fall inside a hole

Express Train (1979)

First written June 10, 2025

The Tokiwa service began as a rapid train in the mid 1950s and became a full express train in 1966. It was serviced by cream and brown 451 and later the related 457 series express trains from their introduction in 1972. The Tokiwa was one of two regular express trains running on the Joban line after the opening of the Tohoku Shinkansen in 1982 and it merged with the Hitachi (the other surviving Joban Line express train) in 1985. The Plarail Tokiwa Express Train was first released in 1979 based on the 165-series tooling Tokai Type Train but featured the first two-speed Plarail gearbox and the only old-power two-speed gearbox in general.

EC-10 Express Train (1979)

In May 1979 the Plarail EC-10 Express Train (急行電車) was released in the fifth generation of boxes. It was the first two-speed Plarail train - it is interesting that this train in particular was chosen to have the only rim-drive two-speed gearbox.

My Plarail Express train is made up of parts to two different trains - one has intact head and tail mark stickers but the other has most of the gearbox speed sticker. The end cars have an "急行" Express and "ときわ" Tokiwa headmark.

This is the only old-power train to have a two-speed gearbox. The normal power switch at the front of the chassis turns on power to the motor like usual and the switch on the roof changes the gears in the gearbox from low speed in the front position to neutral in the middle to high speed in the rear. The chassis is the same as the Tokai Type Train and other related trains, and the only difference in the body shells is the slot for the gear switch in the roof. This cutout is a little further back than the new power slot - it isn't quite as long either.

The two-speed gearbox is built similar to the later new-power gearbox, with a spring assisting the roof-mounted switch in changing gears. Like other old power gearboxes, one of the drive hubs needs to be removed to get the gearbox fully apart for repairs.

The Express Train was discontinued in 1984. In 1999 it was reissued in new-power form for the second Revival Trio, but it only had a single-speed gearbox...

The train runs in high-speed with the switch to the rear and at a nice slower speed when the switch is forward. Its a little funny to have a train running along at full speed with what looks like a new power switch set to off...

The Express Train changes gears most easily when the motor is turned on and running.