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Thursday, October 10, 2013

Marx Galaxy Command Playset - Pt 3

The accessories are next in our coverage of Marx's Galaxy Command playset and like the vehicles are a re-hash of older accessories. Enjoy!

Accessory Group 1

Cast in a neon lime green soft plastic these had been around since the 1950s

The Gravity Chamber


Fuel Tanks with connecting piping

The Supply Tower
This accessory was always hilarious with its store of Atom Bombs, Rocket Repair Parts, Disintegrators, and Launching Fuel all in easily accessible drawers - kind of like a Lista Bin full of tools. LOL What a hoot!








Searchlight



Rotating Radar


Movie Camera


Disc Helical Antenna


Suppressor Spray for Rockets


Often identified simply as a telescope it is more likely a coincidence rangefinder



American soldiers using a coincidence rangefinder (courtesy Wikipedia)

German soldiers using a coincidence rangefinder (courtesy Wikipedia)

Accessory Group 2

Cast in a yellow soft plastic these too had been around for a long time before being re-purposed in the Galaxy Command playset

The instruction sheet for the playset lists this as a 'Disc Helical Radar Antenna' however, that title originally belonged to the small accessory listed above. I believe this was meant to be a weapon in the old Tom Corbett, Space Patrol sets. The Galaxy Command playset, being a product of the Flower Power '70s was a non-violent set geared towards exploration and discovery and so this was re-purposed as a non-lethal accessory.

PS, it's also the coolest looking accessory in the bunch (in my humble opinion)














(I get dizzy just watching this thing)


Space Station Tower
Originally, the platform was connected to the tower by a bent rod and there was a gear and crank mechanism in the tower, you would turn the crank and the platform would revolve around the tower.

The hole seen in the middle of the lower tower section originally would have had a crank handle sticking out of it.















Station platform




Dual-dish antenna



Escape Capsule Recovery Unit





Signal Blinker


Solar Battery



Missiles

4  missiles of two types - non-firing

Now what would missiles or rockets be doing in an otherwise non-violent themed playset? Here's my take on it. These are small and therefore short range and our intrepid explorers are on an alien planet. I think they're designed to loft satellites or probes into orbit around the alien world. Not an implausible explanation.