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Tomy Super Rail Steam Locomotives

The first train developed for Tomy's Super Rail system was the classic D-51 steam locomotive. Originally, the locomotive had two speeds as well as the reversing mechanism, but the speed-change mechanism was removed in the mid 1970s to reduce costs, with later trains having light and sound features added. In 1976 the small Klaus-type steam locomotive, based on imported German steam locomotives, was introduced as one of the range's budget locomotives as part of Tomy's effort to make Super Rail more affordable in the latter 1970s.

D-51 Steam Locomotive

The classic D-51 steam locomotive was revised and rereleased several times over Super Rail's two decades of development and was both the first and one of the last trains to be (re)introduced.

Super Rail D-51 (1972)

The initial 1972 System 1 and System 2 Super Rail sets both included a two-speed reversing D-51 that could pick up and haul freight cars. These trains, like all later D-51s, take two C batteries.

All Super Rail D-51s are number 101. The tenders connect to the engine with a pinhole coupling, and a spring underneath to hold the rear coupling in tension to facilitate the automatic coupling gimmick.

The speed change mechanism is mechanical and part of the metal-encased gearbox at the gear, with the motor vertical inside the locomotive's cab. The reversing mechanism is electrical, with the sliding plastic power switch sticking out of the front holding the reverser in neutral to turn it off. This is also how the Control Rail holds the train in neutral.

Super Rail D-51 Steam Locomotive (1974)

Starting with the late 1974 Super Rail D-51 set with bridge and continuing into the Super Rail Black series in 1975, the D-51 had its two-speed mechanism removed and the reverser changed to the simple mechanical type in one of several efforts to reduce the high cost of Super Rail in the earlier 1970s.

The later D-51s are based on the same body shell tooling as the two-speed type but have a new gearbox layout that has a mechanical reverser instead of the electrical reverser and mechanical speed-change mechanism of the original. The power switch is now a metal rotating switch that completes the circuit itself like old-power Plarail power switches and the other single-speed Super Rail switches.

Super Rail Black D-51 Steam Locomotive with Headlight (1978)

In 1978 the D-51 was redesigned to have a functioning headlight, appearing in a new lit version of the Super Rail Black D-51 Set with freight shunting action, the D-51 with Headlight Set, which was very popular in the Super Rail Black era.

Here is the single-speed chassis of a D-51 with Headlight open, with extra contact strips going up to the body shell connection behind the cylinders towards the front of the locomotive.

Super Rail Shuppo D-51 Steam Locomotive with Headlights (1986)

One of the last Super Rail trains released, appearing alongside the 100 series Shinkansen circa 1986, the Shuppo D-51 with Headlight featured a new chuffing noisemaker in the tender similar to the Plarail Shuppo D51 with "chuffing" mail car. In addition to the individual release, it also appeared in the later D-51 shunting set.