#942

c1977-1979

1977 introduced the first of the Little People Lift & Load series with the #942 Lift & Load Depot. This set broke the mold that all of the previous Little People sets seemed to follow. Where most of the previous sets were accessorized with family and/or children figures, the Lift & Load Depot was accessorized with 3 adult construction workers.

The base is quite odd-looking yet very creative in design and structure. One side of the building has an orange crank-operated bucket conveyor that lifts cargo up a slanted ramp, dumps the cargo, and then returns to the bottom for more. The top of the building has a yellow crane that moves along a track to transport cargo. The crane has a black chain and hook that lifts cargo from the ground to the upper-level warehouse. A gas pump on the side of the building (red and white braided rope with a red plastic nozzle) keeps the accessory construction vehicles fueled for work.

The yellow crane that fits on the building's top tracks is usually missing, as is the black chain attached to it. These two pieces make this 18-piece set (as it is called on the box and in the Dealer catalogs) a 20-piece set.

#943

c1978-1979

1977 introduced the first of the Little People Lift & Load series with the #942 Lift & Load Depot. The Lift & Load Railroad was second in line, introduced in 1978. 

The Railroad depot has a brown base with a grey 2-story depot building structure. There is a red overhead crane on top of the grey structure that moves by a red hand crank on the side of the structure. The lover level of the structure has an orange platform that tilts up to load the train cars when they come by. A part of the train track is molded into the base of the building. 

The set includes 7 pieces of brown railroad track and an exclusive 2-piece train. The set also includes pallets, crates, barrels, a forklift, 2 tireless construction workers, and a tall train engineer.