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.
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 |
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L Limited Express |
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 |
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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 |
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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 |
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Shinkansen Kodama Set |
100 Series 1985-2012 |
"Sharknose" trains with some double-decker cars |
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New
Shinkansen with Light 2-Speed Shinkansen |
300 series 1993-2012 |
Fast new 270km/h Shinkansen for the 1990s |
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2-Speed Nozomi Doll Play Nozomi |
500 series 1997- |
Beaked shinkansen still in service on the Sanyo line |
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500 Series Shinkansen |
700 series 1999- |
Flat duck-bill nose Shinkansen that still runs on the Sanyo shinkansen |
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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 |
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Doctor Yellow |
955 series "300X" 1994-2002 |
Experimental Shinkansen to test speeds over 300km/h, holds the 443km/h Japanese speed record |
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300X Shinkansen |
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 |
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Hikari with Headlights 1980 |
Super Rail 0 series Shinkansen with working headlights |
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Tokaido Sanyo New Shinkansen 1985-1990 |
100 series Shinkansen with reversing gearbox released for Tomy's larger-than-Plarail Super Rail system |
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Train All
You Want/Train Unlimited series 1999 |
100 series Shinkansen for the small and short-lived People Train Unlimited series manufactured by Tomy |
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