LP command centre

Size

Length
Width
Height
(incl dishes)

100 mm
27 mm

60 mm

3 15/16 in
1 1/16 in

2 3/8 in

Colours

 

always in red with plated fascia and white railing made from softer plastic

Markings

LP command centre markings



The LP command centre carries a Made in Hong Kong marking at a top edge, almost hidden by the white railing. It doesn't carry a trademark.

Topper Rocket Base advert Topper Rocket Base toys

The origin of the LP command centre is the Missile Defence Base that's part of the Rocket Base by Deluxe Reading Toys, which is twice the scale as the LP toys. It dates from ca. 1962 and was also made in the UK. Despite the soft-nosed tips on the rockets, the powerful springs launching them would have this toy considered unsafe by today's standards!

Smaller copy of Topper Rocket Base

The Deluxe rocket base was copied in H0 scale by an unknown Hong Kong manufacturer. The example above is missing the firing platform, but it's identical to the one below which was made in Singapore by Blue Box, and which clearly shows what the LP command centre is based on.
Moonbase Central has a picture of the box for the Blue Box version, which they sold on its own with a few astronaut figures (opens in new window).

Blue Box copy of Topper Rocket Base Rocket Base shop display by Deluxe Reading

This original shop display by Deluxe Reading has survived at the Osborne toy shop.
Judging from the glue stains, it will have had a price in Sterling stuck over the American one.
An H0-scale copy of the set sits in front for comparison.

Deluxe Reading X-500 set advert

Deluxe Reading also produced an even more extravagantly styled rocket base, which is shown here just to be complete.

As a final note, De Luxe went through some name changes to eventually become Topper Toys as is well explained by an (unfortunately) anonymous collector.

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