 | | 2006 - 45 Years Of Lego in the USA
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OK, it's time for my annual complaining about the first year of Lego in the USA..... The first Lego sets were sold in the USA in 1961. Most of the parts were produced from a Samsonite plant in Stratford Ontario, with specialty parts coming from (...) (18 years ago, 10-Apr-06, to lugnet.general)
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| | Re: 2006 - 45 Years Of Lego in the USA
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Oh, and one last item..... Did you ever wonder why in the 1970's the Yellow Castle set was numbered #6075 in the USA, and #375 in Canada, continental Europe, Britain and Australia.... Did you ever wonder why the London Bus was #760 in USA and #384 (...) (18 years ago, 10-Apr-06, to lugnet.general)
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| | Re: 2006 - 45 Years Of Lego in the USA
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Oppps, My mistake, I should have stated that any set that was produced after 1979 was given a 4 digit set number. If a 3 digit number (say castle sets #375 and #383) was produced in continental Europe or elsewhere, and not introduced to the USA (...) (18 years ago, 10-Apr-06, to lugnet.general)
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| | Re: 2006 - 45 Years Of Lego in the USA
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(...) Not sure if this affects the Samsonite argument, but it wasn't limited to town sets, there were a bunch of Technic sets in 1977: EU/UK/AUS/CAN USA Forlift #850 #950 Tractor #851 #952 Helicopter #852 #954 Car chassis #853 #956 Go-kart #854 #948 (...) (18 years ago, 10-Apr-06, to lugnet.general)
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| | Re: 2006 - 45 Years Of Lego in the USA
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(...) You are correct Rosco, that was the result of the Samsonite fiasco. It also affected early Duplo, early Classic Space, early Castle, all the small Town models and basic sets. (All these cross reference tables are in the Lego CD.) One area that (...) (18 years ago, 10-Apr-06, to lugnet.general)
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| | Re: 2006 - 45 Years Of Lego in the USA
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Maybe I ought to rephrase that..... the Samsonite fiasco caused TLG to start from scratch in building new Lego operations and production in Enfield Connecticut. It is also interesting to note that when the Samsonite of Canada license expired in (...) (18 years ago, 10-Apr-06, to lugnet.general)
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| | Re: 2006 - 45 Years Of Lego in the USA
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(...) I had a tour of the plant in Stratford in '85-86ish... I don't think too many people were displaced--right beside the machine that pumped out LEGO was the machine that pumped out luggage. They showed me the LEGO molds and those were stored (...) (18 years ago, 11-Apr-06, to lugnet.general)
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| | Re: 2006 - 45 Years Of Lego in the USA
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(...) Dave, Gary: About the Samsonite Plants: Samsonite's first plant was built around 1910 in Denver CO. There they produced trunks, and later, Samsonite Luggage. When the railroad companies effectively doubled their freight charges in the 1920's (...) (18 years ago, 11-Apr-06, to lugnet.general)
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| | Re: 2006 - 45 Years Of Lego in the USA
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(...) Is that the facility at 609 14th Street SW? With the big studded features over the door? That's either a big decorating coincidence, or those things must really be embedded in the structure (to not have been replaced in the last 30 years). (...) (18 years ago, 11-Apr-06, to lugnet.general)
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| | Re: 2006 - 45 Years Of Lego in the USA
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(...) (URL) an advert announcing it: (URL) what I hear, the building is part of the local tourist economy. It is mentioned on historical buildings listings in Loveland. I think it would be a great place for a Lego museum. Maybe we could even get a (...) (18 years ago, 11-Apr-06, to lugnet.general)
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| | Re: 2006 - 45 Years Of Lego in the USA
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(...) Well things may have changed somewhat in 41 years since this Lego model was produced for the grand opening in April 1965..... (Eric Strand's pic): (URL) I think you've got it Steve! Gary Istok (18 years ago, 11-Apr-06, to lugnet.general)
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