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Eric McCarthy wrote:
> Set #148: Scales in Transition
>
> This message is about Lego set #148,
> http://www.lugnet.com/pause/search/?query=148
>
> This set from 1975 is interesting because it has
> a mix of scales. It was made during a time when
> the regular sets represented many different
> scales, as if the Lego company were trying to
> decide what scale to settle on for the standard
> play system. This confusion seems to be captured
> by the 148.
>
> The regular sets of the mid-seventies had many
> different scales. There were sets with bendyarm
> figures (aka maxifigs), some of which later used
> minifigs as babies after minifigs became available
> in 1975. There were minifigs used as adults,
> which were then still faceless, armless, and
> legless. And smallest, there were HO-scale
> buildings with classic windows and classic 1x2x3
> doors. These different scales were not always
> split out into separate themes, although there
> were some themes that had consistent scales such
> as the Homemaker sets.
>
> The doors in particular were evidence of this
> confusing period. The classic 1x2x3 doors did not
> open. Then the Lego company introduced 1x3x4
> doors that opened. For example, set 361, another
> interesting transitional set, has this door but
> has no minifigs. Then when minifigs were created
> they did not fit conveniently through the 1x3x4
> doors! The 1x4x5 doors that minifigs fit nicely
> through were not available until 1979, I believe.
>
> The 148 combines three scales: HO-scale, pre-minifig
> door scale, and minifig scale. A classic door in
> HO-scale is used for the entrance to the overpass,
> and classic windows are used along the length of
> the overpass. The train station itself is sort of
> in minifig-scale, but it uses the too-small
> pre-minifig 1x3x4 doors so it isn't easy to move
> minifigs around in it. It comes with faceless
> minifigs and the train tracks themselves are
> roughly minifig scale.
>
> Of course there have been other play systems made
> by Lego that were in other scales. Examples
> include Duplo, Fabuland, Technic, Belville, and
> Scala. However, those themes were not designed to
> be combined within a play system, and multiple
> themes were definitely not combined within a
> single set!
>
> Another set that combines classic doors with
> minifigs is set 362, also from 1975. However, it does
> not have any 1x3x4 doors. I would be interested to
> hear of any other Lego sets you know of that combine
> multiple scales. (Though if you reply to this
> message, please don't quote the whole thing.)
>
> /Eric McC/
Great Job Eric!!
Yes 148 (Central Station) is one of my all time favorite sets. I was
lucky to find several of these sets in Germany in the 1980's. It has a
wealth of white windows, and both types of older doors. Universal
Building Set #400 - also from the 1970's - has this same classic
door/'70s door combination, but in yellow. Another interesting footnote
is that I believe this set had the last (known) occurrance of the
classic 1x6x2 three pane windows (in white), one of my all time
favorites. This 1x6x2 was a rare example of a "no window sill" three
pane window in white. This "no sill" window type is much much more
common in red, and doesn't exist in any other color (I should say this
window with or without sill was not sold by LEGO in any other color).
These windows, and their fraternal twins - the classic 1x6x3 shuttered
windows - would soon be retired (as would the classic 1x6x3 picture
window, and the classic 1x2x3 doors).
The minifig "stiffs" as the armless little figs from 148 are called,
were produced from 1973-1977. They were basically the forerunner to the
minifig. During this period the 1x3x4 door was produced. The two were
probably retired at the same time.
A sister set to #148 was #149 Shell Refinery. This was another one that
I was always on the lookout for in Germany. It is interesting to
compare these two sets. They were both related to trains (they both had
the blue (non-electric) train tracks). The 148 set had stickers only
(CENTRAL STATION, clock face, RESTAURANT, train station directions,
etc), while 149 had embossed bricks only (white 1x6 "Shell", white 1x2
Shell logo). So in many ways, this was an era of transition.
I am also planning on using one of my set 148 "CENTRAL STATION" stickers
for the fascade of my new train station of the same name (an 18 story
Mediterranean Deco style building).
Gary Istok
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Gary Istok wrote:
[snip]
> The minifig "stiffs" as the armless little figs from 148 are called,
> were produced from 1973-1977. They were basically the forerunner to the
> minifig. During this period the 1x3x4 door was produced. The two were
> probably retired at the same time.
> ...
"stiffs" is a good name. <smirk>
Are you sure stiffs and 1x3x4 doors were produced at the same time?
If they were, then one would think set 361 would have a stiff, since
it has a 1x3x4 door. But it doesn't have a stiff.
What 1973-74 sets had stiffs? The sets shown on Pause with
http://www.lugnet.com/pause/search/?year=1973 or
http://www.lugnet.com/pause/search/?year=1974
don't show any stiffs that I can see.
/Eric McC/
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I think Gary may have been mistaken. I think that the "stiffs" did not
actually debut until 1975.
"Eric McCarthy" <bendyarm@aol.com> wrote in message
news:391996E9.B4B7ED48@aol.com...
> Gary Istok wrote:
> [snip]
> > The minifig "stiffs" as the armless little figs from 148 are called,
> > were produced from 1973-1977. They were basically the forerunner to the
> > minifig. During this period the 1x3x4 door was produced. The two were
> > probably retired at the same time.
> > ...
>
> "stiffs" is a good name. <smirk>
>
> Are you sure stiffs and 1x3x4 doors were produced at the same time?
> If they were, then one would think set 361 would have a stiff, since
> it has a 1x3x4 door. But it doesn't have a stiff.
>
> What 1973-74 sets had stiffs? The sets shown on Pause with
> http://www.lugnet.com/pause/search/?year=1973 or
> http://www.lugnet.com/pause/search/?year=1974
> don't show any stiffs that I can see.
>
> /Eric McC/
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Well you guys caught me. Yeppers, 1975 was the year. Here is the 1974 catalog
(German) shows lots of sets with the new doors, but not a stiff in sight (from
Horst Lehner's wonderful catalog website):
http://horst-lehner.mausnet.de/lego/katalog/gk74/GK74-08.JPG
It is strange though, that they would produce doors (albeit 4 bricks high), but
no minifig stiffs to bump their heads on when going thru those too small doors.
The big head people didn't have any doors for their scale (not until the
Hospital or Schoolroom set had 1x6x10 doors a few years later).
Gary Istok
Mark Koesel wrote:
> I think Gary may have been mistaken. I think that the "stiffs" did not
> actually debut until 1975.
>
> "Eric McCarthy" <bendyarm@aol.com> wrote in message
> news:391996E9.B4B7ED48@aol.com...
> > Gary Istok wrote:
> > [snip]
> > > The minifig "stiffs" as the armless little figs from 148 are called,
> > > were produced from 1973-1977. They were basically the forerunner to the
> > > minifig. During this period the 1x3x4 door was produced. The two were
> > > probably retired at the same time.
> > > ...
> >
> > "stiffs" is a good name. <smirk>
> >
> > Are you sure stiffs and 1x3x4 doors were produced at the same time?
> > If they were, then one would think set 361 would have a stiff, since
> > it has a 1x3x4 door. But it doesn't have a stiff.
> >
> > What 1973-74 sets had stiffs? The sets shown on Pause with
> > http://www.lugnet.com/pause/search/?year=1973 or
> > http://www.lugnet.com/pause/search/?year=1974
> > don't show any stiffs that I can see.
> >
> > /Eric McC/
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In fact, this page even features the 1x3x4 door as a new element (in 1973).
http://horst-lehner.mausnet.de/lego/katalog/gk73/GK73H05.JPG
Looks like they originally had the Universal sets in mind for that door.
Apparently, the buildings in those sets were intended to be more play
oriented, and they thought that a swinging door made sense there.
Whereas all the town sets introduced in 1973 still used the classic 1x2x3
door. And even in 1975, when the "stiff" fig arrived, they were still
introducing new town sets with the older door.
http://horst-lehner.mausnet.de/lego/katalog/gk75/GK75-09.JPG
That's probably why the door and the fig don't work so well together --
they were never really planned to.
"Gary Istok" <gistok@umich.edu> wrote in message
news:3919B508.E1FD22E3@umich.edu...
> Well you guys caught me. Yeppers, 1975 was the year. Here is the 1974 • catalog
> (German) shows lots of sets with the new doors, but not a stiff in sight • (from
> Horst Lehner's wonderful catalog website):
>
> http://horst-lehner.mausnet.de/lego/katalog/gk74/GK74-08.JPG
>
> It is strange though, that they would produce doors (albeit 4 bricks • high), but
> no minifig stiffs to bump their heads on when going thru those too small • doors.
> The big head people didn't have any doors for their scale (not until the
> Hospital or Schoolroom set had 1x6x10 doors a few years later).
>
> Gary Istok
>
> Mark Koesel wrote:
>
> > I think Gary may have been mistaken. I think that the "stiffs" did not
> > actually debut until 1975.
> >
> > "Eric McCarthy" <bendyarm@aol.com> wrote in message
> > news:391996E9.B4B7ED48@aol.com...
> > > Gary Istok wrote:
> > > [snip]
> > > > The minifig "stiffs" as the armless little figs from 148 are called,
> > > > were produced from 1973-1977. They were basically the forerunner to • the
> > > > minifig. During this period the 1x3x4 door was produced. The two • were
> > > > probably retired at the same time.
> > > > ...
> > >
> > > "stiffs" is a good name. <smirk>
> > >
> > > Are you sure stiffs and 1x3x4 doors were produced at the same time?
> > > If they were, then one would think set 361 would have a stiff, since
> > > it has a 1x3x4 door. But it doesn't have a stiff.
> > >
> > > What 1973-74 sets had stiffs? The sets shown on Pause with
> > > http://www.lugnet.com/pause/search/?year=1973 or
> > > http://www.lugnet.com/pause/search/?year=1974
> > > don't show any stiffs that I can see.
> > >
> > > /Eric McC/
>
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