Featured today is a nifty little tugboat from Ertl. For decades Texaco was know for its wonderful toys. I remember a big 'ol stamped steel Texaco tanker truck I had as a child. This tradition of well made licensed Texaco products continued until Texaco too became what the railroad people call a 'fallen flag'. This tugboat, which came out in 2000 as part of Texaco's 'Millennium Collection', also doubles as a coin bank, but unlike many die-cast banks, the coin slot is hidden so that the tugboat is not readily apparent as a bank. If I have any complaints about this item, it would be the stands. There are two plastic stands that are simply too slick and too flat to hold the boat adequately. The boat will slip or slide off the stands with the least provocation and one must be extremely careful in displaying it. This toy was also destined to be a part of my harbor scene, but it too didn't quite work out for that scene and I sold it. Ya just can't keep everything!! Anywho, Enjoy!
The smoke stacks are removable to reveal the coin slot
Both ends are the same
Insert included with the boat
