of these cars relative to traditional diecast cars which are often referred to as "mini cars" (this is where the mi and ca in Tomica come from - Tomy mini car) seems to be where the "Mini Mini" name comes from. Other toys like Tomy's Super Rail also aimed to offer an N scale alternative toy train system, and lived on for longer than Mini Mini Rail, and Bandai released the B Train Shorty series of toy trains even closer in gauge to N scale trains in the 2000s. Bandai also released the "My Rail" or Myrail series in 1975 which was a slightly larger size but far less fleshed-out as a range, featuring only a few types of train and rail before it was discontinued in favor of Mini Mini Rail.
An archived version of an old Japanese website that covers many other Mini Mini Rail sets and trains can be found here.
Trains
Mini Mini Rail trains are typically three-car sets, with the motor and batteries located either in the locomotive or the intermediate car of the train. Mini Mini Rail trains use pin-style couplings which are easiest to assemble by putting down the locomotive or lead car and then adding more cars onto the end. All of the non-steam locomotive trains are designed to use the same chassis, with the longer unpowered intermediate and tail cars using a dummy chassis with the same footprint.
The original trains were simply on-off with a metal power switch protruding out the side. Two N-size batteries are held in with the help of a plastic clip. The initial set lineup was the 0 series Shinkansen Hikari, the JNR 103 series commuter train in four colors, and the D-51, which used a unique chassis with siderods. Each of these trains was sold in all three sizes of the early No. 1, 2, and 3 sets. The EF65 was also sold in an individual box with freight cars towards the end of this early period.
The original chassis was adapted for the Action Series in 1976 to include a electrical reversing switch hanging out of the front right where the power switch previously was. The power switch changed to a sliding switch on the underside which also interlocked with an electrical cutout switch that could be activated by the stop rails, with the stopping and reversing features being introduced with the Action Series. Most trains were converted to use the first Action Series chassis in 1976, and new sets after 1976 appears to pretty much all be Action Series. New trains were released for the Action Series around 1976 included using the EF-65 tooling for an EF-71 and new limited express 485 and 583 series trains, as well as retiring the unidirectional D-51 with the coach-pushed or pulled C-62 in 1977.
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The chassis was completely redesigned to use a AA battery instead of two N batteries for the later Action Series, with AAs being much more common even in the day. The motor was changed to be mounted at an angle at the rear of the chassis with the reversing lever now centralized on the right side of the locomotive. The wheels also moved closer together and gained axle-box guards. Here are three EF-65s of these three different production types as well as their chassis' - note the often-broken plastic battery clips on the earlier two N battery types.
Later Action Series trains that were not hauled by a locomotive had the power chassis installed in the middle car, so it was equally pulling and pushing the train in either direction - locomotive-headed sets often have a harder time reversing and pushing the train back up the track. There were two different steam locomotive chassis, the earlier D-51 which used two N batteries and a later unpowered C-62 with powered coach. Many toolings were reused with different plastic and paint colors to represent different trains and liveries as well as colors of freight cars.
The later Action Series did see the introduction of new trains like the 200 series Shinkansen, private railway trains like the old-paint-color Skyliner, and even foreign trains like the TGV.
Trains were sold in sets and individually early on in boxes and later in carded blister packs as three-piece trains. Early Action Series train came on green cards which were followed by orange cards. At the end of its life, private railway and other trains were released on blue cards.
Rail & Accessories
Mini Mini Rail track and accessories are covered on their own page
Sets
Mini Mini Rail sets ranged from basic oval sets up to large branching sets with double track sections and elevation. Early sets with the two N battery trains were generally smaller with later sets having larger layouts and more track varieties
Early Mini Mini Rail sets
When Mini Mini Rail was introduced in 1975 there were three numbered sizes of sets; the oval No. 1 set, the oval-with-passing-loop No. 2 set, and the larger double oval with turnouts and crossover rail No. 3 set. Each of these sets was sold with in D-51, Hikari, and National Railway versions. A No. 2 set with D-51 and two freight cars also appeared in this generation. These early boxes proclaim that they are the smallest in the world that run on batteries.
| Year | Set name | Description | Photo |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2271 Mini Mini Rail No. 1 National Set (Hikari, D-51 Locomotive, National Railways) | The earliest Mini Mini Rail set, with a different design of box and cover, an oval set sold with the three initial types of trains | National Railways version can be seen here | |
| 1975 | 2272 Mini Mini Rail No. 1 Hikari Set | Oval set with 0 series Shinkansen | |
| 1975 | 2273 Mini Mini Rail No. 1 D-51 Locomotive Set | Oval set with D-51, tender, and passenger car |
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| 1975 | 2274 Mini Mini Rail No. 1 National Railways Set | Second No. 1 style set with JNR 103 series in four different colors | |
| 1975 | 2275 Mini Mini Rail No. 2 D-51 Locomotive Freight Car Set | Medium oval with inner loop set with D-51 with freight cars | Can be seen here |
| 1975 | 2276 Mini Mini Rail No. 2 Hikari Set | Earlier oval with passing loop set with Hikari Shinkansen |
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| 1975 | 2277 Mini Mini Rail No. 2 D-51 Locomotive Set | Passing loop set with D-51 steam locomotive and passenger car | Can be seen here |
| 1975 | 2278 Mini Mini Rail No. 2 National Railway Set | Medium number 2 set with 103 series commuter train - green, in this case |
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| 1975 | 2280 Mini Mini Rail No. 3 Hikari Set | Large set with Hikari | |
| 1975 | 2281 Mini Mini Rail No. 3 D-51 Locomotive Set | Overlapping loop set with D-51 and passenger car | |
| 1975 | Mini Mini Rail No. 3 National Railways Set | Loop and crossing set with National Railways train in one of four colors |
Action Serise Mini Mini Rail sets (1976-1977)
In 1976 most of the Mini Mini Rail range was converted over to use the first version of the reversing chassis that used two N batteries. The original yellow and green boxed sets from 1976 were a No. 1 oval set, a No. 2 oval with siding, a No. 3 oval with reversing loop and siding, and the new No. 4 set with double rail and an elevated section as well, all with reversing and stop rails to show off the train's action features. The early boxes called this the Action Serise (sic)
| Year | Set name | Description | Photo |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1977 | 2288 Action Serise Mini Mini Rail No 2 Limited Express Set | Oval with inner siding set with early Action Series L Limited Express | |
| 1976 | 2289 Action Serise Mini Mini Rail No 3 EF65 Electric Locomotive Set | Early Action Series set with EF65-led freight train with a reversing loop and siding |
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| 2291 Action Serise Mini Mini Rail No 2 Hikari Set | Oval with siding set with reversing Hikari | ||
| 2293 Action Serise Mini Mini Rail No 3 Sleeper Express Train Set | Reversing loop oval set with 583 series Sleeper Express train | ||
| 2294 Action Serise Mini Mini Rail No 1 Hikari Set | Basic oval set with Action Series Hikari... but none of the action rails | ||
| Action Serise Mini Mini Rail No 4 Hikari Set | Largest set with double-track section and elevated portion with 0 series Shinkansen |
Action Series Mini Mini Rail sets (~1978-~1982)
The second wave of Action Series sets came with the development of the AA chassis. These sets were larger, with the No. 1 set still being an oval but the No. 2 set incorporating double track curves and three turnouts. The No. 3 sets of the generation featured gimmicks like automatic coupling or more complex accessories. The large No. 4 set also returned.
| Year | Set name | Description | Photo |
|---|---|---|---|
| 16301 Action Series Mini Mini Rail No. 1 Shinkansen Hikari Set | Small Hikari set with stop and reversing rails making up the side of the oval | ||
| 16302 Action Series Mini Mini Rail No. 1 C-62 Steam Locomotive Set | Oval set with new reversing steam locomotive C-62 - because the power car is in the coach | ||
| 16305 Action Series Mini Mini Rail No. 2 Express Train Set | Double track reversing No. 2 set with 485 series train | ||
| 16315 Action Series Mini Mini Rail No. 3 EF71 Electric Locomotive Horn Set | Action Series loop set with siding and whistling railroad crossing |
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| 16316 Action Series Mini Mini Rail No. 3 Automatic Coupling Action EF-71 Electric Locomotive Set | The only coupling gimmick-equipped Mini Mini Rail set, with EF-71, freight train, and double track crossover loop with switches | ||
| 16318 Action Series Mini Mini Rail No. 4 Hikari Shinkansen 3D Set | Largest set layout with elevated section and reversing Hikari | ||
| 16321 Action Series Mini Mini Rail No. 2 Blue Train Set | Action Series number two set with reversing loop, double rail section, and Blue Train sleeper express |
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| 16322 Action Series Mini Mini Rail No. 2 DD51 Diesel Locomotive Set | |||
| 16324 Action Series Mini Mini Rail No. 2 Tohoku Joetsu Shinkansen Set | No. 2 set with new 200 series Shinkansen |
Later Action Series sets
In the early 1980s the boxes were redesigned again to have a green background with a large promotional layout shown on the front. Sets began to included papercraft buildings. The numbers were dropped from these releases but followed a similar format. The last sets from right before the range was discontinued had large illustrations of the trains included on the front.
| Year | Set name | Description | Photo |
|---|---|---|---|
| 16330 Action Series Mini Mini Rail Basic Tohoku Joetsu Shinkansen Set | No. 1-style oval set with reversing rail and 200 series Shinkansen in illustrated "train" box | Can be seen here | |
| 16331 Mini Mini Rail Action Series Shinkansen Hikari Set | Green box No. 1 set equivalent with reversing Hikari and papercraft shed | ||
| Action Series Mini Mini Rail Blue Train Set | Double track loop set with siding and EF-65 hauled Blue Train from the "green box" era | ||
| 16333 Action Series Mini Mini Rail Tohoku Joetsu Shinkansen Set | Papercraft-era No. 2-style set with 200 series Shinkansen |
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| 16334 Action Series Mini Mini Rail TGV French Express Set | No. 2-style set with TGV train in an illustration style box | ||
| 16346 Action Series Mini Mini Rail L Limited Express Set | "Train" style box 485 series set with the largest No. 4 style layout |
Catalogues
I have thus far come across one Mini Mini Rail catalogue dating to 1976 around the introduction of the Action Series.
| Year | Name | Description | Photo |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1976 | Mini Mini Rail For You | 1976 Mini Mini Rail catalogue |
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