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R-02 Half Straight Rail

The half straight rail (1/2ちょくせんレール or 直線レール) was introduced in 1974 as number 34 in the old product numbering scheme and R-02 under the 1987 system. The individual release contains six half straight rails and cost 300 yen throughout the 80s and 90s. I do not believe completely smooth half straight rails were ever produced, with roughtop half straight rails being the earliest type sold.

Roughtop rails (1974-1990)

Half straight rails were first introduced with roughtop tread in 1974. Older moldings are prone to splitting at the track connectors as the plastic contracts with age.

These examples circa 1977 are in rather nice shape. These half straight rails have marks going across the entire width of the rail a short way down from the outboard connector.

Later, JAPAN text was added to the base of the rail near the molding number mark. Sometime around or a little before 1987 some of the common rails were given fresh roughtop Japanese toolings with neater Japan text and smaller slot number identifiers. In the 90s some of these toolings were updated with treaded rail surfaces.

Treaded rail (1990-)

With the beginning of Plarail production in Thailand in 1989 many types of rail quickly began being produced in Thailand including these early Thailand treaded half straight rails with Thailand molding marks on the rear. Throughout the 1970s, 80s, and 90s, half straight rails were relatively uncommon in sets.

Rail production also continued in Japan, with some sets having rails from one region or another (mostly based on where most of their other components were produced). Roughtop Japanese rail toolings were updated with tread over the existing roughtop surface for the 1990s, as seen here on this circa 1992 Japan-production half straight rail.

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