Tender and Transporter: Two Missing SpaceX Toys' Custom Images and Models

Hi Woodsy,

The very first thing I did with AI when it became available was try and have it generate realistic images of the Spacex Crash Tender and Rocket Transporter. With utterly useless results!

Seeing Bill Everatt's images (on MC) prompted me to have another go. Fed some images and info into chatGPT2 and here's what I got.

First a straight translation of the cardback images used as examples and then a higher-up view that shows some errors.

 

Though they look too large to be Spacex toys, they do look convincing (which is why I decided to put some stamps on).

What do you think?

Paul V

*

To add to Paul's fab renditions of 'lost' SpaceX, here's my own efforts from 2019 at making a home-made model of each of these fabled SpaceX toy vehicles, two of the 'missing' four.

Hope you like them.

If only the real things would turn up! 

ED'S HAULERS: MARX TRANSPORTER

Woodsy and Fellow Moonbasers,

Here's a wonderful Marx auto hauler I've had for many a moon now. The first attachment is a page from a '50s Montgomery Wards Christmas Wishbook featuring this hauler as part of a larger service station playset (BTW, I have that playset but haven't yet taken photos of it). 

This hauler is designed such that the upper deck actually tilts down to accommodate unloading of the cars. I have two of these haulers, but the second one is missing its unloading ramp. Unlike the other transporters I've sent photos of, this one is about the right size for a 3-rail O-gauge train layout. 

However, due to space limitations, we tend to make the roads on our layouts quite narrow, making this piece more of a display piece to set off to one side.

From Fast Eddie's Used Car Lot

Ed

USA

*Google is limiting my image downloading - until I create more storage - so I have had too screenshot Ed's photos this time. Sorry.

ED'S HAULERS: TMT-18420 Flatbed w-Army Tank

I never got around to taking this out of the box and doing a full photo work-up on it. 

'TMT' = 'Taylor Made Trucks' and they made a series of interesting trucks back in the '90s including this flatbed with Sherman tank load. 

They also made transporters with Lionel cabooses, engines, and other cars as loads - none of which I have.

From Camp Vegas

Ed

ED'S PAYTON TANK HAULER

Woodsy and Fellow Moonbaser's,

My next three transporter e-mails will all be military related. Here's one that's quite hard to find and a bit of an oddity. Payton made an iconic set of 45mm Little Green Army Men along with their associated vehicles like tanks, truck, Jeeps, etc.

 However, this truck is w-a-y too big for any of those and is more suitable for larger vehicles like those made by MPC (of which the MPC Weasel is pictured loaded onto the trailer).

From Camp Vegas

Ed

USA

ED'S TRANSPORTERS: IDEAL

Woodsy and Fellow Moonbasers,

Here's another terrific little vintage auto carrier, this time from Ideal. It measures 9.5" L overall and has a fold-down ramp for unloading the diminutive cars.

From Fast Eddie's Used Car Lot

Ed

ED'S TRANSPORTERS: BANNER EQUIPMENT

Woodsy and Fellow Moonbasers,

Here's a couple of haulers from Banner. 

At 9.5"L they're quite small. Banner, like so many other companies back in the day, made their toys in every color of the rainbow and the haulers were no exception.

 The wheel stops on the trailer were meant to hold the tractor, but as you can tell I placed an earth hauler on one just to see what it would look like. 

I would really like to get the tractor/trailer in OD to go along with my other Banner Army vehicles.

From Fast Eddie's Used Car Lot

Ed

ED'S TRANSPORTERS: ALLIED

Woodsy and Fellow Moonbasers,

Over the years it's fair to say I've acquired a few transporters and haulers. 

It started with me trying to find something suitable to use with my 3-rail O-gauge trains, followed by Army vehicles to go with my Little Green Army Man collection.

 I deliberately avoided collecting the large-sized carriers like the stamped-steel behemoths from Marx, Structo, Buddy L, etc. 

Here's the first offering: a nice '50s era auto hauler from Allied measuring 9.5"L. This one has a small ramp to off-load the diminutive cars which are about 2.125"L.

From Fast Eddie's Used Car Lot

Ed

Kings of the Road

I picked up this vintage green Matchbox Battle Kings Army transporter in Germany in April as part of a car boot lot. In great nick, I gave it Junior yesterday.

It fits really well with his own Super Kings red transporter. Such cool designs. Very Gerry Anderson. Are they fictitious?

But what to carry?

Space Shuttle and Magnetron, no problem!

There's not much the Army green can't handle: even an SPV!

Have you got any transporters readers? Pictures welcomed.

FROM THE CUTTING ROOM FLOOR: ROCKET TRANSPORTER

This was an aborted attempt to make my scratchbiult rocket transporter move.

I used a battery-operated bulldozer to push it along the floor but it just didn't have enough oomph to do the job.

I ended up pushing it all!

Action sessions like these always remind me just how much mastery the Century 21 Studio staff had of their craft, especially when I can't even make a single vehicle move at all!

Have you attempted to make your toys move and film them?

NASA TRANSPORTERS

I adore these modern NASA rocket transporters. The pictures are courtesy of NASA.

This yellow flatform reminds me of the SpaceX Rocket Transporter I've just made a scratch model of! http://www.triangspacextoys.info/SpGAtoys/RTrs/RcktTrCP.jpg

This is a NASA Specialized Transporter.

Read more on NASA https://www.nasa.gov/exploration/systems/sls/specialized-transporters-move-core-stage-of-SLS

These platforms are straight out of Thunderbirds!

And the huge cylinder looks like the Tri-ang SpaceX ATS body!

https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgSisNNtAKQ5lz1fXq1un0hwo8fuFusWZ9QMuQ635VeEXa7QY648pgROIe-R9NjKeF375lF5J9KwABKfVyHWl6xgdS1p0FLexmEpuYixCU9btn2RN5TWinNggR_sVAyQCnjeZvOxrm_aRR5/s1600/SpaceX+ATS+collage+2014.jpg

Read more on NASA https://www.nasaspaceflight.com/2019/01/third-sls-sta-marshall-limited-work-nasa-shutdown/

And this is obviously a Project SWORD Booster Rocket fuel cell!

Read more about this on NASA https://www.nasa.gov/exploration/systems/sls/nasa-continues-testing-manufacturing-worlds-most-powerful-rocket

Do you know of any rocket transporters you like?