1956 Trans Canada Bridge and Pam 'n Andy Structural Building SETs
Manufactured by Peter-Austin Manufacturing Co., Toronto, Ontario Canada
These sets are believed to be the very beginning of the Girder & Panel and Bridge & Turnpike legacy. Although they do not carry the name they are clearly early forms of the same design. Be sure toClick herefor close up pictures comparing Peter-Austin Mfg Girders to Kenner Girders.
Click here for close up pictures comparing Peter-Austin Mfg Girders to Kenner Girders
Set #510 BUILDING SET
1956 (??? Pieces)
Bright Red Girders made of polystyrene
Click here for close up pictures comparing Peter-Austin Mfg Girders to Kenner Girders
Set #511 Stuctural BUILDING SET
1956 (??? Pieces)
Bright Red Girders made of polystyrene
Click here for close up pictures comparing Peter-Austin Mfg Girders to Kenner Girders
Set #512 BUILDING SET
1956? (??? Pieces)
Bright Red Girders made of polystyrene
Click here for close up pictures comparing Peter-Austin Mfg Girders to Kenner Girders
Set #513 BUILDING SET
1956 (??? Pieces)
Bright Red Girders made of polystyrene
Click here for close up pictures comparing Peter-Austin Mfg Girders to Kenner Girders
1957-1958 GIRDER and PANEL BUILDING / BRIDGE and TURNPIKE Building Sets
Manufactured by Kenner Products Cincinnati, OH
These sets were the first to bare the name "Girder & Panel" or "Bridge & Turnpike". The girders are slightly different than their predisessors made by Peter-Austin MFG, Be sure to Click herefor close up pictures comparing Peter-Austin Mfg Girders to Kenner Girders.
Set #10 MOTORIZING KIT FOR BUILDING ACTION INTO ANY GIRDER & PANEL or BRIDGE & TURNPIKE BUILDING SET
4 small masonite pads #8/9 Project Book, plus #10 black and white and red instruction sheet
1960 (100 Pieces)
NO Girders
NO Panels
1961 HYDRO-DYNAMIC BUILDING SETs with MOTORIZED PUMPs
Manufactured by Kenner Products Cincinnati, OH
These two sets are highly sought after due to their incredible potential for imaginative play. The Hydro-Dynamic sets made it possible for children to create their very own power plants, water plants and more. Through tubes and chambers colored water creates the appearance of a working factory. These sets are a blast to setup and even more fun to run.
These sets were the first to incorporate diagonal type girders "joints" for the creation of the home roofs. They also included all kinds of great pieces to make your home look authentic. Everything from TV antennas, trees and brick wall panels to swimming pools can be found in these awesome sets.
These futuristic sets are a great example of what the future was envisioned to be in the early 60's. Like the Hanna Barbara TV series "The Jetsons" it was common perception that the future would be full of sky cares and towering buildings. These great sets are in high demand and can get quite pricey. They were the first sets to have other than red girders and the only sets to have yellow girders.
These sets were distributed mostly in cardboard cans (metal bottoms and tops). The building sets have gray girders and very colorful wall panels. These were the first sets to include some interior panels. The Bridge sets had red girders but were the first to use small masonite bridge bases and road anchors (pegs) to hold down new thin double lane roads unlike earlier wide double lane roads.
These sets are barely even true Girder & Panel sets. They do use the standard red girders but they have no panels. Now they did however include a wide variety of very odd parts including parts to create amusement park rides and oil rigs, the large wheels and chains and other odd looking parts were unique to the Girder-Matic sets. I don't believe they had a very wide distribution because these sets are very rare and seldom found.
Manufactured for Sears & Robuck by General Mills Fun Group by it's Div. Kenner Products Cincinnati, OH
After 6 years of dormancy Girder and Panel production continued in 1974. In 1974, the Sears Tower in Chicago, was finally completed. Kenner worked with Sears to produce a special Girder and Panel version of the world's tallest building for the "Sears Little Learners" collection. The first set # 49-16172 was a prototype set and was not released to the public, it was pretty much the same as the 72011 800 piece set but with no elevator and it came in a plain brown box with only the number 40-16172 printed on it, even the instructions made no reference to Sears or Sears Little Learners, Rather than two long masonite foundations the prototype set came with one double sized square foundation. The other two models were named "Girder & Panel Building Set Featuring World Famous Buildings". The first set was 1100+ pieces and the second 800+ pieces. Both had all that was needed to build the World Famous "Sears Tower" among other world famous buildings. None of the sets were actually officially called "The Sears Tower Set" but they did have a picture of the Sears Tower on the cover of the box and the instruction booklet as well as instructions on how to build the Sears Tower. The Sears Little Learners sets all came with all black girders (except for the Catalog 72071 set that had Blue Girders) and are the only sets to include black framed flexible clear acetate panels, this allowed the building of a very realistic 5 foot high model of the Sears Tower as well as a number of other skyscrapers. After the two World Famous Building sets Kenner made a few more sets for the "Sears Little Learners" collection. Only the regular 72071 Bridge & Highway Building Set is commonly found today. The interest in the Sears sets has seemed to grow as years pass and when found they go for $200-$600+!
Manufactured by General Mills Fun Group by it's Div. Kenner Products Cincinnati, OH
In the late 1960s Kenner went through a lot of changes as a company. After being purchased by the General Mills Fun Group, a division of the famous breakfast cereal company. General Mills was on a buying spree in those years, and even purchased the famous Lionel Electric Train Company, which was now in bankruptcy. Kenner released several new Girder & Panel sets as well as some bridge sets. The "Bridge & Turnpike" name was changed to the more modern "Bridge & Highways" name. Like the sets created for Sears these sets had flexible acetate wall panels but rather than black print they had a royal blue print. Some of the sets were released twice, first with Black girders in Red bordered boxes then later with Royal Blue girders in Yellow boxes. Although some of the sets had dual release the dates on the boxes did not change so it's not clear what the exact date of re-release was.
Manufactured by CPG Products by it's div. Kenner Products Cincinnati, OH
These sets although still manufactured by Kenner no longer bore the name "Girder & Panel". KenSruct which was a play on "Kenner Construction" was instead used. These sets were the only sets created by Kenner with Silver and Brown girders and multi color clear acetate panels. These are the last girders that were produced by Kenner.
Manufactured by Irwin Toys Toronto, Ontario Canada
Ironically the Girder & Panel style of construction started in Toronto Canada by Peter-Austin manufacturing and ended in Toronto with Irwin Toy. These sets were strictly building sets (No bridges). They were the first to fully diagonal girders as well as curved girders. They also were the only sets to included internal light units. Some of the sets even came with small figures named "Girder" and "Panel"!
Manufactured by Irwin Toys Toronto, Ontario Canada
This set was the only of it's kind created for the long running "Popular Mechanics for Kids" line. Like the very first Irwin sets this one had Metallic Silver girders. Like some of the other Irwin sets it also included a light unit and curved and diagonal girders allowing the creation of very realistic buildings.
These are some GREAT new sets, they are full of color and
made of sturdy flexible plastic to provide unlimited hours of fun. These
new sets offer new ideas, nice plastic tote type cases and classic fun!
Every city and town needs a bank! Designed in elegant black marble, this
bank will be a solid addition to your Tektôn city. Includes signs
advertising low cost student loans and Saturday business hours.
Build a fire station for your Girder and Panel city! This brick fire
station is 1/87 scale of the real thing and looks like many existing
fire stations built in the early 1900s in the United States. Perfect to
house your HO scale fire trucks and ambulances.
Start your city with this eye-catching office tower. Brilliant blue side
panels and blue columns and beams make a striking office building.
Easy-to-follow plans are included for three different structures.
Combine this set with other Girder and Panel sets to make an entire
city!
Start your city with this eye-catching office tower. Brilliant blue side
panels and blue columns and beams make a striking office building.
Easy-to-follow plans are included for three different structures.
Combine this set with other Girder and Panel sets to make an entire
city!
Build a truss bridge for your cars and trains. Set includes red girders
(columns and beams) and enough roadways to construct a large truss bridge
suitable for automobile traffic.
Build amazing bridges with this set... a suspension bridge, a truss
bridge, or a simple girder bridge. This is a great set for doing a science
fair project on bridges!
Build a model of a manufacturing plant with working tanks, pipes, valves
and pump with this unique construction toy.
This starter set comes with base and footing in which you build your
structure, a hand pump, siphon tank, small round bottom tank, large cone
bottom tank, tilt scale, ball flow meter, and assorted valves, pipe holders
and pipe.
Build a model of a manufacturing plan with working tanks, pipes, valves
and pump with this unique construction toy.
This set comes with a large tray and footing in which you build your
structure, an electric pump, siphon tank, large square tank, small and large
round and cone bottom tanks, float valve, tilt scale, ball flow meter, water
wheel, spray head, and assorted valves, pipe holders and pipe.
This desk set is perfect for the person who played with the Girder and
Panel building sets as a child. The set contains all newly manufactured
Girder and Panel building pieces mounted on a handsome mahogany base. The
panels resemble the original panels included in the vintage Girder and Panel
building sets. It makes a charming gift for the person who already "has
everything."
Assembly Required!
The pen and business card holder measures approximately 5.5 inches square
and 5 inches high when assembled. The product comes packaged in a white gift
box.
Manufactured by Chad Valley, England UK (Other G&P &/or B&R Sets were probably made by Chad Valley)
These sets were manufactured in England under license from Kenner for distribution in the UK. They are identical to the Kenner sets of the same numbers in every way except the following: On the cover of the box instead of the name "Kenner" is the name "Chad Valley", for the Bridge sets the word "Turnpike" was replaced with "Roadways". All the internal parts are identical to the Kenner sets of the same number except for the following: The roadways were yellow instead of grey, and the panels had blue boarders vice brown boarders.
If you want to help and have a Picture you would like to send me to be added to this site click HERE to email your picture(s) to me.
If you want to help and have a Picture you would like to send me to be added to this site click HERE to email your picture(s) to me.
1959-1964Combined GIRDER & PANEL and BRIDGE & TURNPIKE BUILDING SET / MOTORIZED GIRDER & PANEL and BRIDGE & TURNPIKE BUILDING SETs
Manufactured by Kenner Products Cincinnati, OH
These sets were designed to allow the construction of both Girder & Panel and Bridge & Turnpike sets. The 7,8,9 could build all the designs that were designed for Sets 1 through 6. The 8 & 9 added motors to operate the drawbridge replacing the need for a hand cranked wench. The set 10 was designed as a motorizing kit for sets 1-7 effectively making it possible to build the same constructions as the sets 8 & 9. Sets 27 & 28 were much like the 8 & 9 only with grey girders and colorful panels. These sets were made it possible to build all designs that were designed for sets 21-26 which were the Freeway U.S.A. and Modern-As-Tomorrow sets.
