Caterpillar Tracks in Thunderbirds 

The mole from Thunderbirds was also used in the movie "At the Earth's Core" with Doug McClure, Peter Cushing and Caroline Munro (1976).

Especially due to your detailed exposition of the vehicles track systems and their origins, you have proven that even a 60 year-old Thunderbirds fan can still learn new information.

Came across this one by accident and boy. I was not disappointed with it. Lots of useful information about the tracked vehicles from the TV shows that the Anderson team put out there. Thanks

These models are incredible! Not only are they fun to watch, the attention to detail and weathering set the standard for all subsequent Science Fiction TV shows' and Movies' special effects. Of course, when Gerry and Sylvia Anderson put these programs together, they weren't thinking that they were making any actual 'history' per se; so much of what was "taken for granted" at the time had been long forgotten - but not anymore! Thank you for doing all the background research and documentation for this interesting video!

I saw Thunderbirds when I was about 10 or 11, and although I loved the show, I didn't understand how much detail had gone into making the models. Many years later, the shows were repeated on BBC2 (I think). I recall being completely astonished in one episode to see some wonderful craft working hard, and blowing wisps of black smoke forcibly out of the engine's "exhaust". Absolutely realistic and totally convincing. Incredible attention to detail.

Loved the Thunderbird series ! The vehicles were always my favorite. Always wondered what they used for them ! Great video and finally know one of there secrets!

Not just adapting, but making the fantasy parts! Skill off the scale!

Fascinating facts, you got to love the improvisation they used on these models to give such realism to them 👍

The Mole was one of my favourites.

Brilliant, always loved anything Gerry Anderson and team produced. Still do, I'm now in my 60's.

The Vickers " Vigor " tractor was at the time the most powerful tracked tractor in the UK and produced by Vickers Armstrong engineering, from 1951-59, ( they also produced tanks for the British Army and still do.) it was expected to be part of the huge motorway construction programme of the 1960s but suffered from transmission problems and was eventually dropped in favour of the Cat D8 fitted with cable or hydraulic bulldozer blades ..

Thanks for uploading,! For years I've wanted a scratch built Model of Eddie's Explosive tractor! It's of my Many Favourite Thunderbirds vehicles!

Matteline, me lad, you present the best Documentaries that easily stand alongside Jamie Anderson's ones. 👍👍 10⭐ to all. 6:40 Oh boy the TIGER TANK I had as a kid was used in Thunderbirds? _swoons_

TERRIFIC! THANK YOU for all the fascinating info!

Another great episode. I recall seeing an article in a British magazine on the toy Vickers Vigor tractor and its use in Thunderbirds - this would have been either Model Collector, or Diecast Collector, probably back in the 1990s, or perhaps early 2000s.

Thanks for this. Back in the 70's I was converting Airfix T32 tanks into 'moon rovers' inspired by the Andersons, they had me at Fireball XL5 (although I did prefer Space Patrol in many ways)

It was nice to see a page from my old website at 2:34 and also some of my photos from back then, I also wrote the article which appeared in Model Collector magazine. Some time after the piece had appeared in the magazine, the team who were working with Mike Trim on the Thunderbirds (2004) film got in touch via the magazine to ask if they could borrow one of the models to take measurements from for vehicles which were to have appeared in the film, as they had little else to go on and it was very disappointing when some months later it was announced later that none of the work they had done would ever be used. The fact that parts of the Vigor model had been used in the original Thunderbirds series also came as a big surprise to the man who used to run the company that had made the model. They had stopped making the tractor some time before the original TV series was aired, but he was very pleased to learn one of his toys had played a small part in it.

Thanks. Especially for the entirely necessary clips of Gabrielle Drake. I don't suppose you've any idea what kit they built her from do you?

Thanks for this video, as a vintage toy collector it's very interesting to see what toys they used to make the miniatures. I'm impressed that they managed to make mechanisms from toys look so good on screen. Any idea what they used to make the Laser Tanks in the Infernal Machine episode of Space:1999?

This is simply wonderful information. I always thought the caterpillar tracked vehicles were some of the most realistic. Now we know how they built the models.

The Mole was my fave special operations vehicle. Thats a good point, perhaps the Andersons missed a trick not having a couple of hardworked maintenance characters, to provide a foil for Brains, but may have posed a security risk?

Good Show, Thanks.

Fascinating, thank you.

Great "pod-cast"!

Once again, well done for bringing this all together and for the excellent visuals - however, you've now made these donor items even more expensive than they were previously!!!)

Thanks so much! just fascinating and and sooooooo cool, great work and inspiration... Brilliant !

Fascinating!

Very interesting, thank you.

Makes me wonder what happened to all the old filming models. Doubtless that many have since been lost, but surely some of them must have survived the years.

The Tiger Joe vehicles also were used in UFO for moon defence tanks in one episode, never really mentioned or explained in the story except as something attacking Ufo's could blow up. Still have my Tiger Joe toy tank despite an offer from an Anderson fan to sell it, a favourite toy.

I had a few of the toys used, Tiger Joe, baby dozer, I also had the large version of the same dozer and a truck that was used a lot in captain scarlet called Johnny Express.

Fascinating video and excellent research! Thank you for working this all out. I'm particularl pleased to learn the origins of Crablogger, my favourite Thunderbirds vehicle.

As a very young boy I had the tractor toys and that's back when toys were done right. These days try to find a tracked small toy and 9 times out of 10 it uses wheels under static tracks. And your correct the model work in UFO was incredible. Considering your ability to deep dive the Thunderbirds Vault maybe you can investigate the custom miniature pyro used in all these series. What was generating the black smoke?. I'm sure you will reveal all. It's a dark science that no one has ever been able to fully explain.

Excellent

There at 7:08, wonder what company's Sherman hull that is right below the "Keep Away" stencil. Probably 1/72 scale. Airfix? Matchbox? Italeri? Fujimi? Other? Even though I had several of them I don't have any better recall of who all offered 1/72 and 1/76 tank kits back then.

Great video...👍

2:09 I'm amazed you got permission to photograph the actual Internet. They had big problems last time they loaned that to someone.

spotted scalextric barrier on yellow crab one .yayyy :-) great channel ,one of those that you didnt know you needed to watch til you did..

Excellent. I’ve been wondering about this for decades!

What a great video! I’d just assumed all the tracked models were completely scratch built - thanks for sharing 🙏

Ah thanks for clarifying the tractor. I had thought they had come from a kit for a Panzer 38(t) or perhaps Hertzer, with similar road wheels.

All these videos about which kits were used to make the models in the show now make me wonder about how all the sound effects were done as well

I had the big "Tiger Joe" tank toy as a kid in the 1960s. The remote control was styled after the Army walkytalky radio. It shot big plastic shells from it's spring action gun, and included a bag of white powder to simulate "smoke". Mom confiscated the powder, knowing I'd make a big mess!

Perfect and informative video of the vehicles used in my favourite TV programme when I was a kid!

Great vid! Thank you. It's no coincidence The Mole and the Shado Mobile were my two favourites from Century 21's studios.

so cool

A great video - informative and fun.

Enjoyed!

That was 9:36 worth of information - thanks

The Haynes Thunderbirds Technical Manual has a cutaway of the Monobrake. It seems to be designed to slow down and stop runaway momorail trains. It drives up to the monorail, and extends running gear to fit on the rail, which lifts it off the floor. It is propelled along the rail by a small turbojet engine, enabling it to catch up to the runaway. It then clamps on to the train, and slows it down with electromagnetic brakes and, if needed, I guess, reverse (ducted?) thrust from the turbojet. It's basically a brakevan for monorails. It had to go slowly in 'The Perils Of Penelope' to build up tension.

Excellent ! Thanks for posting. I’ve always been fascinated as to what kit parts the special effects team used to adorn the various vehicles and buildings in the Gerry Anderson shows.

It always bugged me that the tracks didn't sag right on the top run. I noticed though that on the UFO vehicles the model makers added a little projection to push the top run of the track down, making it more realistic.

Great video. It took a lot of skill to turn those toys into realistic looking future machines, A lot of painting and exceptional weathering after the cannibalization was done. Thanks for sharing this information. I remember the Tiger Joe commercials on TV in Canada. Even saw them at the Supermarkets (the only places that sold the Topper toys). Always wanted one, but the price was far beyond my parents budget.

I think the G A team must had a job lot of these models !

I still remember when I first saw the Thunderbirds, I was watching Team America: World Police. 😁😆😂🤣

Found you from your latest video but I watched a few , very pleased to find the internet joke in there

Great vid again on wonderfull vehicles,always thought it was a great shame gerry considered he had missed out on doing live TV just to do puppet shows when in reality he bought so much joy and adventure to millions every week over the years.

Bravo... Excellent work Holmes! Only yesterday I bought a CAT earth-mover from a French charity shop. Not sure yet how to either winkle this beautifully detailed tracked vehicle into a short-film as is, or to go go full 'Anderson' and give it a twist? Best wishes from me and all the mice in the workshop. ⚒️🐁 🐭

Interesting

Excellent video. 1 correction the Tiger Joe turret was not used for the control deck on the road making machine, it is to small, but it was used as the forward gun. it is cut in half, and is facing backwards. once again great video.

Having been in the RAF I wondered where the support and mantenance crews were.

Vickers Vigor - after all these years....

The thing that stands ou, though, is not the items themselves so much as the creative talent behind their usage.

I had a tiger joe tank and if it’s right that the back of the crablogger was build on two chassis end to end then entire model must have been eight or nine feet long.

Were they RC controlled or pulled be strings..?

International rescue should have employed some Eastern European vehicle valets to clean the vehicles.

Just found a Vickers igor toy for sale in the uk...... auction estimate 3 to 5 hundred pounds !!

I wonder why today's pavement laying machines aren't fitted with artillery? It seems you would save a huge amount of money not needing so many orange cones