MODEL Railways in Film and Television

[Ben B]

Here's a weird one :)

 

The Secret Service | HD | Episode 5 | The Complete Series | Last Train to Bufflers Halt - YouTube

 

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fFUFvfAuE3E

 

Gerry Anderson Productions do Thomas the Tank Engine, in a way; the already bonkers "The Secret Service" and a bullion-train hijack.  Done using modified Triang Big-Big Train components.  A Hymek which mysteriously has a luggage compartment, and plenty of other modified Big Big stock, though clearly the plastic track wasn't considered up to snuff, as the rails look scratchbuilt with hugely blocky sleepers.  I particularly love the job they've done cutting-down and modifying the 4-wheel Ruston shunter from 16mm scale to 7mm.  And then there's the live-action stuff mixed in too, which has a Great Central look with the mineral trains.

Edited July 8, 2023 by Ben B

[Ben B]

...actually, further to the previous post, THIS is more like Gerry Anderson does Thomas :)  The less-succesful sister-show to Thomas, "Tugs" (which I loved as a kid).  That bit more grown-up than tales of the island of Sodor.  The notorious episode "Munitions" may be one of the reasons it didn't get renewed, very much a 'trash the set' episode.  There is some train action at the 13 minute mark, where an American-ised Marklin BR80 just escapes the destruction.  If Michael Bay and Gerry Anderson made kids telly...

 

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=T1clhCTW8eI

 

More modified Marklin BR80 action in this glorious episode too, which I can remember re-staging about aged 8 with my Hornby models ;)

 

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-8-JZ771yns

 

Interestingly most of the props ended up in Thomas when "Tugs" got cancelled ('Big Mickey' the crane which dies in 'Munitions' was recycled into the parent series).  Rather more ghoulishly, a number of Thomas fans identified the modified Marklin tank locos as appearing in the scrap yard on Sodor.  Bit more on the locomotives here;   https://tugs.fandom.com/wiki/Dock_Railway

 

[steve1]

All the ‘Tugs’ appear to be powered by vapes…

 

steve