HOLIDAY SPECIALS FROM TAYLOR MADE TRUCKS

By Bob Mintz

TMT-18416 / LT-702 LIONEL flatbed w/locomotive:

Number 7 in the continuing series of Lionel licensed items by Taylor Made Trucks will be available this coming Holiday Season carrying an O/O-27 gauge non-powered display diesel locomotive decorated in full Lionel markings! The familiar Lionel orange and blue toy truck features the Lionel New York City address on truck cab door and special Lionel license plates on front/rear bumpers. The flatbed trailer has a blue toolbox underneath, which, based on lettering, “carries” LIONEL ZW TRANSFORMER and LIONEL HOOKUP WIRE.

Each of 4 truck mud flaps feature the Lionel “L” logo in 3 colors. The truck/trailer also feature operating lights, realistic truck sounds and “engraved” serial numbering on the battery box cover. The flatbed trailer has three 0-27 rails imbedded into the decking with appropriately colored orange wheel stops. These rails are powered when the truck lights are switched on because the locomotive also lights up the front/rear headlights and illuminated front/rear number boards. The non-powered display locomotive is decorated in official Lionel orange/blue colors and is lettered “LIONEL ELECTRIC TRAINS” on cab side and “LIONEL LINES 2002” on the car body side.

Each end features “LIONEL LINES” printed in contrasting orange or blue colors. The non-powered display locomotive itself is securely mounted on the flatbed truck rails and power for locomotive lights is transmitted through the rails to the metal roller pickups of the locomotive chassis.

Both the toy truck and mounted locomotive are packaged in an orange/blue Lionel style box with appropriate Lionel markings and inside a 2-piece clear plastic blister surrounds and protects the items during shipment. A nostalgic separate instruction card is inserted into each box, reminiscent of those paper instructions that accompanied Lionel items in the 1950's. The colorful packaging is then inserted into a brown corrugated end-flap carton to prevent any shipping damage, as Lionel did this too!

The locomotive itself has a unique toy train history. Originally molded and manufactured by Kusan in the 1950's, then AMT in later years with a similar design also made by Williams in the late 1970's. Evidently more than one mold set was made, perhaps when early Kusan production went to Mexico.

These locomotive mold toolings were then dormant for almost 30 years as they traveled from Mexico to Eastern Europe and finally China where the entire locomotive was re-tooled by Taylor Made Trucks. Metal handrails were produced instead of the Kusan plastic handrails, body end drop steps and chains were added, cab windows and full headlight/number board lenses were made. All Kusan mold markings were removed as the body shell detailing was restored.

Operating knuckle couplers replace the Kusan plastic dummy couplers and the body shell pilots have been modified to allow full coupler 'swing'. Completely new electronics includes lighting, PC board, and metal chassis components instead of plastic and dual roller pickups instead of wheeled pickup.

Licensing requirements from Lionel required that the locomotive be a truck mounted non-powered display diesel locomotive but the outstanding re-make of original Kusan tooling has resulted in a very unique Lionel trademarked flatbed toy truck that will look appropriate on any Lionel 0/0-27 gauge toy train layout or part of a Lionel collection.

The lighting feature of both toy truck and diesel locomotive has to be seen in a darkened room to be fully appreciated.

Locomotive is NOT available separately.

Lionel flatbed toy truck with locomotive is available from The Toy Truck Collector, 117 Cedar Lane, Englewood, NJ 07631. The price of $49.95 and includes BOTH flatbed toy truck AND display locomotive!

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TMT-18424 / SEP-02 SEPTA flatbed truck with lighted caboose

SEPTA stands for Southeastern Pennsylvania Transportation Authority and provides residents with passenger rail, trolley, subway, trolley bus and bus transportation in the Philadelphia, PA and surrounding PA-NJ-DE areas. This flatbed toy train truck authorized and licensed by SEPTA, features authentic SEPTA orange colors and markings and is the FIRST toy train truck in the new SEPTA series.

The flatbed truck features lights and sound and both toy truck AND caboose have matching serial numbers. The blue SEPTA caboose was also an original Kusan item that has been restored by Taylor Made Trucks with new window inserts and detailing. The 0/0-27 gauge caboose sits on 3 rails atop the trailer decking. However, the caboose is easily removed, it is NOT attached in any way and will light up when placed on any appropriate train layout. This SEPTA toy truck with caboose was made especially for the SEPTA Museum located in Philadelphia, PA.

Packaged in a colorful box that depicts the entire SEPTA system map, less than 1000 flatbed trucks with caboose were made in this Limited Edition.

SEPTA flatbed toy truck with lighted caboose is also available from The Toy Truck Collector, 117 Cedar Lane, Englewood, NJ 07631. The introductory price of $39.95 includes BOTH flatbed toy truck AND caboose!

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TMT-18422 / NJT-02 NJ TRANSIT flatbed truck with 3-dome tank car

NJ TRANSIT is the statewide transportation corporation that provides New Jersey residents and commuters with a unique passenger rail, trolley, subway, bus and light rail system throughout New Jersey and into New York City. This flatbed toy truck with tank car is the second in the ongoing NJ TRANSIT toy train truck series.

In 2001, a flatbed with caboose was offered and the original production of 1008 pieces and was sold out completely to mostly NJ TRANSIT employees before they were even delivered!

In 2002, production has been increased slightly for the newest edition. The flatbed toy truck features authentic NJ TRANSIT markings in full color along with appropriate New Jersey styled license plates, operating lights and sound.

Both flatbed and tank car have matching serial numbering. The tank car is easily removed and not attached to flatbed trailer rails in any way.

The 0/0-27 gauge 3-dome tank car is a completely new mold not Kusan or MARX by Taylor Made Trucks that features exceptional detailing right down to the tank car rivets and dome hatch covers. The tank car chassis has wood grain and rivet detail. The tank car body is attached to the chassis with individual prototypical tie down straps on each end, possibly a first for 0/0-27 gauge tank cars.

Metal wheels and operating knuckle couplers are also included. Decoration on the tank car is silver body/black domes/black body ends with appropriate NJ TRANSIT tri-color chevron logo. This 3-dome tank car is also lettered for the MEADOWS MAINTENANCE COMPLEX, located in Kearny, NJ and NJ TRANSIT's largest rail facility. Tank car carries reporting marks NJT 2002.

NJ TRANSIT flatbed toy truck with tank car is available from The Toy Truck Collector, 117 Cedar Lane, Englewood, NJ 07631. The price of $49.95 includes BOTH flatbed toy truck AND 3-dome MEADOWS MAINTENANCE COMPLEX tank car!

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TMT-422 / NJT SET NJ TRANSIT 3-dome tank car SET

A special 3-piece set of 3-dome 0/0-27 tank cars decorated for NJ TRANSIT has also been made this year.

Using the Taylor Made Trucks molds, each tank car is sub-lettered for a different NJ TRANSIT facility and has different colored domes. Car 1 is number NJT 20021 and sub-lettered for Hoboken Yard with orange domes, Car 2 is number NJT 20022 and sub-lettered for Raritan Yard with magenta (purple) domes and Car 3 is number NJT 20023 and sub-lettered for Port Morris Yard with blue domes.

Sold ONLY as a set, and matches the tank car number NJT 2002 included with flatbed toy truck. Less than 500 sets were made.

Sectional track was shown only for display purposes.

Williams, Lionel and K-Line have previously catalogued many different NJ TRANSIT train sets, locomotives, railcars and operating accessories items. These Taylor Made Trucks tank cars would look very well with any of these items on a toy train layout.

NJ TRANSIT 3-piece SET of 3-dome tank cars are available from The Toy Truck Collector, 117 Cedar Lane, Englewood, NJ 07631. The price of $39.95 includes all three different 3-dome tank cars!

TMT-411 / LT SET 2 Lionel Die cast Pickup truck and Die cast Helicopter Set

Another interesting layout accessory is now being offered by Taylor Made Trucks. Fully licensed and authorized by Lionel, it consists of a die cast 1956 Ford pickup truck factory painted in Lionel orange and blue with Lionel “L” logo on truck cab doors.

Truck measures approx 6 inches long and has opening doors and drop-down tailgate. Helicopter, measuring approx. 10 inches rotor tip to tip, is also die cast, with flashing light\turbine sound and decorated in Lionel orange/blue with authentic Lionel logo and “The Lionel Corporation” lettering.

Each item is packaged in nostalgic Lionel box with Lionel-style lettering and colors. However, items are only sold together as a set.

Lionel Pickup Truck and Helicopter set is available from The Toy Truck Collector, 117 Cedar Lane, Englewood, NJ 07631. The price of $19.95 includes BOTH Ford 1956 pickup truck AND Helicopter!

Additional Lionel vehicles are planned in this continuing series of layout accessories by Taylor Made Trucks.

Taylor Made Trucks offers other “limited production” train items compatible with 0/0-27 gauge toy train layouts...flatbed truck with 3-dome tank car for Texaco, Cities Service, Hershey Chocolate and flatbed with caboose for NJ State Police etc.

Call 800-685-0333 or NJ 201-816-1166 or FAX 201-816-8833. You can also order
online at www.toytruckcollector.com. Most items are $7.95 S/H