1940 SEARS CATALOG, BATTERY OPERATED TRAIN

javinda · Post by **javinda** » Thu Apr 09, 2015 5:08 pm

From the 1940 Sears

Post by **paulrace** » Fri Apr 10, 2015 5:46 am

Made by Marx, do you suppose?

javinda · Post by **javinda** » Fri Apr 10, 2015 12:31 pm

8 out of 10 folks seem to think so but since we have nothing definite--a'la "on paper"--I don't know. Either way isn't it cool!

Post by **paulrace** » Sat Apr 11, 2015 5:34 am

I'm just afraid that the cost of batteries would exceed the cost of the train in about a week.

winced36 · Post by **winced36** » Thu Apr 16, 2015 2:37 pm

Exactly what I was thinking...batteries weren't inexpensive back in 1940 (comparatively). What's the difference between a dry cell and flashlight cells? Physical size, I guess.

Presumably the set was upgradable to a transformer.

Paul

Post by **paulrace** » Thu Apr 16, 2015 3:14 pm

Well a dry cell lasted much longer in the same application. Of course they cost much more, but one dry cell might, say, cost as much as three sets of D cells and last as long as four. I'm still not convinced this is a cost-effective solution.