And now for something completely different this Sunday morning: The propeller-driven Tri-ang Hornby Battle Space Car from the late 1960s.
Read more, and find a link to a video of the car in action, on my blog at http://cprailmmsub.blogspot.ca/2014/02/blast-off-battle-space-turbo-car-from.html
John Longhurst, Winnipeg
Marvelous. It has a surprising resemblance to my dad’s 1949 Studebaker.
Atlas had something similar in the early 1960s if I recall correctly.
Dave Nelson
I never cared for the look of the 3-piece rear window style, but I did like the 53,54 version Studebakers. I guy I know very well from the custom car club, that I belong to, has a 39 Stude. pick-up, now that sure is a looker. Sorta like a Metallic copper color, beautiful truck.
The Studes. were way ahead of their time.
Frank
I’m not an aerospace engineer, but I think that more and thinner blades would have been the wiser choice on that propeller. Unless it can go underwater. Which I’m not prepared to rule out.
Now I’m curious if anyone’s got an MX train on their freelance post 1985 layout…
Looking at it again. The main body, resembles a Flash Gordan space ship from the 50’s.
Frank
Nice, but is it faster than a dead stock Hustler?
Wickedest. Rail. Car. Ever.
Lou
I wonder how fast the wee beastie would go if it still had all the propeller blades?!?
Dave
The beast reminds me of the famous Kruckenberg “Schienenzeppelin” of the 1930´s. It reached 142 mph during trials, but never saw actual service.
… there is a prototype for just anything!
Ah! I figured someone would beat me to that… The Hustler could definately out accelerate the Turbo car off the line. Still an interesting little piece of rail-toy history. Dan
LGB had a propeller driven machine in G scale. I saw it at a train show a couple of years ago. It was slow to accelerate, but had a high top speed. It was kind of a fantisy theme
[quote user=“dti406”]
Nothing new!
http://www.hoseeker.net/AthearnBrochuresAds/TURBORACERFLYER.jpg
Rick J
As noted, Tri-ang wasn’t the only company to enter the fantasy market. Atlas also made a Turbo Express racer for racing on train tracks. It seemed to be a response to the slot car craze of the 1960s. More info and photos, plus pictures of the German prototype (the Schienenzeppelin, built in 1929) that might have inspired these models, at http://cprailmmsub.blogspot.ca/2014/02/more-blast-off-atlas-turbo-express.html
John Longhurst, Winnipeg
What a Hoot! (and I wonder how many kiddies got their fingers sliced?)
And now one can be had for the paltry price of 344pounds (x2.5 to make that Canadian $$$)
http://www.ebay.co.uk/bhp/triang-battle-space
Thanks for the memories as I remeber my cousin had one
Fergie