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D-51 Express Train Set (early 1970s)

First written August 31, 2023

The D51 Express Train Set (きゅうこうれっしゃ セット) was a very basic set featuring the D51 and two 10-series passenger cars. The Biglobe Plarail Museum shows an example with a later coach molding and a box that looks to be dated G-22 for 1973, and it seems like production may have spanned across both generations of coach. That version contains early roughtop rails which would make sense for a 1974 release with the updated coaches. There is a seemingly uncollected Basic Set D51 from some time in the early 1970s that may be identical to this set and may have been where my components originated - or, indeed, they could have been pieced together sometime in the last 50 years. My copy of the set was bought without a box and with varied track moldings so it may have never been a true example of this set at all.

Set contents

Quantity	Item	Photo
3 pieces	D-51 Express Train (early D51 with metal crank pins and two 10-series coaches)
2	R-01 Straight Rail (later smooth rails)
8	R-03 Curve Rail (later smooth rails)
1	Signal
1	Standing tree
2	Catenaries

This early example of a Plarail D51 has a different design of coupling rod with metal crank pins. This style of coupling rod was used on steam locomotives before the later split style with integrated plastic crank pin was developed. The metal gearbox has black sides, possibly to blend in through the cab windows, and uses the early black drive tires that seem to hold up better over time than the later drive tires. The drive wheels use thinner black traction tires that also seem to hold up better over time. The gearbox includes the clicking "chuffing" mechanism.

The D51 Express Train was first released in 1971 and originally featured 10 series passenger coaches with the same molding as the 1960's Electric Super Express Hikari intermediate car, meaning they included pantographs for the first few years of production. Around 1974 the coach was remolded without the pantographs.

A number of sets in the 1970s included this same basic layout with an oval of track, one tree, one signal, and two catenaries. The red bases and inside of the tree are marked Japan while the tree trunk and the upper components of the older style black plastic signal are unmarked. The overhead catenaries are also unmarked. It is a little funny to include catenaries in a steam locomotive set, but I suppose the coaches do have pantographs.

All rails in this set were manufactured in Japan and are smooth with no tread. My loose copy of the set included a mix of late smooth rails with added circle around the center molding pip and slightly earlier rails, which were probably mixed together by the original owner.