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Action Series Mini Mini Rail No 3 EF65 Electric Locomotive Set
Originally written April 6, 2025
The Mini Mini Rail Action No 3 EF65 Electric Locomotive Set (アクションNO3 SET EF65電気機関車) was released by Bandai as part of the Mini Mini Rail "Action Series" - or, as these early boxes call it, the Action Serise - with a reversing-capable freight train on a reversing-loop layout with siding. This set dates to 1976.
Set contents
| Quantity |
Item |
Photo |
|---|---|---|
| 4
pieces |
EF65 with freight cars |
 |
| 3 | 801 Long Straight Rail |
 |
| 3 | 803 Short Straight Rail |
 |
| 1 | 804 Short Straight Rail |
 |
| 1 | 805 Short Straight Rail |
 |
| 8 | 807 Long Curved Rail |
 |
| 2 | 808 Short Curved Rail |
 |
| 3 | 812 Points (Left) (one fixed and two manual) |
 |
| 1 | 815 Stop Rail |
 |
| 2 | 818 Forward/Reverse Switch Rail |
 |
| 1 | Signal |
 |
| 1 | Semaphore Signal |
 |
| 6 | Overhead Line Pole (single) |
 |
| 2 | Standing Trees (one each of two types) |
 |
| 1 | Buffer Stop |
 |
The train in this set is a small EF65 electric locomotive hauling a three-car freight train made up of a box car, container car, and brake van, all in classic JNR style. This is an early Action Series vehicle so it has a reversing lever hanging down towards the front of the right side of the locomotive and a sliding power switch on the bottom. The freight cars are nicely tooled and there is even attention paid to painting the taillights of the locomotive and brake van red.
Being an earlier Action Series set, the rail is still the original grey color. Three points, all left-handed, are included, two manual and one fixed to make a little reversing loop layout with siding for the freight train, as well as a few of the shorter varieties of straight track.
I do have the original instructions for the set - laminated, at some point, by the previous owner - or their parents, after it seems to have been torn at some point. Also included when I bought this set was a 1976 Mini Mini Rail catalogue.
The track layout has a nice reversing loop with a siding coming off of it. The two manual points are used to direct the train into the reversing loop and siding.
The point at the bottom of the siding always sends an incoming train straight through, but the reversing rails can be used to send the train back another direction. There is no automatic coupling feature for Mini Mini Rail, but locomotives can leave cars in sidings. They seem to run worse in reverse just for the fact they have to push the cars rather than pull them, much less their age (and the fact I am running this on lower-voltage rechargeable N batteries).