Deluxe Reading Rocket Base U.S.A. - Pt 4 (Final) Mobile Rocket Transport

As you can see by the photos, a previous owner had added decals to this truck. The truck - while correct for the set - may have been culled from another Deluxe Reading playset and placed with the Rocket Base to make it complete. Mine is missing the chrome inserts on the rear wheels and I believe the original had an antenna on the right fender.

It measures: 15" (38.10cm) L x 4.75" (12.06cm) H (to top of searchlight). Four rockets were included in the set, three of which rode on the truck. They measure:

-Green rocket 11"H 

-Tall white rocket 9.75"H 

-Blue rocket (missing rubber round 'satellite') would be ca11"H if the tip were on

-Short white rocket (missing rubber tip) about 8.75"H

Be Blessed and Relish Life! Ed

TRAIN TIME: K-Line #K-1401 Hershey's 100th Anniversary Set (1994) - Pt 10 K-Line (No Item Number) Newsstand

Another piece made from the old Marx tooling, Marx and K-Line often paired the newsstand with the station platform. Neither Marx nor K-Line assigned an item number to this. Be Blessed and Relish Life! Ed

This photo shows a carded set offered by K-Line.

The main structure appears to have been molded in gray while the roof was over-sprayed with brown. However. that didn't really show up in my photos, but it can be seen clearly when up close and personal.

Deluxe Reading Rocket Base U.S.A. - Pt 3 Rocket Launcher

My Rocket Launcher is in fairly decent shape. There are broken railings and the stabilizing post which sits in the middle of the spring is missing, but overall it displays well. There are four different rockets included with this set and all four can be launched from this platform. Without the rocket it measures: 10" (25.40cm) W x 8" (20.32cm) D x 10.5" (26.67cm) H. Be Blessed and Relish Life! Ed

The rockets have tabs on the bottom which fit into slots on the launcher. You arm the rockets by pressing down hard on the rocket (that's fairly powerful spring) twist the rocket so that the tabs engage, then turn the metal handle to lock everything in place.

To launch, you turn the metal handle to the right. It will turn the whole rocket to the point where the tabs are freed of the slots and AWAY IT GOES!

This photo from eBay shows a black plastic post next to the spring. That was placed in the center of the launch mechanism, and the spring attached afterwards

My sample is missing the plastic post which would have stuck up in the center of the spring

TRAIN TIME: K-Line #K-1401 Hershey's 100th Anniversary Set (1994) - Pt 9 K-Line #K-01022 Station Platform

Like the whistling station, this was made from the old Marx tooling. Nothing was done to modify it other than changing the colors. That said, it's interesting that K-Line chose to mold the platform deck in gray, then overspray it in a milk chocolate brown. Be Blessed and Relish Life! Ed

From the top it appears as if it was molded in this color...

...nope! It was spray painted. You can see the gray peek out from where the brown didn't cover it.

On my layout