Exhibition
Layouts from around the World
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Trix
as a teenager !
1950 to 1965
The above layout was first shown at the BIF in 1950. Afterwards it went on tour round department
stores in the UK. With minor modifications it was used in 1951 and 1952 exhibitions.
The gravity fed
shunting yard can be seen clearly in this picture. I remember how fascinated I
was as a young boy to see the locos run forward and back (never stalling) and
pushing goods wagons down the slope where after auto uncoupling they ran into
one of the sidings, each point operated by remote. The times were displayed for the next full
show as in between the locos had to be serviced. Something we collectors of TTR know all about
to day
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A Britains
Lilliput collector : George Burton added the following information about the
picture on the right : This is
interesting from the Lilliput viewpoint in that it shows the Fordson
Tractor, Hurdles and Sheep in front of the station in the centre. Beyond the
station are what look like the fronts of Lilliput cars. There are also two
horse-drawn items which look like the pre-WW2 Britains Gas Cylinder Trailers
modified to have a Lilliput horse pulling them. Lilliput was not introduced
until 1951 - the earliest reference found so far is an advert in the Meccano
Magazine for the Tractor in March 1951. The supposition is that Britains
supplied Trix with these prototype items for this display. Although the horse
drawn trailers were not put into production, the Britains’ Archive material
(originally housed in the Bethnal Green Museum) did contain Trailers finished
in civilian colours (blue and yellow). In my collection I have an unusual
Lilliput Sports Car with, so far, a unique wheel type and no manufacturers
name underneath - I am now wondering if this might be one of the
pre-production/prototype samples used on this layout |
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The picture on the
left is of a layout first shown at the British Industries Fair in the Spring of
1953 then subsequently at the annual Model Railway show at Westminster Hall
in London. The first event was for
trade only whilst the second was the major public show of the year for all
Model railways enthusiasts. I remember seeing this, having queued up in the
rain outside the show for an hour or more.
So many people went that the queue had to controlled by several police
officers |
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Above the 1953 Trix Twin layout
with Trix Express items such as the Diesel Flier |
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Above : Official
Trix exhibition layout in April 1954 At Westminster
London |
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An Early 1950’s Continental Trix layout
All bakelite layout
with a diesel flier and the post war 20/59 in the background. The goods shed in the front made by Trix is
much sort after by collectors |
An unusual picture taken from the
inside of the Bassett-Lowke shop in High Holborn in the 1950’s shows a
demonstration layout on the left.
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A Trix Express layout in Germany shown in 1953 at a trade show in
Nürenburg |
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Unlike the English
layouts the German ones had detailed scenery to add realism. These pictures
must have been introducing the new fibre based track which can just be seen in
the front of the layout, whereas the rest is bakelite. |
Above one can see a
harbour scene. In the foreground on the left are two E94’s |
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A 1954 layout from Nürenberg Alongside is a rare
colour photograph of a Trix Express layout designed to sell
Trix to the Continental public. This
was presented at the annual Toy fair still used to day as the place to
announce new products. |
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The layout on the left is from 1961 At yet another trade
show Trix Express presented this fine layout. It is interesting
to note the track plan displayed above the layouts surrounding the “TRIX”
name |
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