Trains

Micro Machines trains are somewhere between toys and scale models. Their size is roughly comparable to N scale, which is commonly used for model railway layouts. The cars and locomotives feature a good level of detail, and the liveries are also well reproduced. What keeps them firmly in the toy category, apart from the lack of an internal motor, are the wheels and couplers. The wheels are made of plastic, as are the tracks on which the trains are pulled, with enough play and tolerance to make smooth running difficult and often resulting in derailments. The couplers are also too long, leaving too much space between the cars to look realistic, especially on passenger trains. The type of track changed between 1989 and 1990. The original tracks had a central guide that ran between the wheels, while the following year the guides were positioned outside the wheels, slightly improving the way the trains ran. In 1990, the Power Sound train sets were introduced. One of the cars contained a small speaker powered by button batteries, capable of simulating train sounds. A small button on the roof could also be pressed to activate the locomotive whistle.