PAUL'S AOSHIMA TRACY ISLAND KIT

I recently came across a similar Aoshima kit from Japan that I bought a few years ago. It has been sitting in a box for several years.

This is the Thunderbirds Tracy Island set, which includes the five main Thunderbirds craft. There are a number of working features. Some are battery operated, others use springs. I am just not sure I could actually get everything to work.

The kit is moulded in several colours. Sand for the island itself; along with red (Thunderbird 3), green (Thunderbird 2), brown (tree trunks), and white (Thunderbird 1, Thunderbird 4, Thunderbird 5, and various buildings). Blue and clear plastic are used for the various internal fittings and controls. The palm tree tops are moulded in a soft green plastic, and there is also a bag of green lichen for additional ground cover. There are two motors, and a bag containing several smaller bags of wires, gears, and other complicated looking bits, in both metal and plastic. There is also a small decal sheet.

Despite coming in a large box (16 1/2 by 12 1/2 inches, and 4 inches deep) the set is obviously made to a very small scale. Tracy Island itself measures 15 1/2 inches by 11 1/2 inches. This was my most expensive kit ever - the price sticker says $124.00 NZ.

The shop only got in a few assorted Thunderbirds kits, just a fraction of the range. This was the only one that I got, as they were all expensive. According to my copy of The Gerry Anderson Memorabilia Guide, by Dennis W. Nicholson, this set was originally made by Imai, another Japanese company. There are several copyright dates on the box, the most recent being 2013.

I found a very short You Tube video showing this set in action. The vehicle launching systems seem rather violent, and I am not sure how long the models would survive.

今井科学　サンダーバード秘密基地 - YouTube

Do you have this kit?

Paul Adams from New Zealand

THIS TROLL CAN STAY

 More old Troll from Brazil, this time their amazing Tracy Island toy [Ihla dos Thunderbirds]. 

Its such a perfect example of a Tracy Island toy for me, compact, beautiful coloured plastic and simple mechanisms.

It almost has a sort of SpaceX look to the colours and the styling. I could imagine a Project SWORD Moon Base Set at this scale working just great too.

Has anyone got one of these Brazilian beauties?

LITTLE BILLY

 

I like this little Trol Billy Blastoff I saw online. He's probably related to the Capitan Boy range of South American toys.

Did you have a Billy Blastoff at Christmas?

TROLL TRACY ISLAND

Here's once again the beautiful Tracy Island toy set by Troll. 

This time a video on You Tube by Richard K.

It really is a thing of beauty.

Do you agree?

HEAD FOR TRACY ISLAND!

Yesterday was the last time me and the Missus see Moonbase Junior and his parents for maybe 3 months. We all have different battles to face: pregnancy and giving birth, asthma and knee post-op recovery, with one thing binding them all. Coronavirus and the threat it poses to everyone.

So the two families that make up our little world are self-isolating, each in their own homes. Our Son in Law will continue to work as he's a key worker. Moonbase Junior will continue to go to Nursery as he's a key worker's kid.

In the meantime we met and ate together yesterday for the last time this Spring. 

Junior and me got down to some serious playing too!

I took these shots while Junior played with an old Matchbox Tracy island I found in the attic.

Junior loves torches and the Batmobile so naturally they went in.

The palm tops are missing on this old beat-up example but we found a couple in his Playmobile box.

After all these years even the battery-operated comm-portraits still worked at the back. Junior loved those especially Lady Penelope!

We discovered that his torch had a lantern setting, where the top pulls up like a lighthouse!

Hope the Tracy family didn't mind us taking over the island for a while.

Did you/ do you have a Tracy Island?

BRAZIL'S TROL TRACY ISLAND TOY

I've featured this toy before but I like the look of it so much here it is again.

Its the Ilha Secreta Dos Thunderbirds by Trol of Brazil from 1969.

I suppose its the plasticcy and uncluttered look of the thing that appeals to me. It reminds me of the bright colours and feel of the original Imai UFO Moon Base model where the vehicles are different colours. I wonder if there is an Imai Tracy island kit like the Trol set?

Here's Richard K's clip.

and Fabio Maximus's [with the same music!]

have you got this Trol Tracy Island toy?

ILHA DOS THUNDERBIRDS: THE BRAZILIAN TRACY ISLAND BY TROL

This is a video on You Tube by Richard K showing the rare Trol Tracy Island from Brazil: ILHA DOS THUNDERBIRDS.

Issued in 1969 it has real vintage class and looks quite gorgeous. Do any of you have one of these bad boys?

TROLL TRACY ISLAND FROM BRAZIL

 

I do like this old Brazilian toy. Has anyone got one of these readers?

TROLL TRACY ISLAND

 



I've featured the nifty Brazilian Thunderbirds Tracy Island toy before on the blog. It was made by Troll in the late Sixties. Today I found this cool montage about the toy on You Tube. Does anyone own one of these latin beauties?