I managed to pick up for under $20 one of the old old OLD versions of this kit (1:24 scale on 32mm/O track) while in NY last week. Sure enough, the instruction sheet dates to the 1980s.
It is a wonderful box of wood, nails, wire, castings and at one time held together by now dry-rotted rubber bands! Should be a neat kit to build, I will built mine in O gauge as a trailer for my Mamod.
Vic, is yours a 1:20 kit or 1:24? I wonder if they actually upsized it? I always had the idea of using discared horse cars/trams for passenger equipment as a few lines have in the past.