Empire #0717 Flintstones Crazy Loco Train Set (1980)

In case you're wondering, I haven't given up or stopped working on Flintstones posts. The past week has kept me busy with a couple of other projects and in the meantime I was also photographing and taking videos of this cool Flintstones Crazy Loco train set by Empire.

This was a recent acquisition that, when I saw it, knew it had to be added to the collection. Made by Empire in 1980 for sale by Woolco (Woolworth's) this now makes three different Flintstones themed battery operated train sets I have by Empire. I wasn't even sure if it was complete or if it even worked, but I took a chance on it anyway! Fortunately, after unboxing all the components I was very surprised to see that it was in fact complete and operating. Needless to say, some quality time was spent watching this gizmo go through its paces!

Ed

My YouTube Video

Box and Instructions

The Little Engine That Could

Setup Complete and Ready to test

When all set up the layout measures: 15.25" (38m73cm) W x 12" (30,48cm) D x 19.75" (50,16cm) H

Graphics

My Setup For The Video

TRAIN TIME: Back to Hogwarts Lionel Set #2523140 Hogwarts Express LionChief Set with Bluetooth (2025) Pt 3 #99717 Dementor Coach

The Lionel Hogwarts Express coaches are 14" (35,56cm) L end-of-diaphragm to end-of-diaphragm. In this set Dementor coach #99719 (with sounds) replaced plain-Jane coach #99718 from previous sets. The sounds repeat after a few minutes but they can be turned off via a switch underneath the car. What sounds you ask? If you saw the movie 'Harry Potter and The Prisoner of Azkaban' there is  a scene where these scumbags enter the train looking for Sirius Black. They make a swooshing, windy noise, then there is a clattering of coach compartment doors opening, and then the sound of them sucking the happiness out of Harry.

Ed

Y'allTube Video of the Dementor Coach Sounds

Bug!

 Been playing on the 'puter again!

BUG!

Forces of Valor (FOV) / Unimax Deep Dive: Pt 2 Chaos in 1/32 Scale - A Listing of FOV Sets and Production Notes

Yesterday I talked about how I got to this point in the Forces of Valor / Unimax blogging history here on Toys and Stuff. Speaking of which 'Forces of Valor / Unimax' takes too long to type every time. Let's just start saying 'FOV' and be done with it.

FOV started producing these sets in 2003 at which time I started scarfing them up in stores! That was seven years before my Toys and Stuff blog was started and sooo many toy packages (new toys - not vintage) were tossed without any photos taken. The last offerings were dated 2009 and it appears that they were pretty much out of business by 2010. As a casual observer, they appeared to have wasted a lot of money messing with their packaging. I s'pose they had their reasons but changing stuff up every couple of years couldn't have been cheap and these guys weren't one of the Big Name toy companies so absorbing losses would have been difficult. You'll see examples as you scroll down through the sub headings.

Okay, so now I have a tote bin of FOV U.S. figures, a bin of German figures, and a bin of terrain and detail parts that I just spent a month sorting out. What's next? The research: figuring out what sets all those figures and accessories came in. I had only the one flyer when I started, which was only so-so helpful and not comprehensive. The biggest help were the boxes and packaging, all of which contained photos of the sets through the years. I still had a couple of unopened boxes and a few photos taken years ago of a set I plundered. While very early boxes did not reflect the set numbers, most of the later boxes did. To get photos of those I relied heavily on fleaBay and started saving photos of FOV figure sets which gave me a more complete picture of FOV product output. By reviewing all of the sets shown on the back of the boxes I got a much clearer picture of everything available because the photos were often different from one box to the next.

Ed

Researching Packaging

An example of the rear of a box showing a group of sets offered by FOV.

Each box would have a different group on it and after viewing many boxes, I got a more complete understanding of what FOV offered.

The inside of Flyer v.1 showing only a few figures sets.

(I now have three different flyer's in the collection which ultimately aided in identifying sets)

Master List

After a couple of months this is what I came up with:

(DO NOT consider this a complete list. I'm still finding out things about this series and while I have most of the WWII themed era sets, I keep finding ones I missed. As well, there are probably some details I missed when compiling the list)

#83001 U.S. 24^th Infantry Division – Mechanized (Kuwait 1991) Desert Storm Series

#83002 U.S. 101^st Airborne Division (Kuwait 1991) Desert Storm Series

#83003 UK 7th Armored Division (El-Alamein 1942)

#83004 U.S. (2003) 82nd Airborne (Normandy 1944)

#83005 (2003) German 716th Infantry Division (Normandy 1944)

#83006 U.S. 3^rd Infantry Division 3^rd Brigade (Iraqi Freedom 2003)

#83007 U.S. Marine 1^st Marine Division (Kuwait 1991)

#83008 U.S. (2007) 82nd Airborne Normandy 1944

#83009 U.S. (2010) 1st Infantry Division (Normandy 1944)

#83010 (2010) German 352nd Infantry Division (Normandy 1944)

#83203 UK 7th Armored Division 3rd Royal Tank Regiment (Normandy 1944)

#83204 U.S. Army 82^nd Airborne, 3^rd Battalion, 505^th Parachute Infantry Regiment (North Africa 1942)

#83205 (2005) German 352nd Infantry Division (Normandy 1944)

#83206 U.S. 36^th Infantry Regiment (Iraq 2006)

#83207 U.S. Marine 1^st Marine Division (Desert Storm 1991)

#83304 U.S. (2005) 82nd Airborne (Normandy 1944)

#83404 U.S. (2005) 82nd Airborne (Normandy 1944) Enthusiast Edition

#83504 U.S. 82nd Airborne (Normandy 1944)

#93001 U.S. 24^th Infantry Division (Mechanized) (Kuwait 1991)

#93002 U.S. 101^st Airborne Division (Kuwait 1991)

#93003 UK 7th Armored Division (El-Alamein 1942)

#93004 (2003) U.S. 82nd Airborne (Normandy 1944) - Carded

#93004 v2 (2003) Accessories - Carded

#93004 (2004) U.S. 82nd Airborne (Normandy 1944)

#93005 (2003) German 716th Infantry Division (Normandy 1944)- Carded

#93005 (2004) German 716th Infantry Division (Normandy 1944)

#93006 U.S. Army 3^rd Infantry Division , 3^rd Brigade (Iraqi Freedom 2003)

#93007 U.S. Army 75^th Ranger Regiment 3^rd Battalion (Desert Storm 1991)

#93008 (2007) U.S. 82nd Airborne (Normandy 1944)

#93040 (2009) Battle Hardened Soldiers

#93203 UK 7th Armored Division 3rd Royal Tank Regiment (Normandy 1944)

#93204 (2004) U.S. 82nd Airborne. 3rd Battalion, 505th Parachute Infantry Regiment (North Africa 1942)

#93205 (2007) German 352nd Infantry Division (Normandy 1944)

#93206 U.S. 36^th Infantry Regiment (Iraq 2006)

#93207 U.S. Marine 1^st Marine Division 

#93303 UK 7th Armored Division 

#93304 U.S. 82^nd Airborne (Normandy 1944)

#93305 German 716th Infantry Division 

#93404 U.S. 82nd Airborne (Normandy 1944)

#93504 U.S. 82nd Airborne

#93604 (2007) U.S. 82nd Airborne (with Medic) (Normandy 1944)

#93704 (2008) U.S. Battle Hardened Soldiers - Carded

#93804 U.S. 82nd Airborne

Notes

Non-Sequential Numbering

One would think that, as the set number went higher, that the higher number would represent later production. Nope, not with FOV! Look at the numbers below and see how they jumped around from year-to-year.

(Like - WHY?)

#83003 (2003)

#83004 (2003)

#83005 (2003

#83008 (2007)

#83009 (2010)

#83010 (2010)

#83203 (2005)

#83205 (2005)

#83304 (2005)

#83404 (2005)

#83504 (2004)

Old Box - New Box

In 2003 when these were introduced, the boxes were dark

Then, around 2005, the boxes changed to an olive green

Set Number Changes

Along with changes in the box art, came changes in the set numbers and it appears the changes were in unison (with one exception). For example set #83203 UK 7th Armored Division 3rd Royal Tank Regiment in 2005 became #93003 in 2007. HOWEVER, many of the number changes showed the same year. To the best of my knowledge, none of the contents were changed, only the box art and set numbers.

#83203 (2005) UK 7th Armored Division 3rd Royal Tank Regiment

#93203 (2007) UK 7th Armored Division 3rd Royal Tank Regiment

Exception

Set #83001 US 24^th Infantry Division – Mechanized (Kuwait 1991) from 2003

 became

Set #93001 U.S. 82nd Airborne (North Africa 1942) in 2004

Boxed vs. Carded

I have absolutely no clue why, but FOV offered at least some versions of there sets as carded, while the majority were boxed. Again - why? (this company has raised sooo many questions with their marketing choices)

 #93004 (2003) U.S. 82nd Airborne (2003) Carded

Terrain Pieces and 'Smalls'

Each box contained anywhere from 3-5 figures and a bunch of accessories. There were larger pieces like ruined walls and tank obstacles, and there are a multitude of really small detail items. Great for diorama building but easy to lose. We'll cover all of that stuff in separate posts.