It’s A Gadget Warehouse Steam Special!
The Locomotive Phone is from TeleMania. They were famous for making every sort of novelty telephone imaginable. The Locomotive Phone is styled after the Crescent Train of 1925. Some 30+ years ago at CES when I first saw this phone I asked someone from the company how they were able to product such a detailed model. He told me they bought the plans from a company producing model locomotives and just added the electronic phone components. Even though TeleMania is no longer around, you can still find it online. (Mostly on ebay.) If it wasn’t for the phone cord coming out of the back, this could easily pass for an expensive model train sitting on your desk. (You can use it as a model by just removing the phone cord entirely.) As a phone, when the train sound effects – steam, whistle, choo-choo sounds kick in, it means the phone is ringing. You can use a switch on the bottom to make it ring like a regular phone, but why would you want to do that? It has other “modem features” too like push button dialing, redial, mute and even ringer on/off. The boiler lifts off to and becomes the handset to answer the call. The keypad is under there too. It requires 2 AA batteries. As you’ll see in the video mine is more than 30 years old and it’s can choo and toot!
Giz Wiz Video: https://youtu.be/gOWimbOIQ1M
It’s an Amazon for about $90 — on ebay for $30 to $40, but here for
$6.15 — to good to be true? Probably: http://salestores.com/telotrphtlol.html (Seems to be gone now.)
See or hear this show: www.gizwiz.tv/episode/1836
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We’d love to include your video in an upcoming Giz Wiz Show! Here’s what we’re looking for! Your home shot video – 2 to 3 minutes long, in any of the following categories:
I bought a piece of crap: Did you buy something you ended up hating? We won’t get you a refund, but we might be able to give a platform to vent your disappointment. Remember, “family friendly” language applies.
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I invented this! Did you invent something? (Or did a friend or relative invent something.) We can’t market it for you, but we can help get the word out. Show us what it is, and how it works. Even if it’s a prototype, you can get our (and the audience) reactions. No professional ads please.
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My Gadget Warehouse: Okay, so you don’t have a warehouse. It doesn’t matter. Just tell us about your favorite old gadget(s). When and where you bought it, and why you’re still hanging on to it.
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My Favorite Gadget (favorite old, or favorite new): Show us what it is, tell us what it does and why you love, or loved it! It can be a new gadget you just bought too.
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Post them on YouTube and send us the link! We’ll do the rest. (Or possibly nothing, but that’s unlikely.) Remember, videos should be just 2 to 3 minutes long! Low production value is fine, but we should be able to hear you and see you! If we select and show your video on The Giz Wiz you’ll earn a tiny amount of fame (hopefully). And if you live in the US, you’ll also get an autographed 38+ year old Alfred E. Neuman picture and a MAD surprise (most likely the current issue of MAD.) But no matter where you live outside of US, I can autograph an Alfred E. Neuman photo to you, scan it & email you a high res copy if we show your video. Just print it out, frame it, or just hang it up and no one will know it’s a copy. We’ve tested it out and fans say they look terrific! If you submitting warehouse videos for a second, third time, etc., you’ll get the current issue of MAD as a thank you.
All show submissions go to mail@gizwiz.tv
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Letter of the week from John Susco who emails us:
Hey Dick I thought you might like this. It’s your next boat.
This is a review from Motor Boating Magazine:
Here’s one from the company:
