fall inside a hole

Remote Control System (1990)

First written March 23, 2024

In 1990 a remote and two switch tracks were released individually as part of the Remote Control System. Although designed to eventually handle four accessories in "A" to "D" channels, only "A" and "B" remote control switches were ever released. A Super Hikari set in 1990 included the remote and one switch as well as a remote control Super Hikari with its own separate remote. The remote and switches were seemingly only produced in Japan and remained on sale until around 1993.

E-01 Remote Control Controller

The Remote Control Controller (リモコンコントローラー) is the main control unit for the remote control system and is required to actuate the two released switch accessories. The boxes for the remote control system series items has this nice silvery PLA RAIL text and heavily features a black power switch Japan-made 100 series 2-Speed Shinkansen. The ST number on the boxed control system accessories I have are all ST-0, indicating the boxes were printed in 1990. I am not sure when exactly additional runs of the switches may have been made, or if overstock of the initial batches is what eventually led to no additional accessories being released. The box makes a note of C and D being planned for use with future accessories. It does seem that these accessories were fairly expensive and also could not be used alone, requiring you buy at least the controller and one switch to actually be able to do anything.

The remote control has four large orange buttons labeled A to D. The accessory switches (and, presumably, whatever else may have been planned to be released) come with stickers to place over the letter to indicate which accessory you have that it will control. Another reflective sticker on the molded plastic shows faux indicators. I am not sure how much it looks like a real Japanese railway point switching machine, but it sort of looks a little bit like a cash register to me.

...especially from the rear, where the large protruding orange section has a transparent window over its infrared emitter that also looks like the diffuser placed over LED displays on cash registers and other machines.

The bottom of the controller is dated 1989 and has the compartment for four AA batteries. The inside box flaps have some battery information. The remote control does seem to be more common than the switches (I have two or three remotes and only one of each switch, and I have heard others have only the remote).

E-02 Remote Control Point Rail (A)

The Remote Control Point Rail (A) (リモコンポイントレール(A)) is a remote control point rail that branches off to the left with a concave entry connector and two convex branch connectors. The track base is a darker blue matching that of TomyTrain or Tomy Express (it even has a deep red directional lever) with an orange battery cover like a LEGO-stud style patch on top and an exaggerated signal with lights to indicate which position it is set in.

The remote control switches take two C batteries in series under a clip-on cover. A red power switch around the rear turns the switch on and off. Although there is no way to get the other orientation of switch without buying the B switch shown below, the track connectors are designed in such a way where the large switch base actually has all concave connectors and screwed-in insert "dogbone" pieces make any particular connector convex instead, and with a small screwdriver the dogbones can be moved around. You could also remove them entirely and just use regular joint rails or dogbone connectors when using these switches so it is easier to fit them into more layouts.

The light in the signal switches back and forth (and also shines out of the upper red portion, especially when illuminating the higher blue straight through position). The switch can be actuated fairly quickly. I will at some point open up and document the inner workings of these switches - in particular, I want to see if I can get a second switch of either type (perhaps ideally a boxed A type) and get it to operate on the C or D signals.

E-03 Remote Control Point Rail (B)

The Remote Control Point Rail (B) (リモコンポイントレール(B)) is a remote control point rail that branches off to the right with a convex entry connector and two concave branch connectors.

My B-type switch was purchased with the boxed remote shown above and is seemingly unused. The foam inserts and separate bags for the battery compartment cover and the small sticker to put on the remote controller are all present. 

Unlike the controller and A switch, the Tomy mark on the bottom of the B switch is dated 1990. Likely, the remote and one switch were developed throughout 1989 and then the B switch was prepared for production based heavily on the already developed A switch so that all three could release in 1990.

All together I do think the remote control system is very neat and I love the idea of having a few remote control switches at key points on a layout to control its operation. If you had multiple A or B switches they would all fire together which could be interesting to play around with and combining this concept with an automated Round-Trip Plarail yard or similar is also very enticing. It would be even cooler (and more expensive) if Tomy had produced C or D switches or especially if there had been lighting or other motorized/actuated accessories for the C and D channels. You could have lighting control for different yards or stations or have multiple lights on one channel that all come on at once - or are flipped out of sync so they swap. A way to swap what channel or IR code devices are triggered by - a four-way A-B-C-D switch - on each device would let you sequence specific actions to all take place at once. All of this, of course, would have made the accessories even more expensive, and it seems that they were not incredibly popular in the first place.

Click for longer video with sound!

I got a controller and both my switches out when I set up my Tomy Express Multi-Set 1 as it uses matching dark blue rails. I had to swap some of the connectors on the A switch to get it to sit how I wanted. I figured it was fitting to run a 100 series Shinkansen around these switches as well.

Click for longer video with sound!