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Tomy Super Rail Electric & Diesel Locomotives

Over its two decades a variety of different electric and diesel type locomotives were released for Tomy's Super Rail system, from very small and inexpensive DD-20 to the two-speed EF-66 with headlights and controllable whistle, the most complex train in the lineup.

ED-75 Electric Locomotive (Later 1972)

After the initial D-51 System 1 and 2 sets, the ED-75 was introduced seemingly in later 1972 in the even larger System 3 set. It wears the headmark of the Yuzuru service on the Tohoku mainline, a sleeper express train.

The locomotive has an electrical reverser like the early D-51 as well as two speeds with a mechanical shifter. Like other trains in the series, the reversing and changing of speeds is accomplished by use of static clip-in inserts on regular straight rails or specific control tracks.

In addition to appearing in several of the 1973-1974 "10s" System sets, the ED-75 appeared again in red in the early Super Rail Black era in the ED-75 Set and in 1979 a blue ED-75 was released individually and in the Blue Train Set.

DD-20 Diesel Engine (~1974)

Seeing as many of the original Super Rail sets, even the smaller ones, were expensive by nature of the large multi-speed locomotives, the smaller DD-20 Diesel Engine with a very simple reversing mechanism was produced towards the end of the original Super Rail run and was released in a small set. The diesel was rereleased individually and in sets in the Super Rail Black era and was also produced for the North American Switch-A-Rail sets.

EF-66 Electric Locomotive (1979)

In 1979 a new two-speed train, the large EF-66 electric locomotive, was introduced in a freight set with two sidings. This was the first new two-speed train since the original D-51 and ED-75s in 1972, and the last new one added to the range.

EF-66 Electric Locomotive with Headlights and Whistle (1980)

The EF-66 was soon revised with headlights and the only whistle in a Super Rail locomotive - controllable, of course, by clip-in rail pieces. It was released individually and reappeared in the later 1980s Super Rail era in the Blue Train EF-66 Set. It can couple and uncouple from both ends - very neat for different freight operations, or making the locomotive reverse around to the other end of its train at a terminal station.

The train takes two C batteries and has the reversing and speed-changing mechanism built into the rear bogie. The front bogie rotates like usual for other Super Rail bogies and the middle wheelsets are on another light truck that slides from side to side and can lift up and drop down as well as angle all fairly freely.

The powered truck is four-wheel drive and has a mechanical reverser and speed-changing mechanism. Unscrewing the detailed side plate pieces allows for the bogie to be unclipped from its swiveling support arm and shows the horizontal motor that drives the wheels. Unlike the early 1970s trains with electric reversers, this gearbox has a mechanical reverser like single-speed Super Rail trains as well as a mechanical gear shifter.

In the front of the train are two incandescent bulbs and an electric beeper - I was almost expecting an acoustic horn, and I almost would have preferred it or some other tone less reminiscent of a smoke detector.

DD-51 Diesel Locomotive with Headlights (1980)

In 1980 the neat three-bogied DD-51 with headlights was released, another very nice big locomotive from the mid period of Super Rail Black where new nice large trains were being added to the range.