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An odd Matchbox line from 1991-1992, approximately, which rose and then vanished with little trace.
I'd known it existed but had never seen or got my hands on a set until very recently, when I acquired one battered and one almost mint set (there were three of different sizes)
I suspect one reason for the lack of success (did anyone else have one of these, or even know about them?) was simply that they were too late: by 1991 kids were getting into electronic games.
But I discovered the other reason when I tried to run them: the trains kept coming off!
This was fixable within fifteen minutes with a piece of sandpaper, to someone familiar with model railways, but I can imagine quite a lot of cursing and crying at Christmas and birthdays when the new toy disappointed badly.
Three different engines, two sizes of board, with the battery trains being controlled by moveable magnets inset into the track (stop, forward or reverse).
Ingenious, but the original layouts were stingy on how many control points you were given: you were supposed to buy extra ones!
(for which many blanked-out spaces were generously provided...)
I'm very glad I found this curiosity and satisfied mine.
Has *anyone* else come across it, or have stories of such?
I'd known it existed but had never seen or got my hands on a set until very recently, when I acquired one battered and one almost mint set (there were three of different sizes)
I suspect one reason for the lack of success (did anyone else have one of these, or even know about them?) was simply that they were too late: by 1991 kids were getting into electronic games.
But I discovered the other reason when I tried to run them: the trains kept coming off!
This was fixable within fifteen minutes with a piece of sandpaper, to someone familiar with model railways, but I can imagine quite a lot of cursing and crying at Christmas and birthdays when the new toy disappointed badly.
Three different engines, two sizes of board, with the battery trains being controlled by moveable magnets inset into the track (stop, forward or reverse).
Ingenious, but the original layouts were stingy on how many control points you were given: you were supposed to buy extra ones!
(for which many blanked-out spaces were generously provided...)
I'm very glad I found this curiosity and satisfied mine.
Has *anyone* else come across it, or have stories of such?
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