Triang Battle Space vs Thomas the tank ???

[Nictor]

Interesting comment I saw on a Facebook site. A chap was saying how much more his young nephews were interested in his old Triang Battle Space stock as opposed to his newer Thomas the tank stuff. No contest on the layout when they visited as to what to run....Battle Space won every time.

Thinking back to my childhood....I remember my rocket cars and helicopters, etc....think I would  be the same.

[walkingthedog]

I never had any Battle Space stuff when I was a kid. When did it appear?

[Nictor]

In the Triang range around 1965 -1971 I think.

[walkingthedog]

Ah I was too old for that sort of thing then. 

[EdMarra]

Some of the Triang Battle Space rolling stock was offered by Lionel here in the US (which were essentially scaled down versions of their O Gauge offerings from the late-1950's): Exploding Box Car, Helicopter Launching Flat Car and one of the Missle-Launching cars for a few.

I have them in their Lionel versions, and I think the only one that is virtually the same is the Exploding Box Car.  The others were molded in khaki for Triang, but were in different colors for Lionel's versions.

I have the Lionel HO versions, and they're great fun!  Just making sure the springs and mechanisms are maintained on them, and they work great!

[2e0dtoeric]

Never had Battle-space - I was 'into' N gauge then - but I imagine it is because the stock DOES THINGS rather than just trundle around.

(There's a thought for a new DCC line - audio decoders that go POW! WHEEEEE-BOOM, or DAGGADAGGA, etc, when the wagons blow up or whatever! - I said it first when it comes to royalties!)  :-)

[Jeff Mennell]

My cousin had the  Battle Space set but I upset everybody when I said I didn't like it as it 'wasn't very realistic'.  I was five or six at the time.  I had the 'Jinty Freight' set which was obviously much more prototypical (!)

[The son of Triangman]

Loved Battlespace, was so sad when it was withdrawn. Someone mentioned Lionel, there was a tie and amongst other things they made the helicopters for Tri-ang. You can still buy the same red helicopter branded Lionel made today.

[choralc]

Jinty with synchro-smoke, helicopter launcher, twin missle launcher and searchlight wagon. Both missles eventually were crudely glued back together after hitting too many hard targets!

 

Regretably sold on as other priorities eventuated.

[Ruffnut Thorston]

The first "Battle Space" wagon dates back to the 1950s.

 

It was the Missie (or Rocket) launching wagon.

 

This was the old type Bogie Bolster wagon, fitted with the rocket launcher from a MINIC Push and Go Lorry!

 

This became the "Tactical Missile Launcher" in the Battle Space Range.

 

Lionel made Scalextric under licence.

 

In return, Tri-ang made the Lionel Science sets.

 

Also Tri-ang had "action" models based on Lionel originals.

(There are many more Lionel wagons! I have an old 1960s Lionel catalogue!)

 

Giraffe Car

 

Side Tipping Log Car (Later Pipe Car...)

 

Helicopter Launching Car

 

Exploding Car

 

Most of the military models were originally badged as "NATO" in NATO green.

 

The Battlespace range was mainly given the suffix "K" for Khaki, the BS livery.

 

The BS logo was a rocket crossed with a rifle, in a yellow circle!

 

The Satellite Lauching Car was based on the Helicopter Car.

 

There was even the "Honest John" missile from Dinky (after the Meccano take-over by Tri-ang), to be launched from the old MINIC rocket launcher, mounted on the base of the Platform mounted crane (That used the R.127 Crane body!)

 

And that just scratches the surface....(I did write an entire article on Battlespace! 😉 )

 

/media/tinymce_upload/83a058df61e30d86fe8dee2171b926ea.jpg

 

[JohnnyGee]

I've been collecting a few when thay appear at reasonable money.

[LCDR]

One of my first extra wagons for my Tri-Ang train set was the bogie bolster with Minic missile launcher. It came from 'Father Christmas' in my Santa Stocking as I recall. The missile had a rubber cap, but it could still cause a sting if it hit you at close range. Some time later I thought the missile firer was a bit 'babyish' and removed it from the wagon which then became an ordinary bogie bolster. By that time I think the rubber cap had gone missing too.  Somewhere I still have the wagon minus rocket firer.

 

I wasn't into Battlespace, per-se, and it is only in recent years have I bought a few of the 12 wheelers usually cheap and in poor condition as bogie donors for Special wagons. The same design of bogies minus buffer beams have appeared under Nuclear Flask wagons.

[Nictor]

'One of my first extra wagons for my Tri-Ang train set was the bogie bolster with Minic missile launcher.' 

Yup, I had one of those as well. Birthday present from my best mate. (Well his mum would have bought it!). Think it pre-dated the Battle Space range although it was later included in it. Mine was a grey bogie bolster with a yellow rocket launcher and red plastic missile with a softish black rubber tip.

[Darrenmb]

The first "Battle Space" wagon dates back to the 1950s.

 

It was the Missie (or Rocket) launching wagon.

 

This was the old type Bogie Bolster wagon, fitted with the rocket launcher from a MINIC Push and Go Lorry!

 

This became the "Tactical Missile Launcher" in the Battle Space Range.

 

Lionel made Scalextric under licence.

 

In return, Tri-ang made the Lionel Science sets.

 

Also Tri-ang had "action" models based on Lionel originals.

(There are many more Lionel wagons! I have an old 1960s Lionel catalogue!)

 

Giraffe Car

 

Side Tipping Log Car (Later Pipe Car...)

 

Helicopter Launching Car

 

Exploding Car

 

Most of the military models were originally badged as "NATO" in NATO green.

 

The Battlespace range was mainly given the suffix "K" for Khaki, the BS livery.

 

The BS logo was a rocket crossed with a rifle, in a yellow circle!

 

The Satellite Lauching Car was based on the Helicopter Car.

 

There was even the "Honest John" missile from Dinky (after the Meccano take-over by Tri-ang), to be launched from the old MINIC rocket launcher, mounted on the base of the Platform mounted crane (That used the R.127 Crane body!)

 

And that just scratches the surface....(I did write an entire article on Battlespace! 😉 )

 

/media/tinymce_upload/83a058df61e30d86fe8dee2171b926ea.jpg

 Sorry to bring back an old post, but where can I find the article you wrote on the battlespace line up?

google just brings me to this...

thanks

Darren

 

[Ruffnut Thorston]

It was in the Tri-ang Telegraph.

This is the magazine of the Tri-ang Society...

Not generally available.

 

I don't think it was printed in the Train Collector, the magazine of the Train Collector's Society.

 

I will have to think of a way to make it more available...

[LCDR]

 Hi Sarah,

I think it would go well in the TCS mag. 

[Buz]

Hi all

No battle space for me wasn't interested at the time, I had the mail coach and giraffe car.

I have a couple of the battle space Items now.

I can well understand why children would be more interested in it, than Thomas PLAY VALUE they did things.

You could make them work they had very simple child friendly mechanical operating systems.

regards John

[Tony57]

I had the four rocket luancher car  boy could the hard nose rockets fly.

I think the issue is a little more simple, Triang trains did things where Thomas does not.. You have box vans with opening doors either sliding or hinged, open wagons with drop down doors and sides. hopper wagons with working bottom doors, mail coach which picks up and drops mail bags, side tipping car that empty on the move. Then tere is exploding car, airoplane launcher, rocket launchers, helecopter car, working searchlight car sniper car same a giraffe car satelite car and radar tracking car command car (transcontinental Mail Car).

 

Hornby made some new operating accessories like the end tipper wagon unit and the working convayor belt and kept the hopper bridge going with the working hopper wagons and the mail coach. I wish that Hornby would bring some of them back in the railroad range I know many would say they are toys but by having toy trains it might just help a few to move on to the more serious stuff.

 

I am a member of TTRCA in the quarterly mag where TTR is diplayed with the working convayor the number of children watching the side tipper cars working with the convayor belts units is inspiring. Some exhibitors put an operating botton where the children can press to operate the side tippiong wagons and the convayor belt unit.       

[atom3624]

As far as the OP is concerned, I remember in my early Junior school days trying to write some semblance of a 'Thomas-type story' yet when at home, not remotely being interested in Thomas engines, and totally fascinated in the Battlespace gear .... !!

 

Al.