Here's the big daddy of JNR electric locomotives! There's something quintessentially Japanese about the design of this locomotive. Not in a quaint anime sort of way, but the technologically ambitious Japan shown in the James Bond film You Only Live Twice — all post-war optimism and sophisticated design. I just love the rakish front-end design that, nowadays, has a retro-futurism feel that Japanese designers handle so well. So, did I need this locomotive? No. Did I want one? Damn straight!
Background
The prototype of the EF66 series was introduced in 1966, and after very successful trials, the class was introduced en masse from 1968. They were designed very much as mixed traffic locos, equally at home on express passenger trains as heavy freight trains. With over 5000 hp at their disposal and a top speed of 75 mph, they were, at the time, the elite of the JNR electric fleet. A single EF66 could handle the sorts of trains that earlier locomotive types needed to work in pairs, and they became particularly associated with high speed container trains using Koki 50000 series flatcars. Sleeper trains were another speciality, the EF66s being much better able to handle long (up to 15 coaches!) sleeper trains at speed than the EF65s that had worked them before.
A total of 55 were built across two batches. The most obvious difference between the two batches is that the first batch lacked the visor over the cab windows sported by the second batch. Over the years, some of the first tranche of locos had visors installed, and this particular model represents EF66-0 early series locomotives after 1974. The number plates included in the box correspond to machines that received this upgrade.
All good things come to end, of course. The blue sleeper trains stopped running in 2010, and newer locomotives like the EF210 series starting taking on the heavy freight trains from 2007 onwards. The last example in service, EF66 27 was retired in 2022.
Tomix 7142 EF66 0-series
- Early series, visor fitted EF66
- Working headlights
- Rapido couplings pre-fitted
- Two replacement dummy couplers
- Two Tomix TN functional knuckle couplers (compatible only with other TN couplers)
- Number plates for EF66 5, 6, 13, and 14
- A4 sheet, in Japanese, outlining how to fit detailing parts, remove the bogies for cleaning, etc.
As supplied, this model fits into the late Showa-era (mid 70s to mid 80s) when these locomotives were primarily working freight trains all across the main island of Honshu.
Performance and detailing
Like other modern Tomix trains, performance is excellent. Very smooth, the newer M13 motor design accelerating steadily and running very quietly. It's every bit as good as the motors in the Kato locomotives, even if their designs are different.
Out of the box, the loco has the Arnold Rapido coupler installed. For whatever reason, the Tomix one seems unusually large but it works well. It's relatively easy to swap out this coupler for a working knuckle coupler (the Tomix TN coupler) or a non-functional, but correctly scaled, dummy coupler. I stuck one of these at the front, and left the Rapido at the back.
When it comes to detailing, it's the usual situation with Tomix models. Out of the box, number plates are missing, as are maker plates, certain roof details, and even handrails. Fitting this is an absolute pain. The number plates aren't too bad — pressing these face-on onto masking tape, and then using the masking tape to position and push them into place. But some of the other detailing parts, especially the whistle on the roof, is really hard. They're small, springy, and easily sent flying onto the carpet. I used forceps, wore my glasses with magnifying lenses, and a certain number of swear words until I was done.
(Edit: Google AI tells me some modellers assemble these extra parts with their hands and the loco inside a clear plastic bag. Sounds like a good idea!)
Is it worth the effort? Well, yes, in the sense my locomotive is highly personalised and has some very fine detailing now. I'm not totally convinced the separately fitted handrails on the Tomix model are any better than the factory fitted ones on the Kato model, but either way, they do look good.
Conclusion
Bought secondhand for ¥5,760 (about £27) it's hard to fault the value. Even allowing for the faff of fitting the additional details you're not going to walk away from this model thinking you've been stiffed. It runs perfectly and captures the iconic look of the machine very well.
It looks brilliant hauling Koki 10000 and Koki 50000 container trains. While JNR green containers would be appropriate to the 1970s/80s era, such as those in the Kato 10-815 twin pack. But with all of this said, adding the details is time-consuming and difficult even for relatively experienced N scale modellers. Would I recommend this model over a Kato one with the details pre-fitted? I guess that would depend on the patience and skill of the modeller, and of course whether Kato produce the actual EF66 model you want — they don't, for example, currently produce models of the early EF66 locos like this one.
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