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The RAREST toy "SCENICRUISERS" of all------

 
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NEW YORK OMNIBUS 2629
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PostPosted: Thu Feb 15, 2024 9:32 am    Post subject: The RAREST toy "SCENICRUISERS" of all------ Reply with quote

Tin toy SCENICRUISERS from Japan were quite in profusion from the 1950s through the 1960s.

Among the most rare are the "Sonar-Guided" SCENICRUISER and the "electronic" SCENICRUISER ("The Bus With The Brain"); the former was beautifully made of plastic, and its mechanism was actuated by blowing on an "atomic whistle".

Whistle-actuated tin toy buses from Japan were commonplace for several years-in the late 1950s and early 1960s; I have several in my collection (these were the "SONICON " buses) and often resembled the highway buses of that era.

The "Sonar-Guided" SCENICRUISER (plastic body) is virtually impossible to find today-----and it is even more rare to find one that still functions.

The other vintage (battery operated) toy SCENICRUISER that is very difficult to find today is one touted as "The Bus With The Brain"; this bus (made of tin) dated to about 1960-1963; several colored plastic strips (each with a "code" punched out) were to be inserted into a slot in the bus body.

Each "code" would program the bus to run in a circle, an oval, or in a figure-eight pattern.

Like the aforementioned "Sonar Guided" SCENICRUISER-this rare toy is not at all easy to find today; it is even more difficult to find one that still works-and still has its "color code" strips; it had to make for a most interesting toy when new, like its "Sonar Powered" cousin------ Wink "NYO"


Last edited by NEW YORK OMNIBUS 2629 on Thu Feb 15, 2024 5:53 pm; edited 5 times in total
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NEW YORK OMNIBUS 2629
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PostPosted: Thu Feb 15, 2024 9:39 am    Post subject: Reply with quote

Here an interesting (and VERY "tech") page on the ultra-rare "Sonar-Guided" SCENICRUISER toy I just discussed (note that the video on the page does not work)

This was indeed QUITE an novel toy bus for certain-----and one that is almost impossible to find today-----------

https://markjsaterfiel66.blogspot.com/2018/05/a-sonar-guided-greyhound-scenicruiser.html
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NEW YORK OMNIBUS 2629
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PostPosted: Thu Feb 15, 2024 9:51 am    Post subject: Reply with quote

"CRAGSTAN" (made in Japan) made hundreds of tin toy vehicles from the late 1950s and through the 1960s; in the early 1960s they made the "GREYHOUND 'BEEP BEEP' BUS"; this impressive toy was a HUGE (2' long!) battery operated (with "mystery action") 4104 that rolled along the floor-beeping its horn; at intervals it would stop and the door would open-revealing a "hostess"; this bus was also available as a "school bus" (I have two of the GREYHOUND versions and one of the school bus)

Interestingly, another (plastic) toy company made molds using these big buses and made free-rolling plastic (hollow) versions; these came in red/silver and blue/silver and came with either black or yellow wheels; these "blow mold" toy buses sold for about a dollar-back in the early 1960s.

Another (smaller) "blow mold"* plastic version of this bus was also made-about 1' in length, in the same color variations as the bigger buses (I have several of both sizes in my collection today)

"NYO"

*A "blow mold" plastic SCENICRUISER was also made--------
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traildriver




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PostPosted: Thu Feb 15, 2024 6:46 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

NYO--

Since you also seem to be an expert on this subject, I am wondering if you ever heard of a radio controlled toy Scenicruiser?

When I was in around the third grade, I vaguely recall during a "show and tell" session in class, that a classmate brought in his rather large, perhaps 18" or so in length, a toy Scenicruiser that he could move forward, back, left, or right with a hand held radio remote control. Do you recall ever seeing or hearing of such? I had a toy '57 Plymouth that you could control with a cable connected remote doing similar, but not radio controlled. IIRC, the bus had a short antenna wire on its roof, in approximately the same place that the SEG prototypes did later for their "Sound tube" Motorola's.

Needless to say, I was extremely envious of that fortunate classmate... Smile
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NEW YORK OMNIBUS 2629
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PostPosted: Thu Feb 15, 2024 6:51 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

SMALLEST of the toy SCENICRUISERS (two of which which I have in my collection) is one "soft metal" version that is barely more than an inch in length; the other (almost flat in contours) is made of tin (with friction motor) and measures about 3" in length (these could be had for about 19 cents in any "5 and 10" store........60-odd years ago)-------- Very Happy "NYO"
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NEW YORK OMNIBUS 2629
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PostPosted: Thu Feb 15, 2024 7:06 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

traildriver wrote:
NYO--

Since you also seem to be an expert on this subject, I am wondering if you ever heard of a radio controlled toy Scenicruiser?

When I was in around the third grade, I vaguely recall during a "show and tell" session in class, that a classmate brought in his rather large, perhaps 18" or so in length, a toy Scenicruiser that he could move forward, back, left, or right with a hand held radio remote control. Do you recall ever seeing or hearing of such? I had a toy '57 Plymouth that you could control with a cable connected remote doing similar, but not radio controlled. IIRC, the bus had a short antenna wire on its roof, in approximately the same place that the SEG prototypes did later for their "Sound tube" Motorola's.

Needless to say, I was extremely envious of that fortunate classmate... Smile


traildriver:

Indeed I DO recall that fabulous radio-controlled SCENICRUISER, eons ago; I recall seeing it displayed in a glass case (along with other radio-controlled vehicles) in both "HOBBY MART" (main concourse of the "Port-of-Authority"!) and "POLK'S" on 5th Avenue.

This toy HAD to be PRICEY at the time because Your's Truly (who had QUITE a fleet of toy buses back then!) never owned one. Sad

There WAS-however-a BIG radio-controlled Fishbowl that I found at a collector's show about 25 years ago, that I bought for $30 (was only the bus-no radio control unit)-but hey-a BEAUTIFUL display piece, for certain! Wink

I DO still have a LARGE plastic TRAILWAYS bus (yellow plastic body/metal chassis) with steerable front wheels; I was with one of my older brothers when he bought it for me at the old "HOBBY MART", back around 1962!

This big toy (about 2' long) was clearly inspired-interestingly enough-by the "knock-off SCENICRUISER" built by BECK! Shocked

"NYO"
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NEW YORK OMNIBUS 2629
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PostPosted: Thu Feb 15, 2024 10:11 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

Another rare tin SCENICRUISER (battery operated, circa-1960) I have in my collection is a "compact" one, operated by a battery box (w/steering wheel and forward/reverse buttons) attached to the bus with a cable, and is lettered "GREYHOUND LINE".

This bus is about 11" long and was available in two GREYHOUND schemes (it was also available as an airport bus, lettered "AIRPORTER" (I have the two GREYHOUND buses as well as the "AIRPORTER" version)--------- Wink

"NYO"
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NEW YORK OMNIBUS 2629
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PostPosted: Thu Feb 15, 2024 11:29 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

Here is, perhaps, the most "bizarre" tin toy SCENICRUISER ever to come out of Japan (circa-1960) Shocked

Shades of "POPULAR MECHANICS", perhaps? Wink

I've had this "oddball" in my collection for close to 10 years now......... Very Happy

https://www.pinterest.com/pin/310044755579458908/
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NEW YORK OMNIBUS 2629
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PostPosted: Thu Feb 15, 2024 11:38 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

On the "flip side" now-this handsome realistic tin litho SCENICRUISER indeed makes for a beautiful display piece today in 2024; Your's Truly received this one as a birthday gift-way back in '62! Wink (and it is today a prized part of my collection!) Very Happy

This sharp-looking friction toy 'hound was also available as a battery-operated bus---------

https://www.worthpoint.com/worthopedia/16-tin-friction-greyhound-1757404659
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NEW YORK OMNIBUS 2629
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PostPosted: Fri Feb 16, 2024 12:11 am    Post subject: Reply with quote

Made in Japan by "KTS", this "magic" tin SCENICRUISER (circa-1960) features lever-action boarding/debarking passengers, and a hostess at the door (one version of this toy also features a rotating destination sign)

I have two of these buses (one w/box)......the two I have do not have the rotating sign; they are still quite nice display pieces, recalling the long-ago heyday of GREYHOUND...... Very Happy

(be sure to click on the thumbnails!)

https://www.mainstreettoys.com/products/kts-japan-tin-greyhound-scenicruiser-magic-bus
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traildriver




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PostPosted: Fri Feb 16, 2024 6:08 am    Post subject: Reply with quote

NEW YORK OMNIBUS 2629 wrote:
traildriver wrote:
NYO--

Since you also seem to be an expert on this subject, I am wondering if you ever heard of a radio controlled toy Scenicruiser?

When I was in around the third grade, I vaguely recall during a "show and tell" session in class, that a classmate brought in his rather large, perhaps 18" or so in length, a toy Scenicruiser that he could move forward, back, left, or right with a hand held radio remote control. Do you recall ever seeing or hearing of such? I had a toy '57 Plymouth that you could control with a cable connected remote doing similar, but not radio controlled. IIRC, the bus had a short antenna wire on its roof, in approximately the same place that the SEG prototypes did later for their "Sound tube" Motorola's.

Needless to say, I was extremely envious of that fortunate classmate... Smile


traildriver:

Indeed I DO recall that fabulous radio-controlled SCENICRUISER, eons ago; I recall seeing it displayed in a glass case (along with other radio-controlled vehicles) in both "HOBBY MART" (main concourse of the "Port-of-Authority"!) and "POLK'S" on 5th Avenue.

This toy HAD to be PRICEY at the time because Your's Truly (who had QUITE a fleet of toy buses back then!) never owned one. Sad



Thanks for confirming this, I wanted to be sure that I didn't just dream it up Laughing

Come to think of it, the one I saw might have been closer to two feet long, than 18". Maybe the same maker as your 'fishbowl'?
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