Lego train display, and a question
Ethan A Merritt
We spent yesterday afternoon at the annual model railroad show at the
Pacific Science Center. This year they had a Lego train section, with
bins of pieces around the outside for passers by to play with and
contribute to the general scenery. Nice idea, though I'm sure any of
the readers of this group would have done a much more impressive job
of providing scenery to go with the trains. Really all they had set
up was a Metroliner route and a monorail. No buildings. Passers-by
were contributing vehicles and train car additions, but there was no
unified effort to make a scene. I think the target audience was
the under 10 crowd, unlike the main displays of Lionel style trains
which were mostly adult playthings.
Anyhow, I've got a question. In the bins of pieces around the Lego
display were many pieces I've never seen before. Some of them were
shapes too odd to describe easily, but in particular I'm curious
about a style of wheels they had lots of. They were similar in shape
to the rather balloon-like rounded tires on the technic front loader,
and made of the somewhat flexible rubber that snaps onto a hub,
but they were much smaller than any of the technic tires I know of.
The wheel (or tire if you like) was thick enough to be the same width as
a 2 stud brick. The central hole was shaped to either accept a standard
cross axle on one side (x-shaped cross section for half the width of the
tire) or a 1-stud hub from the other side (like the smallest tires of
the town line). They were great for making tiny moon rovers or pint
sized construction equipment. Anyone know what sets they might be
from??
Ethan A Merritt
mer...@u.washington.edu
Tim Westcott
EAM> and made of the somewhat flexible rubber that snaps onto a hub,
EAM> but they were much smaller than any of the technic tires I know of.
EAM> The wheel (or tire if you like) was thick enough to be the same width as
EAM> a 2 stud brick. The central hole was shaped to either accept a standard
EAM> cross axle on one side (x-shaped cross section for half the width of the
EAM> tire) or a 1-stud hub from the other side (like the smallest tires of
EAM> the town line). They were great for making tiny moon rovers or pint
EAM> sized construction equipment. Anyone know what sets they might be
EAM> from??
Sorry, I don't have set numbers on hand, but those tires are from the late 70's,early 80's Space Lego collection. Perhaps mid-80's would be a better description, I am unsure when Lego phased these out of the sets.
They are cool little tires aren't they!
tim
A net.dead student
In article <3b8vt2$c...@news.u.washington.edu> mer...@u.washington.edu (Ethan A Merritt) writes:
>Anyhow, I've got a question. In the bins of pieces around the Lego
>display were many pieces I've never seen before. Some of them were
>shapes too odd to describe easily, but in particular I'm curious
>about a style of wheels they had lots of. They were similar in shape
>to the rather balloon-like rounded tires on the technic front loader,
>and made of the somewhat flexible rubber that snaps onto a hub,
>but they were much smaller than any of the technic tires I know of.
>The wheel (or tire if you like) was thick enough to be the same width as
>a 2 stud brick. The central hole was shaped to either accept a standard
>cross axle on one side (x-shaped cross section for half the width of the
>tire) or a 1-stud hub from the other side (like the smallest tires of
>the town line). They were great for making tiny moon rovers or pint
>sized construction equipment. Anyone know what sets they might be
>from??
Yes, I think you are refering to the wheels from certain space Lego sets
from around the mid '80s I think, when all the space Lego was still all grey
grey grey (personally I preferred white and blue for my spaceships, with
lots of lights and little vernier rocket thingies...). I don't have any
catalogues handy to give any model numbers, but I'm sure there are lots of
readers who do... :-)
PS: I'm writing this from a borrowed generic account coz my normal Net access
machine is down for the holidays... :-(((
Ruth Anne Francis
>>Anyhow, I've got a question. In the bins of pieces around the Lego
>>display were many pieces I've never seen before. Some of them were
>>shapes too odd to describe easily, but in particular I'm curious
>>about a style of wheels they had lots of. They were similar in shape
>>to the rather balloon-like rounded tires on the technic front loader,
>>and made of the somewhat flexible rubber that snaps onto a hub,
>>but they were much smaller than any of the technic tires I know of.
>>The wheel (or tire if you like) was thick enough to be the same width as
>>a 2 stud brick. The central hole was shaped to either accept a standard
>>cross axle on one side (x-shaped cross section for half the width of the
>>tire) or a 1-stud hub from the other side (like the smallest tires of
>>the town line). They were great for making tiny moon rovers or pint
>>sized construction equipment. Anyone know what sets they might be
>>from??
>
I have a ton of these wheels in my collection.
If I remember correctly, they came from the old space sets. Back when
they were just space sets, not Blacktron or Space Police or any of those
designations. Just the old grey sets.
Those sets would have had to come out in the early to mid 80's.
I don't know specific names or number off hand, but I do remember getting a
set with a small rover. It had a set of the balloon wheels, a red space
minifig, a small hinged box, a steering wheel and a hinged 8x2 thin piece.
The hinge was veryical and in the middle of the piece. That's always been
one of my favorite sets.
Other than that, I can't remember the specific sets my wheels were included
with.
Have fun
Ruth Ann
--
Ruth Ann Francis - A misplaced Michigander at GA Tech
Georiga Tech Aerospace Engineering Major gt0...@prism.gatech.edu
Co-op Gulfstream Aerospace rfra...@mickey.eng.gulfaero.com"Second star to the right and straight on 'til morning" -Peter Pan