DOCTOR McCOY'S SWEETENER

 

I always loved Bone's Tricorder on the original Star Trek.

Shaped like a medical cassette player, it was the little probe I liked the most, whirring up and down patients diagnosing cosmic aliments.

Well, I had to look twice at our new Hermesetas dispenser. It looks a lot like that Tricorder probe! 

Sweet! ha ha!

Have you any household objects that look like TV and film props?

MY FAVOURITE STAR TREK MOMENT IS ......

 .... when Apollo grows into a giant in the TOS episode Who Mourns for Adonais. 

Its Olympian!

What's you favourite Star Trek moment readers?

FOR STAR TREK DAY: THE FUNNIEST STAR TREK TV AD EVER?

 

Courtesy of You Tube, Shaun Edmonds and Canadian TV.

Is there a better one readers for Star Trek Day today?

THE EMPORIUM STRIKES BACK

 The Missus took me to a large emporium in Goldthorpe yesterday.

Cabinets and corners rammed with vintage tackle.

Here's a few glimpses of what was on offer. I picked up two inexpensive books. See anything you like? Is there one of these types of emporiums near you?

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Chap Mei GodZilla

3 Dimensional Man? Poster

Revenge of Frankenstein Poster in French

Cheap annuals: Daktari etc

Lots of Circus posters

Alice in Wonderland

It really is a big place. This is just one side on one floor!

Green Hornet annual

Loads of die-casts. Quite dear.

Old hand-held games

Modern Action Man. Way too dear.

Airfix and Atlantic - is that pricey? I don't know.

THOSE SPECIAL THINGS IN THE THUNDERBIRDS OPENING

 I was watching a modern Thunderbirds Are Go episode with my Grandson Junior and Granddaughter Miss the other day and they were both excited and laughing about something that would happen in the opening.

Turns out it was the flying back of the sunloungers round the pool as TB1 ascends! They were howling when it happened.

Here are those sliding sunloungers so you can see for yourselves! It is quite funny!

It reminded me completely of how I always waited with baited breath for something similar when I was a kid watching the original Thunderbirds opening and looking out for a particular .... flame!

Its the single final lick of flame at the end that more or less erupts from the letter A in Supermarionation. Once I'd seen it I could relax into the programme proper!

Did you have any special moments in Thunderbirds or indeed any other TV show readers?

Birthday Invitation!

The 15th September is a special date on the blog. It'll be our 16th birthday!

You are, as always, cordially invited!

There'll be boxed specials, sleek party pieces, candle-lit mysteries and lots and lots of gorgeous old toys!

If there is anything you would like me to post of yours - pictures, memories, stories, art - then just email me and I will be happy to put it in.

If there is anything you want to see again from the blog's thousands of posts then again let me know.

Finally if there is anything to do with old toys, space, TV, sci fi, monsters, modelling etc that you want to know more about just email me.

The journey starts now!

See you at the Party! Just bring a toy!

LIONEL'S SCOOBY DOO TRAIN SET

I recently came across a Scooby Doo train set by Lionel. When I went looking for further details, I discovered it was not the only one. But more on the others next time.

Probably the biggest name in American model railways, Lionel are best known for their O Gauge models. Many of them have working features. Note that American O Gauge is 1/48th scale, while British O Gauge is 1/43rd. The models are very large, and very expensive.

This is a fairly modern range, from 2018. There is a basic train set, with various extra cars (wagons) available separately.

6-85241 The Mystery Machine FT LionChief Set with Bluetooth. LionChief is the control system.

This includes the EMD FT Diesel Electric engine - with sounds and working headlights - painted up as The Mystery Machine. The engine number is 1969, the year the Scooby Doo cartoon made its debut. There are three freight cars (wagons) decorated with scenes and characters from the Scooby Doo cartoon, a transformer, controller, and 40 x 60 inch oval of track.

The wagons are a plain box car or goods van, with 'Would You Do It For Some Scooby Snacks ?' on the sides. An open goods wagon or gondola car, with a load of crates, which has an animated feature: a monster chases Shaggy and Scooby Doo around. Finally, a caboose, or brake van, which lights up.

The extra models are:

6-85323 Scooby Doo Boxcar, with opening doors

1928360 Scooby Doo Aquarium Car, another animated model

1928590 Happy Birthday Scooby Doo Sound Box Car

There is also a model building:

85269 Scooby Doo Sam Witches Cafe - lighted interior

I do not know if this is the entire line, as American O Gauge model trains are not my usual subject.

Here is a You Tube video showing the engine, and two of the extra cars. It shows their special features, including sound effects, in action.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GpVCA61K9xY

Unboxing and test run video of the basic set.

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

Ten photographs, all from Worthpoint.

Paul Adams from New Zealand

ARTO'S BATCOPTER!

 Arto recently got himself a cool carded Batcopter.

At first glance it looked like the Ahi - Azrak Hamway - version, seen below, but Arto's has a globe maker's mark! You can see it bottom left above. Is that a C wrapped round one side too? Anyone recognise it? It's from 1977.

The card art reminds me of Mego Comic Action Heroes or similar.

Anyways, here's the Ahi carded original from 1974.

and Ahi's later 1977 card

However, Arto's version has the same backing card as the 1979 UK version of the toy by Jotastar, seen here third from the left listed on an old Heritage Auctions auction.

Here's a closer look at the 1979 Jotastar.

The Jotastar Batcopter was available in 1978 as seen in this comic ad. It cost £1.15p!

There is at least one more version of this toy, this time adhering to Ahi's backing - the LHT or Len Hunter Trading toy seen below.

Len Hunter Trading is an Australian company and also re-issued the magnificent Ahi Batmobile and Batboat. Their address appears clearly on the side of its box.

In France it was Pin Pin Toys who got the Batcoptere in the shops.

Ahi themselves recycled their copter for many other Super heroes such as the Hulk and Spidey, seen below.

They also issued a different card and handle,

Not to be confused with their Batscout!

Have you any Copters readers?

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[images courtesy of Ebay, Hakes, Heritage Auctions, Plaidstallions and Arto]