The BR 80, better known as the "Märklin Engine" was an off-the-shelf Gauge 1 model used to haul rolling stock in the background of the first series for creating the illusion of business. It is a German Federal Railways 80 class 0-6-0 tank engine first produced by the German model railway maker Märklin in 1971.
Behind the Scenes
Background Information
The BR 80 (know commonly as the "Märklin Engine") was first acknowledged in the crew members' interview pages on the Sodor Island Fansite.[1] The behind the scenes photograph from the episode Tenders and Turntables shows the Märklin Engine pulling a small goods train, originally published on the Model Railway Constructor December 1984. After that, many fan surveys confirmed that it also appeared in Trouble in the Shed, The Flying Kipper, Off the Rails, and Thomas' Train.
During the production of the second series, the Märklin Engine was no longer needed and other engines were used to haul rolling stock in the background. Because of this, the model was cut up and used as set dressing. A scrap smokebox of the Märklin engine later appeared at Crocks Scrap Yard in Edward, Trevor and the Really Useful Party, the numbering and lettering was still visible on the model's smokebox door. A Märklin BR 80 chassis was also used to push trucks along in several episodes.
A scrap model of the Märklin engine was later included in Blue Mountain Mystery in a scene at Vicarstown Dieselworks by Greg Tiernan as a nod to how its scrap variant was seen in the background of series past.
Parts
Parts of the BR 80 were used as parts of the following engines:
| Chassis/Wheels | Percy (changed wheels spacing), Toby, Bill, Ben, Diesel/Dodge and Mavis |
|---|---|
| Bufferbeam | Duck (front only), Thomas (bent bufferbeam in Thomas Comes to Breakfast[2]) and Daisy |
| Buffer shanks | BoCo |
| Buffers | Bill and Ben |
| Smokebox door | City of Truro |
| Bell | Toby |
| Toolboxes | Diesel[3] |
| Ladders | Diesel |
Appearances
Thomas & Friends
Specials
Music Videos
|
Annual Stories
- 1985 - Gale Warning (cameo)
Books
- 1984 - Model Railway Constructor: The Making of Thomas the Tank Engine (cameo)
- 1985 - Ladybird Fun Frieze (cameo)
- 1992 - Edward and the Party (scrapped model cameo)
- 1993 - Thomas the Tank Engine Storybook (scrapped model cameo)
- 1994 - Edward, Trevor and the Really Useful Party (scrapped model cameo)
- 2004 - All About Thomas the Tank Engine and his Friends (scrapped model cameo)
Trivia
- From the first series to the fifth, Toby's wheels and side rods were red[5], as they had not been repainted from the original colour of the BR 80.
- In Busy Going Backwards, Mavis' exposed chassis was seen pushing Toad and his train of trucks past the buffers that were set away by the points.[6]
- The locomotive was also used as the basis for Puffa and as parts for Little Owl from Thomas & Friends' sister show, TUGS, though Puffa is modified with a 19th-century diamond smokestack, an oil-burning headlamp, some wood instead of coal, and a cowcatcher.
- In real life a DRG class 80 did in fact reside in the UK on the Nene Valley Railway, but has since returned to Germany. A DRG class 64 does remain however.
- The engine's number, 80 031, was carried by a real DRG Class 80.
References
- ↑ Tim Staffel and Robert Gauld-Galliers' interview with Sodor Island Fansite
- ↑ Fan facts Twitter post by IsaacM6991
- ↑ Twitter post by jamostrainos
- ↑ Twitter post by TomsProps
- ↑ Twitter post by TomsProps
- ↑ Fan facts Twitter post by TomsProps