@MCLegoboy , @Maxbricks14 : It's not for trains, it's for bricks. Didn't you see the name?

Nom nom nom!

So nostalgic, it's beautiful.

@MCLegoboy:
@Maxbricks14:
@TheOtherMike:
Mystery solved! Now we know why all those parts keep washing up on the UK shores.

@Raven_848:
I know one member of my LUG built a replica of the SS Badger, in its original configuration. After operating for 38 years as a train ferry, she was converted into a car ferry, ending nearly a century of train ferry operation on the Great Lakes.

Another member made a smaller, open top ferry. At one of our shows this past winter, they had two docks set up at opposite ends of the layout, and the ferry was plonked down on a rolling utility cart so they could "sail" the freight cars from one end of the layout to the other.

@Raven_848 said:
"Had no idea train ferry’s were a thing, fascinating. The real ones have room for many more railcars though."

Really? You've never heard of one! In New Zealand there are lots. They take trains from Wellington, which is at the bottom of the North Island, across the cooks strait, And then they land in Nelson, at the top of the South island. (And vice-versa)

Okay, did something change since I commented, or did I somehow misread "Train Ferry" as "Brick Ferry?" @PurpleDave's response would seem to indicate that he saw "Brick Ferry," too.

I like how the back of the boat is opened in the middle of the ocean.

In real life, the back of the boat would open while over a ferry slip.

@TheOtherMike:
No, no, my response would indicate that I read your response, and assumed you were referring to the fact that it has the word “LEGO” written on the side of the hull. And combining the three responses, I came up with LEGO parts being transported via intermodal container cars that were not properly secured, and got dumped overboard when the gate was accidentally raised while at sea. And also the fact that aquatic-themed LEGO parts really have been washing up on UK shores for years, due to a shipping container that got washed overboard in a storm.

@Maxbricks14 said:
" @Raven_848 said:
"Had no idea train ferry’s were a thing, fascinating. The real ones have room for many more railcars though."

Really? You've never heard of one! In New Zealand there are lots. They take trains from Wellington, which is at the bottom of the North Island, across the cooks strait, And then they land in Nelson, at the top of the South island. (And vice-versa)"

Yeah I spent most of my life in Southern California i dont think there’s any use for train ferry’s there. Now I live in Scotland. I looked up if there’s any here and indeed there is. I live by the water so I’ll keep a lookout for one. I’ve always wanted to visit New Zealand my family almost moved there instead of Scotland.

@PurpleDave said:
" @MCLegoboy:
@Maxbricks14:
@TheOtherMike:
Mystery solved! Now we know why all those parts keep washing up on the UK shores.

@Raven_848:
I know one member of my LUG built a replica of the SS Badger, in its original configuration. After operating for 38 years as a train ferry, she was converted into a car ferry, ending nearly a century of train ferry operation on the Great Lakes.

Another member made a smaller, open top ferry. At one of our shows this past winter, they had two docks set up at opposite ends of the layout, and the ferry was plonked down on a rolling utility cart so they could "sail" the freight cars from one end of the layout to the other."

I’ll have to look up the SS badgers history, sounds interesting. Also that utility cart idea is genius that’s super cool!

Looking at the part list, Hinge Brick 1 x 8 https://www.bricklink.com/v2/catalog/catalogitem.page?P=655 was used only in this set. Looks pretty interesting part, I wonder why it was ever used only in one set

Those building instructions are pretty sparse. I think kids would have a difficult time building it

@Raven_848 said:
"Had no idea train ferry’s were a thing, fascinating. The real ones have room for many more railcars though."

And official LEGO trains have too few carriages, and each carriage has too few seats for passengers. Similarly most minifig scale cars do not have enough seats, but kids still manage to play with them.

@ao_ka said:
"This set uses a unique hinged 1x8 brick that could very well still exist nowadays, weird that it appeared only once."

I would guess it was either very prone to breaking or getting a loose joint. Does anyone have any experience with this part?

Also funny how this is a non immobile thing that uses a baseplate. Similar boats appeared as model suggestions on a few 1980-1994 basic boxes as well.

Suppose 60119 from 2016 is the spiritual successor. Were there any other official sets like this released during the years in between?

@cm5878 set 4997 Transport Ferry comes to mind.
But just type in the word 'ferry' and you'll see that in the late 80s to late 90s there were too many promotional sets depicting ferries to mention (most couldn't fit cars though).

@fredrigl said:
"Those building instructions are pretty sparse. I think kids would have a difficult time building it"

Nah, kids were much smarter those days.

hasn't this already been on vintage set of the week? have we come full circle?

@fluffy39126 said:
"hasn't this already been on vintage set of the week? have we come full circle?
"

Don’t think so. Truth be told, I don’t think we’ve had very many boats at all here in Vintage Set. Just seems to be a couple of other different ferries and a hovercraft

https://brickset.com/article/74940/vintage-set-of-the-week-finnjet-ferry

https://brickset.com/article/80212/vintage-set-of-the-week-silja-line-ferry

https://brickset.com/article/104976/vintage-set-of-the-week-hovercraft

Paging Flags_NZ to this post...

@PurpleDave said:
" @HoodedOne said:
" @fredrigl said:
"Those building instructions are pretty sparse. I think kids would have a difficult time building it"

Nah, kids were much smarter those days."

Nah, LEGO instructions were much, much less accessible to the average kid in those days, and the LEGO System was much, much more of a niche educational toy line with a much, much, much, much, much, much, much smaller customer base."

Hence why they released a much smaller number of sets per year.

@Rare_White_Ape: You should @ him. like so: Paging @Flags_NZ, Mr @Flags_NZ, white courtesy phone please.

I scored one of these in a used vintage haul a couple years ago. Was only missing the baseplate, which I ordered. Surprisingly, I still haven't built it. I need to do that sooner than later.

Wish I was on track to getting this set, but shipping it to me would be expensive; never mind the cost of ferrying it through customs.

@Binnekamp said:
" @cm5878 set 4997 Transport Ferry comes to mind.
But just type in the word 'ferry' and you'll see that in the late 80s to late 90s there were too many promotional sets depicting ferries to mention (most couldn't fit cars though).

"

1054 2998 1660 1955 1924-2 1548 1998 311 1580-2 1575 1581 1658 1656-2 1923 1554 1655

That looks like it wouldn't be difficult to rebuild. I don't have any of old blue train rails, though, and the 1x8 hinge bricks (according to Bricklink) were only ever used in this set.

@PurpleDave said:
" @Raven_848 :
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/SS_Badger

@Atuin :
The baseplate probably served the same purpose as the modern boat stud, which is to keep the bottom of the vessel from locking onto a studded surface unintentionally, and allowing it to glide, somewhat smoothly, over other LEGO parts.

@HoodedOne said:
" @fredrigl said:
"Those building instructions are pretty sparse. I think kids would have a difficult time building it"

Nah, kids were much smarter those days."

Nah, LEGO instructions were much, much less accessible to the average kid in those days, and the LEGO System was much, much more of a niche educational toy line with a much, much, much, much, much, much, much smaller customer base."

Never thought about that aspect, makes totally sense (with a main aspect probably being surfaces like carpets I guess).

For the Basic set 'boats' I guess it was more convenience, that the set contained a baseplate anyways. For this ferry here it might also help with boarding, as the limited parts palette of the late 60s would have little other options to make a build, so that vehicles can easily roll on to it from a table, floor or even another baseplate.

Those 1x2x1 framed windows are very interesting and something that does not exist in current LEGO parts, or not at all since after the 1970s even.

Those parts joined the list of long retired window sizes, like the 1x1x1, 1x1x2 , 1x3x2 etc.

2019 did introduce a new 1x3x3 window frame size with https://brickset.com/parts/design-51239 tho.

@TeriXeri said:
"Those 1x2x1 framed windows are very interesting and something that does not exist in current LEGO parts, or not at all since after the 1970s even.

Those parts joined the list of long retired window sizes, like the 1x1x1, 1x1x2 , 1x3x2 etc.

2019 did introduce a new 1x3x3 window frame size with https://brickset.com/parts/design-51239 tho."

The 1x2x2 window with built-in pane, https://www.bricklink.com/v2/catalog/catalogitem.page?P=7026&idColor=5T=S&C=5&O={%22color%22:5,%22iconly%22:0} was actually in production through 1997.

@TheOtherMike:
They produced them until the machine that glued the window glass into the frame died, and then retired all of those style parts rather than pony up for a new machine.