THE WALTON'S TRUCK BY MEGO

In the 1970s the US toy company Mego produced a range of toys based on The Waltons TV series (1972-81). This was an 8-inch doll line, with poseable figures, which had real clothes.

There was a large Waltons Farmhouse, which was a two-story dolls-house. This was made of fibreboard, with fully washable vinyl surfaces, and furniture. Assembled, it was 35 inches long, and 24 inches high.

The Waltons Country Store, another dolls-house, was released later. This seems to have been the final item in The Waltons Mego range.

There were six character dolls of the main characters: Grandma; Grandpa; Mom; Pop; Johnboy, who was the main character (his father was also named John, so to avoid mix-ups John Jr. was called Johnboy); and his sister Ellen. The other five children in the family were simply ignored.

The star item in the range has to be The Waltons Truck, based on the vehicle in the series, which was a 1929 Ford Model AA pick-up. This was described as a 1930s Ford in the catalogue. The box just said The Waltons Truck.

The doll-sized vehicle was 15 inches long. It was moulded in blue plastic (actually it should be green, with black mudguards). Some of the smaller parts are black plastic, including the wheels. The axles are metal.

The cab was glazed with clear plastic, and both doors opened. It could seat two of the 8 inch dolls.

Moulded beneath the cab are the words '© 1975 LORIMAR PRODUCTIONS INC. - MADE IN U.S.A. Beneath the truck bed is 'MEGO CORP., NEW YORK, N.Y. 10010 - NO.56012'.

The copyright date shown in an old Mego catalogue in this You Tube video, is 1974 Lorimar Productions Inc. That was the date seen on the boxes for the dolls, but the box for the truck is clearly dated 1975 Lorimar Productions Inc.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=A00dTAIZXIE

The end-opening box has a photograph of the model, with the Johnboy doll at the wheel. The rest of the family, and the Farmhouse, are seen in the background - Waltons Figures and Farmhouse Not Included.

The end of the box repeats the copyright notice, with the 1975 date, and says Mego Corp., New York, N.Y. 10010. The catalogue number of the truck is No.56012.

Apart from being moulded in the wrong colour, this was a nice looking toy.

Four photographs from Worthpoint.

Paul Adams from New Zealand

THE WALTON'S TRUCK BY LJN

The Waltons (1972-81) was a US TV series about a boy, growing up on a farm in Virginia during the Depression years of the 1930s. The family included John Boy, his siblings, parents, and grandparents.

For transport the family had an old truck - which was a Ford Model AA pick-up. This short documentary, hosted by Judy Norton who was one of the actresses in the series, looks at the different vehicles used, including the truck.

https://www.google.com/search?q=what+truck+was+used+in+the+waltons+tv+series&oq=what+truck+was+used+in+the+waltons+tv+series&aqs=chrome..69i57j33i160l2.13382j0j15&sourceid=chrome&ie=UTF-8#fpstate=ive&vld=cid:cb6f6fa5,vid:vIRk0xtms3w,st:0

L.J.N. Toys Ltd, 200 Fifth Avenue, New York, was a US toy company, who made a line of die-cast models based on various 1970s TV shows. The series was called Road Stars. The models themselves are marked Hong Kong.

Included in the series was a model of the truck from The Waltons. This was in the correct colours for the TV vehicle -green body and black mudguards; with chrome on the radiator, headlights, and front bumper.

The cab windows were glazed with clear plastic, but the wheels do not look very convincing. The base is marked © 1975 Roumac Prod. Inc - L.J.N. Toys Hong Kong.

Like most of the Road Stars line, this model has a rather square look to it. The cab seems very short, as does the truck bed. From Plaid Stallions, here is a look at the entire Road Stars line-up.

https://plaidstallions.com/reboot/ljn-road-stars/

The front of the card had a colour photograph showing the entire Walton family posed in front of the actual truck in the series, but you can hardly see the vehicle. A copyright notice says 1975 Lorimar Productions, Item No.2000.

The model is identified only by the name of the show, The Waltons, with no mention of the actual vehicle type. It also states 'Die-cast Metal - This Car Will Perform On Any Fast Track'.

The back of the card lists the 12 models in the Road Stars series. Oddly, the vehicle is described as Walton's Old Car - even though it is a truck.

Four photographs from Worthpoint.

Did you like the Waltons?

Paul Adams from New Zealand

The Waltons Dolls by Mego

Here is an interesting You Tube video, which looks at the 1970s doll line by Mego for the US TV series The Waltons (1972-81). The range included six dolls based on the main characters; two playsets (another was planned but not released); and a toy farm truck.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=A00dTAIZXIE

These Mego toys were not the only Waltons products out there. There was a die-cast Waltons truck from Road Stars, a metal lunchbox, and a Whitman Authorized Edition TV tie-in hardback book, and a View-Master set.

Have you got any Mego dolls?

Paul Adams from New Zealand