fall inside a hole

Basic No. 2 Set (1977)

First written June 7, 2025

The Basic No.2 Set (基本No.2 セット) was released in 1977 alongside the other first numbered Basic No. 1 and 3 sets with the then-current 0 series Shinkansen, the New Hikari, first released in 1976 and rereleased as just the Hikari in 1977. Accessories include a common commuter station of the era, two signals, two trees, and catenaries.

 

The box suggests several ways to expand the set using different track expansion packs released around the same time. The G-26 mark on the top panel implies the box was printed for 1977, which makes sense for this set - I don't think there was more than one print run, as in 1979 the set was rereleased with the new EC09 Hikari with Light as the Basic No.2 Set Hikari with Light.

Set contents

Quantity	Item	Photo
3 pieces	Hikari
1	R-01 Straight Rail (roughtop with Japan markings)
10	R-03 Curve Rail (roughtop with Japan markings)
1	R-08 Stop Rail (smooth with Japan markings)
2 pieces	R-11 Turnout Rail (one pair) (roughtop with Japan markings)
1	Station Platform
2	Signal
2	Standing Tree
4	Catenary

The Hikari in this set is the later 1970s blue-bonnet New Hikari train.

This train uses an early plastic old-power gearbox and was an all-new tooling for 1976, with a new power car chassis and body shell as well as the first entirely new intermediate car tooling (previous intermediate cars had all been direct descendants and modifications of the original 1964 Super Express Hikari tooling, although the power and tail cars had previously been changed. More early Plarail Hikari information can be seen on this page).

All rails in this set were manufactured in Japan and are of the roughtop variety except for the stop rail, which is a completely smooth older "thin" stop rail. The curve rails are one of the varieties produced in both orientations.

The platform Station in this set is the mid 1970s design with reinforced blue base and the earlier style of orange roof before the tooling was updated circa 1978 for the Station Platform

The trees and signals are of the late 70s variety with Japan molded into the red bases but nowhere else. Four electrical catenary marked on one side as made in Japan are also included.

Oddly, the box suggests that you place the stop rail on the opposite side of the layout from the station, letting the Hikari stop seemingly in the middle of nowhere. It can, of course, be moved in front of the station.

The No.2 Set layout was reused in many sets over the years and features a basic oval with passing loop. The 0 series is a classic Plarail train - the first to be based on a real train - and such an iconic train overall. The Basic sets are all intended to be good entry sets, and although they are basic and made up of off-the-shelf accessories and trains they are still nice little sets.

Set name	Basic No.2 Set 基本No.2 セット	Release period	1977-1978
Train rating		Track rating
Accessory rating		Overall
Notes:

rationale page