Bot a Day: Daily Drawings

The JRX Store called -- they're running out of bullet trains. JRX was the Japanese name for this combined form of Team Bullet Train. In North America, he was known as Rail Racer. The three members of team (Midnight Express, Rapid Run and Railspike) could link up in train modes (though they're all engines), or connect as a larger 'bot. This helps explain while Midnight Express had such large legs; they're scaled to work as a third of a larger robot.   

Here's the third and final member of Team Bullet Train, Midnight Express, the only Autobot to share a name with a 1978 thriller written by Oliver Stone. The other two train-bots have relatively slim builds because of their particular body designs, while Midnight Express takes a very different shape with enormously chunky legs that form the body of the train. Midnight Express turns into an E4 Series Max Japanese bullet train. In Japan, he was released under the name J-Four.   

Next in Team Bullet Train is Rapid Run (originally known as J-Seven in his Japanese release). Rapid Run turns into a 700 series Shinkansen high speed train. 

This week starts with a run of Team Bullet Train, an Autobot subgroup that reflects Japan's celebration of their high speed rail. Railspike is the leader of the trio, and turns into a 500-series Nozomi bullet train. In his original 2000 Japanese release, he was named J-Five. For his 2001 Robots in Disguise release, he was rechristened Railspike.