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D51 Express Train (1971)

First written August 31, 2023

The D51 is both a classic Japanese steam engine and a classic Plarail model. Over 1000 D51 were built between their development in 1935 to the end of their production in the mid 1940s, with a handful of D51s built for export in the very early 1950s. The Plarail D51 was originally introduced in 1970 and was one of the first Plarail trains based on a real class of locomotive. The D51 Express Train was first introduced in 1971 in the second era of liftoff boxes. A boxed example of the original release can be found in the Plarail Museum.

The D51 was first released with two freight cars in 1970 and in 1971 the molding for the 1960's Electric Super Express Hikari intermediate car was reused to represent two 10-series passenger cars. Coaches produced between 1971 and 1973 still have the pantographs from the 0 series Shinkansen on the roofs.

My example of the earlier D51 Express Train was sold as part of a loose copy of an early 1970s basic D51 set, either the early 1970s Basic Set D51 or the 1973/1974 D51 Express Set. It is possible the set was pieced together from period parts later, but in any case the set contains an early 70s example of the D51 with the original black-sided design of the clicking "chuffing" gearbox with the black drive spools that hold up better than the later drive tires. The wheels use thinner black traction tires that also hold up better. The D51 stickers have a blue background and the coupling rods are an earlier design held in with metal crank pins. The chassis is marked with the Tomy "boy and girl" logo and made in Japan markings.

The coaches are early 70s construction with the early "chunky" solid hooks and softer plastic loops similar to the modern coupling system. The couplings are "looser" and do not snap into one another. These couplings are somewhat fragile nowadays and should be done up carefully. The chassis have the older more fragile integrated axle holders and rougher screw assembly and the loop coupling is held in place by melting down the plastic peg it sits around. They are marked as made in Japan both on the bottom of the chassis and the inside of the coach shell.

Click for video with sound of "chuffing" gearbox

D51 Express train (new coaches) (1974)

Around 1974 when the line was refreshed with new boxes and roughtop rails the 10 series coach molds were changed to no longer include pantographs. This version of the D51 Express Train went off sale in 1976.

The new coach moldings are nearly identical to (and clearly adapted from) the older molds with the pantographs removed. This version of the coach is generally easier to find and has identical construction other than the molding of the shell. The chassis are identical. The made in Japan text in the coach shell is down at the other end from the earlier version.

I purchased two of the 10 series coaches without pantographs in July 2023 without a matching D51. I believe by 1974 the black sides of the gearbox would have been changed to the plain metal and around 1975 the new drive tires seem to have appeared. The metal crank pins and older coupling rods lasted longer. I would like to find another later 1970s D51.

In 1980 after the D51 Express Train had been off sale for a few years the de facto "normal" D51 individual release became the D51 with Light.