fall inside a hole
E4 Max Depot Rail Set (2006)
First written March 30, 2025
The E4 Max Depot Rail Set (E4 Max車両基地レールセット) was released in April 2006 and featured the new vehicle depot rail yard accessory as well as the first E4 Max with the magnetic coupling mechanism in the tail car.
Set contents| Quantity |
Item |
Photo |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | E4 Max Shinkansen (coupling specification) | |
| 10 | R-01 Straight Rail |
 |
| 1 | R-02 Half Straight Rail |
 |
| 8 | R-03 Curve Rail |
 |
| 2 |
Double Turnout Rail |
 |
| 4 | Maintenance Rail |
 |
| 2 | Specialized Overhead Lines | |
| 4 | Dedicated Signal | |
| 4 | Buffers (grey) |
 |
The train in this set is the double-decker E4 "MAX" Shinkansen. The Plarail E4 Shinkansen Max was first released in the late 1990s but this set is the first to feature the E4 with the magnetic connection ability introduced in the early-mid 2000s. The real E4 trains run as two coupled trainsets, so this would let you assemble a more realistic train... if you bought more than one of them.
The tail car has the somewhat clunky sliding mechanism that replaces the regular nose cone with the magnetic connector and back again. This example was produced in August 2006.
The set is made up of an oval of standard mid 2000s track with most of the components of two of the J-24 Rail Yard accessories. A double switch connects two "maintenance tracks" with integrated stoppers, with an overhead gantry with lane numbers as well as reversible signal-signs included. The individual accessory uses grey straight rails in the sidings, but this set has regular blue rails with darker grey buffers.
The rail yard is pretty neat, and it fits the idea of having a bunch of Shinkansens lined up nicely. I prefer the older Shinkansen trains, and around the time the S-06 400 Series Tsubasa which I do like the look of was in the regular range with the extending magnetic connection feature as advertised on the front of the box.
| Set name | E4 Max Depot Rail Set E4 Max車両基地レールセット |
Release period | 2006-2007+ |
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| Notes: | The E4 is not for me, but the connection gimmick is neat |