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Märklin is a German model train manufacturer. Components from its Gauge 1 models were used to construct the engines in the television series, and an HO scale 4-wheel passenger coach was used as the base for The Quarryman's Coach on the Rev W. Awdry's Ffarquhar layout.
They also released a limited range of Thomas & Friends merchandise in HO scale which were the Hornby models with Märklin compatible couplings and a pickup shoes to work on Märklin's C track using third rails. Due to licensing reasons, they were only available in Germany, Austria and Switzerland, although they did leak out to other countries (non-German speaking nations). The range was only released in 2006 and discontinued shortly afterwards.
Contents
Engines
Rolling Stock
- Annie and Clarabel
- Troublesome Trucks
- Sodor Milk Tanker
- Sodor Tar Tanker
- Sodor Fuel Tanker
- Car Assortment
Sets
- "Thomas and his Friends" Starter Set (Thomas with Annie, Clarabel and Sodor Fuel Tanker, oval track and controller)
Trivia
- Many of the engines that appeared in the first to third series of the television series were built using wheels, chassis and various parts of the BR 55, BR 78, BR 80, and DHG 500.
- In the fifth series episode, Busy Going Backwards, Toby's exposed chassis (originally BR 80) was seen pushing Toad and his train of trucks past the buffers that were set away by the points.[1]
- The fourth series model of Crovan's Gate station has a box image of a Märklin #5440 "Maxi" Starter Set as a poster cut from the Märklin catalogue.[2][3]
Gallery
Merchandise
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Basis
Märklin's HO Thomas & Friends series is based on the following Hornby models:
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Behind the Scenes
The following Märklin's Gauge 1 models and parts were used in the production of the television series:
The BR 80
The BR 80 was mainly used during the first series for scenes where rolling stock passed by. The BR 80 would usually pull trucks whenever moving goods trains were supposed to be seen on-screen. As production of the series moved on and more characters were introduced, they would be used for the goods train movements, which meant the BR 80 was retired from its original purpose. This engine also provided various components for a few engines (chassis, bufferbeams, buffer housings, buffers, smokebox door and bell)
The BR 55
Much like the BR 80, the BR 55 would also provide various components for many engines during production (chassis, driving and tender wheels, bufferbeams and funnels). When it came to using bufferbeams, the bufferbeams were sourced mainly from the tender rather than the front.
The BR 78
The BR 78 played a crucial role in terms of providing components. It had a bigger chassis than the BR 80 and BR 55, meaning it could be used for bigger engines (e.g. Gordon and Henry) and engines that generally had big wheels (e.g. Oliver). It also provided components like the bufferbeam (usually the front bufferbeam).
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References
External links
- Official Website
- Thomas, Percy, Troublesome Truck 1, 2, Milk, Tar, Starter Set and Feature Page
- Model Railway Constructor, December 1984 Issue (The Real Lives of Thomas)
- Articles (Sodor Island Fansite)
See also
- Märklin BR 80 is also known as the Märklin Engine.
- Tenmille
- Slater's Plastikard
