The Secret's Out: My Custom Topper Secret Sam Rifle and Attaché Case

 As a young agent I adored my Secret Sam attache case by Topper.

The black plastic case contained all the parts to make the secret rifle, together with a high scope, a message missile and camera.

The camera and toy bullet-firing pistol could be operated even when the case was shut! 

The camera actually took real pictures! 

One of the best toys I ever had, the rifle put together was a thing of beauty.

Here's the 1960s black and white TV ad.

https://youtu.be/5DkYTRYB6tU?feature=shared

After having so much fun on the Golden Sniper, I thought I'd have a crack at Secret Sam. 

I bought a suitable toy rifle on eBay for a tenner.

And I dropped on with this old Delsey briefcase for just £2 on eBay.

So, after a good few hours tinkering, sawing, glueing and painting, I came up with this:

The spirit of Secret Sam: scope, orange bits, chrome discs: I tried to get them all in. 

A car booter gave me two black plastic pipes earlier in the week and I just had to use them as a massive silencer. I know it's outside the 'scope' of Secret Sam, but hey, it's junior espionage! 

You can see the DIY orange message missile below the barrel.

I was going to saw off the stock to replicate Topper's detachable one, but it would have meant cutting through good battery wiring in the rifle, which powers some amazing light and sound effects, so I opted to leave it as is.

Besides, the rifle was a fit for the case, albeit very snug.

For the sake of completeness I made a white case tray and a small Sam pistol and added some toy bullets and an instamatic camera courtesy of my late Father in Law.

Oh, and that DIY message missile, which I forgot to put in.

Hope you like it.

Case closed!

W.A.S.P. HELICOPTER AS SEEN IN STINGRAY

 Some photos of my W.A.S.P. Helicopter model.

While I've done several models of the W.A.S.P. Arrowhead fighter, and the Spearhead Bomber, I've  overlooked the W.A.S.P. .Helicopter, which I planned to do for a while to complete my W.A.S.P. Airforce.

I modified an Italaerei 1: 32 scale Kaman H-43B ‘Huskie’ plastic kit, which is pretty much identical to the kit used in the Stingray TV series.

The model makes a couple of notable appearances in the series,( Pink Ice, Titan Goes Pop) being used as a V.I.P. transport to and from Marineville Airfield.

The model doesn’t veer too far from the look of the actual H-43B ‘Huskie’ , although the distinctive twin intermeshing rotor blades which make a tail rotor superfluous has been modified to just a single blade for practical reasons to accommodate a central support wire. There is also the addition of an extended tail fin, which was used to fix the rear support wire.

Although we don’t see the inside the control cabin, or the pilots, we do see one of the crew escorting Comr. Shore off the helicopter. He is dressed in a Marineville security guard uniform minus his helmet. With that in mind I decided to paint my pilots in the same uniform colours. As the kit doesn’t come with pilots, I used a couple of Britains 1: 32 scale tractor drivers.

I added some detailing in the rear cargo hold, two bench seats and a control panel.

The W.A.S.P. Helicopter as seen in the Stingray series.

The ‘Huskie’ kit also makes makes the odd appearance in Thunderbirds. In the episode, ‘Brink of Disaster’, a Pacific-Atlantic Monorail helijet checking the monorail track is hit by lightning and crashes into a bridge causing part of the track to collaspe – cue International Rescue.

The H-43B ‘Huskie’ first flew in April, 1953, and was designed for aircraft firefighting and search and rescue. It saw action during the Vietnam War, and was retired from military service during the early 1970’s.

Some info on the 'Huskie'. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kaman_HH-43_Huskie

Kevin's Zero Terrahawks Model on Maneuvers

Took some pictures of my Sergeant Major Zero on maneuvers behind enemy lines.

Stroll on,

Kevin

UK

FBI JR. NASTA CRACKER JACK PERISCOPE

This is unusual, an FBI Jr. Cracker Jack periscope by Nasta.

FBI JR. must be a range of toys.

Do you now it?

Driller Thriller

I've always loved this driller mole design. I saw this one on eBay so saved the pic. 

I remember seeing one like it as part of the Echo Cars range, the Moguras.

Do you have anything like these readers?

 

Scooby Doo Toy Train Sets

When I was looking in to the big and expensive Lionel Scooby Doo train set models, I discovered a couple of other sets. All plastic, these look to be much simpler and cheaper. They also look to be a lot more fun, and have a good selection of accessories.

What does Scooby Doo have to do with railways ? Well, they probably appeared in a few episodes, which is enough of a link for most toy companies.

Boley - Where the action is !

The Cartoon Network - Scooby Doo ! Train Set came in '2 Assorted Styles - Collect Them Both !'. '18 Piece Playset - Wind-up Action'. Made in China. Copyright date on the box 1999. Since both sets use the same box, they have the same catalogue number - No.51103.

These were clearly aimed at younger children. The box says 'For Ages 5 and Up'. The front of the large window-box showed off the contents, while both sets were shown set-up on the back, along with a list of contents:

1 Mini Wind-up Train (it is a locomotive - two different styles - wind-up knob on the left side)

1 detachable trailer (they mean wagon or carriage, although car would be the American term - one is a small passenger carriage, the other looks to be a mine wagon - perfect for an old haunted gold mine)

6 piece self-assembled train track (4 curves, and 2 straights)

4 playscene accessories (plastic buildings)

2 paper accessories

6 figures - Scooby Doo, Shaggy, Fred, Daphne, Velma, and (I think) Scrappy Doo.

If you count the 'paper accessories' that is actually 20 pieces.

These were clearly not aimed at serious model railway enthusiasts, with wind-up engines, and plastic tracks. The accessories are great, and include the essential Haunted Mansion, Windmill, Water Mill, fountain with cherub, food stall, Railway station with clock tower, level crossing, and a single tunnel mouth, spread across the two sets.

The figures, tracks, and paper accessories are common to both sets. The trains and buildings are different. The colour schemes are a suitably spooky black and purple, with a little ghostly ectoplasm green.

All Four photographs from Worthpoint.

Paul Adams from New Zealand

Shot Gun Heading

 

I love a hotch-potch of card art! This Cap Gun has all good stuff.

Who is the bespectacled blond holding the pistol? Is she stood next to a motorbike? And is that Carrie Fisher kneeling by her rifle?

I like it! You?

*

SOLVED!

Two anonymous readers have ID'd the card art. It's lifted from this book cover by Jerry Ahern:

Looey's Trip to Mid Mountains Vintage

Hello Moonbasers! 

I thought I'd chip in another Antique store adventure for you to enjoy.

This is Mid Mountains Vintage, literally five minutes up the road from our house!

It's not great shakes as far as old toys goes during this visit, although my wife found a Triang Dolls House in good condition and at a good price last year.

(In reverse order)

1) The frontage on the Great Western Highway at Woodford.

2) Welcome Foolish Mortals (I hope you brought your money with you...)

3) Tell 'em they're dreaming at this don't bother to repeat price!

4) A wide selection of mint tea towels, including this 1979 calendar with original Coles price tag of 50 cents.

Coles Stores have since devolved into grocery markets that are half of Australia's proud sypermarket duopoly. (Proud for the share holders, anyway!)

5) Anyone familiar with Super City construction kits? I'd never seen them before, but that illustrated logo is grouse! Available only at Coles Stores... hmmm, where have I heard that name before?

Anyway, apart from some overpriced Afghanistan Peace Keeper soldier figures (who seemed to be suffering from PVC PTSD) there was no-one to stop me marching out with my pocket money still intact!

If I think about it, there are several other Antique shops in our beautiful Blue Mountains that probably fit the Moonbase vibe.

I'll go visit them sometime soon, just for the sake of you lucky people!

Hoo Roo for now, Looey, 

Oz Base