Content Co-Collected and Captured with Screwhead
'Pull-Back Action!'
Borrowing from the Bandai 'DX' toy branding the DL Robo Vehicles line even utilises the same logo style as seen on packaging for Bandai's European Robo Machine 'Super Gobots' scale figures.
To be technically correct, these are bootlegs of the original Japanese model kits by Grand Model, however as this site's audience is largely Western, someone collecting/researching these is more likely to come in from a Robotron avenue. A good indicator is the Porsche and Nissan on the rear of the box packaging. The model kits are white and the stickers used for the example images on those two figures are from the model kits. The Porsche has also been hand painted red.
Build quality is almost on par with the Buddy L versions and each model was offered in wide number of mix and matched colour schemes.
The figure was manufactured in Taiwan and sold in Machine Robo Series sized boxes with front of box windows. While the DL Locomotive and Dump Truck were also sold in these boxes ) and far more commonly on blister cards.
See the Robotron main index for further details.
Region Codes Used: US United States
NOTE: Location codes only shown where items were known to be released. This list is accurate yet likely to be incomplete.
DL Robot Vehicles US Mid 80's
Colours used for parts are blue, green, red yellow and white. There are many more colour combinations than those shown below. It is however likely they are limited to the main body parts being blue and white or yellow and green and not blue and green for example.
Unlike the DL Dump Truck, the Locomotive did have an extra sticker sheet created for it, however its inclusion seems hit and miss. Whether this is indicative of factories running low on stock, quality control issues or two separate distributions, one with and one without the sheet is unclear. Collector note Often the sticker sheet is discoloured with age due to reacting with the adhesive backing.
Packaging Variation There is a difference between the boxed and carded distribution with the box showing the figure identified as 'Train' while the cards shows 'Locomotive'. A carded version showing the same addition/removal of the word Transforms as seen with the DL Dump Truck has not yet been sighted.
As above, the stickers shown for the Nissan and Porsche on the rear of the box packaging are from the Grand Model Japanese model kit and don't match the production stickers. The Porsche has also been hand painted red while the Nissan is still in white as all of the Grand Model kits were produced. As the train and truck appear to be the production versions, the cars are likely still the model kits. As so far the cars have not been sighted on blister card, it could indicate the carded distribution came first, then the cars were added for the boxed release. Car production versions possibly weren't available for the box photo so the hand painted Porsche was used. This is unconfirmed speculation.
Trivia The photo shown on the carded version shows the robot with text on the sticker printed 'SL' instead of the production release 'DL'. As these figures were bootlegged from what were originally Japanese model kits, it's possible the SL relates to the Japanese railway code for 'Steam Locomotive'. This may seem a stretch, however Japan was a very train proud country at the time and many robots that turned into steam trains included the SL code somewhere on their packaging or name.
