Vintage set of the week: Electronic Train
Posted by Huwbot,
This week's vintage set is 138 Electronic Train, released during 1969. It's one of 25 Trains sets produced that year. It contains 111 pieces.
It's owned by 51 Brickset members. If you want to add it to your collection you might find it for sale at BrickLink or eBay.
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Quite the zoomer for a boomer
This one had an analog circuit that detected the sound of the whistle to start and stop. Very cool set. According to the manual, any loud sound could trigger it.
This is one of two (?) that responds to a whistle!
"I could buy a real train for the cost of this set."
Lego for the kids who eat their bricks.
I was wondering why the kid had a piece in his mouth, until I looked at the comment section. I don't know if I want the set in particular, but I definitely want one of those whistles.
Hey, baby, wake up from your asleep
We have arrived onto the future
Now that is fast. Quite the voltage back then.
That is one wicked looking spitball...
Also, imagine paying over $239 for something you know for a fact some kid has shoved in their mouth.
Ond of 25 TRAIN sets produced that year.
In 2023, dream on! :/
Thought the boy was vaping for a second
@PurpleDave said:
"That is one wicked looking spitball...
Also, imagine paying over $239 for something you know for a fact some kid has shoved in their mouth."
One should assume all used Lego has been in some kid’s mouth.
I feel like the speed blur gives unrealistic expectations
Maybe this set inspired Jeremy Clarkson to build a sports train!
That is...actually REALLY impressive, considering the time-period; to have a sound activated system "back then". Believe me, I still remember how "privative" light/photo-reactive stuff was back then too; "lightguns" and such, so to use sound...wow:D
@brick_r said:
"That is...actually REALLY impressive, considering the time-period; to have a sound activated system "back then". Believe me, I still remember how "privative" light/photo-reactive stuff was back then too; "lightguns" and such, so to use sound...wow:D "
That was how the first Television remotes worked "back then" too, sound activated.
That's some state of the art electronics for that era! Surely more advanced than most real trains in the 60s. For a kid (and parents) in 1968 this must have been the coolest thing ever. And I bet even nowadays stuff like this could manage to distract kids for at least a few seconds from watching some kind of screen.
@ra226 said:
"This one had an analog circuit that detected the sound of the whistle to start and stop. Very cool set. According to the manual, any loud sound could trigger it."
I can attest to that last part. I have the slightly less sophisticated 118 (this one can start, stop, and reverse; 118 only starts and stops), and I've managed to start it with the sound of accidentally dropping a big box full of Lego. Took me a moment to realise what had happened, there was just suddenly the sound of an electric motor running somewhere in the room.
I was more careful to always switch off the battery box after that.
I had no idea something like this existed from lego. The RSotD for me is usually either an 'I know that set personally', 'I have seen it before', 'I have seen it in a catalog before' or 'I know of that category of set, I just never focussed on this individual one' (usually the VSotW, as those are before my time but can also blend together). After all, I've been diving into the history of the company for decades already and especially with the internet I've learned more than someone would ever need to know.
But this system of electronics is completely new to me. I mean, I knew about this era of trains of course, but no idea they could be this advanced at the time. Well done Huwbot, you actually taught me something entirely new!
Looking into it, set 138-1 Electronic Train has a sister set, 118-1 Electronic Train. According to Bricklink this set can go forward and backwards and stops on command whilst the 118 version only goes forward and stops on command. The two versions of the control unit were also sold seperately on their own as set 139A-1 and 139-1.
Fascinating.
I wonder how close one could get trying to recreate this, building around a present-day Powered Up hub and motor.
@Astrobricks:
Probably, but the whistle is the only part I know of that's designed to connect to a mouth, and that's what the only Used one is listed for on Bricklink.
@Rimefang:
I've never heard of a sound-activated TV remote (other than using the Clapper to interrupt the power). I did know someone who had a really old TV with a corded remote. I think the cord was maybe 10' long, and it only had 4-5 buttons (channel up/down, volume up/down, and _possibly_ power).
@Rimefang: Actually, I can still remember the first remote control I ever encountered: At a relative's house, I was getting bored; so my parents (and an Aunt, now that I think about it) suggested I watch TV...and there it was: a small 'box' w/buttons and a dial, and wired/cabled to the TV. "Weird" I thought, and then I turned the dial on the box...and the same happened on the TV...freaked me right out.:)
(Edit): @PurpleDave: Just read yours, wow; so 'same' except for 'the dial'...weird/small world.:)
@brick_r:
TVs when I grew up had two dials. One covered the VHF channels (2-13), and had an additional position that would switch the TV over to the UHF dial. It's been pared down to only 14-36 these days, but the UHF dial used to cover everything from 14 through something in the 90 range (41 was the highest channel we could receive where I grew up, while where I live know there were channels in the 50's).
The corded remote I saw was probably for a TV that had a digital tuner. These allowed you to have one control or pair of controls to go through the entire run of channels. Additionally, the TV probably had a number pad on the face that allowed you to "type" in a channel number and skip right to it (up/down could often be pared down to only include channels where a signal was detected, or to exclude channels you had no interest in viewing). These digital controls were probably tied to the birth of cable TV, since the TV was no longer receiving signals over the VHF/UHF broadcast bands, but instead from a cable box, or via a built-in cable tuner.
@PurpleDave: As I said, I'd love to have one of those whistles, but if I bothered to get one, I'd definitely disinfect it before using it. (I'd also try to rig up something with a propeller that would spin when I blew the whistle, since the whistle has studs on it to attach such a thing.)