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From the Archives of Dave's Trains, Inc.
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Hammer & Sickle Image Soviet Set Box Hammer & Sickle Image

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About This Item

A wooden set box is believed to have been furnished with each complete Stalin-era and Khrushchev-era train set produced by the Soviet Union in the 1950's and 1960's. The external identification of the contents of the box was by means of a paper label on the top. This attractive label was produced in muted colors and appears to be an artist's rendition of a typical railroad scene. A USSR-style diesel locomotive with five passenger cars is the most prominent element in the setting. The background includes multiple track lines, a three-light block signal, a gooseneck lamp post, a large passenger station, some well-dressed people, mountains in the distance, a tunnel and cloudy skies.

The title at the bottom of the label reads "Electrical Railroad" in Cyrillic. There is some fine print on the beige border below that, including the date that the label was made. The sample in the pictures shown below has a date of "31-VIII-55" (August 31, 1955). The box is made of plywood with heavier wood used for corner support. The box measures 21 7/8 inches wide by 15 5/8 inches deep by 18 1/2 inches high. Access to the contents is gained via a "guillotine-style" lid. The inside of the box is separated into two halves by means of a wooden divider.

Photo of the artwork from a Soviet set box
Photo of Box Artwork

Photo of the Soviet set box
Photo of Box Top

Two more photos of the Soviet set box
Photo of Box Lid Photo of Box Inside
LEFT: Box lid. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . RIGHT: Inside showing wooden divider.

Additional Information

Finding an original set box is very difficult and finding one with the label intact is almost impossible.

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This page is an information document only; nothing on this web page is being offered for sale. This page and all of the other pages from Our Soviet Archives were developed to assist you in understanding the components of the train sets produced in the Soviet Union during the 1950's and 1960's. These sets are known today as "Stalin-era" sets and "Khrushchev-era" sets. We have used pictures from our old files and personal collection to construct this area of our website. If you are interested in buying something, please view our inventory listings to see what we currently have for sale.

This web page was last updated on September 11, 2005. If you have suggestions for improving this page or if you see any errors, please contact us.

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