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Sanyo Main Line

First written October 2024

The Sanyo Main Line runs along the coast of the Seto Inland Sea in the Sanyo region of the Honshu island of Japan. In the east it connects to the Tokaido main line at Kobe Station and it travels west to Moji Station.

The initial section of the Sanyo Shinkansen line was opened in 1972 and was expanded in 1975. It connects with the Tokaido Shinkansen line at Shin-Osaka Station and some trains run the whole length of the line, with the two sections referred to together as the Tokaido-Sanyo Shinkansen.

Shown here are some of the different Plarail trains I have which represent trains that have run on parts of the Sanyo main line. 

Conventional line

Service
Class
In service
Description Plarail example Plarail releases
L Limited Express "Tsubame"
485 series
1972-1975
Special Limited Express trains that extended service westward from the Sanyo section of the Shinkansen line L Limited Express

Shinkansens

Being the original Shinkansen line, the Tokaido and Sanyo shinkansen lines have seen every generation of westerly Shinkansen train.

Class
In service
Description
Plarail example Plarail releases
0 Series
1972-2008
The original Shinkansen, painted for decades in classic white with blue stripes and later in "fresh green" to match the Hikari Rail Star Electric Super Express Hikari
Super Express Hikari
Hikari
Hikari with Light
Radio Control Hikari
0 Series Shinkansen
0 Series
West Hikari
1988-2000
Darker blue West Hikari service operating on the Sanyo section West Hikari
0 Series
Kodama
2000-December 2008
After the discontinuation of the West Hikari service, the trainsets were used on the slower Kodama service, and repainted "fresh green" in 2002 Shinkansen Kodama Set
100 Series
1985-2012
"Sharknose" trains with some double-decker cars New Shinkansen with Light
2-Speed Shinkansen
300 series
1993-2012
Fast new 270km/h Shinkansen for the 1990s 2-Speed Nozomi
Doll Play Nozomi
500 series
1997-
Beaked shinkansen still in service on the Sanyo line 500 Series Shinkansen
700 series
1999-
Flat duck-bill nose Shinkansen that still runs on the Sanyo shinkansen 700 Series Shinkansen
S-01 700 Series Shinkansen
S-01 700 Series Shinkansen with Light
922 Series
"Doctor Yellow"
1961-2005
Line inspection car that runs at speed based on the original Shinkansen trains Doctor Yellow
955 series
"300X"
1994-2002
Experimental Shinkansen to test speeds over 300km/h, holds the 443km/h Japanese speed record 300X Shinkansen

Other Sanyo train toys

With the popularity of the Shinkansen in Japan and its appeal overseas, a great deal of Shinkansen-style trains have been released, with many of them based on the 0 series and other Tokaido-Sanyo shinkansens.

Toy
Year
Description
Photograph
Mini Mini Rail Hikari
1975
Bandai Mini Mini Rail-series 0 series Shinkansen Hikari, in original non-reversing form
Hikari with Headlights
1980
Super Rail 0 series Shinkansen with working headlights
Tokaido Sanyo New Shinkansen
1985-1990
100 series Shinkansen with reversing gearbox released for Tomy's larger-than-Plarail Super Rail system
Train All You Want/Train Unlimited series
1999
100 series Shinkansen for the small and short-lived People Train Unlimited series manufactured by Tomy