Trix
Twin : History of Advertisements
© Copyright 2011 –
2014 Garry Lefevre all rights reserved
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This is PART 1 From 1935 to 1954 below
To
see PART 2 From 1955 to 1965 – click here
Looking at the changing style and content of
advertisements for the Trix Twin Railway is both informative and interesting in
showing how the early models evolved over 30 years from 1935 to 1965. It is my intention to continuously add to the
advertisements shown here as new examples are discovered. If you have any
copies of magazine or similar advertisements please send these to me so they
can be added here. ( I am particularly
short of ads for the 1940’s )
1935
My thanks to Franz Nowack who responded to my above
request so I can now show
the first ever advertisement for Trix model railways below :-
February 1935 !
The above appeared in a toy trade magazine,
“Wegweiser” published in Pössneck in February 1935 promoting the March Trade
Fair in Leipzig. The advertisement reads
:
“New Items
We will show at the Spring Fair in our enlarged exhibition
stand for the
first time the new, electric table railway
TRIX-EXPRESS
A TRIX quality toy train and accessories, a
train designed for a range of customers, which
because of its exceptional novelty promises
to be a Xmas
hit of first class proportion.”
In August 1935 Trix followed this up with a similar
advertisement just before the autumn Trade Fair :
Note the method of connecting the current to the track
is not the same as put into production.
There appears one square plug for 2 wires perhaps ?
The reference to PETERSHOF is the location of the TRIX
trade stand at the exhibition.
The Vereinigte SpielwarenFabriken is the name of the
company that owned and produced Trix.
AND in ENGLAND :-
Above is the first English advertisement I have which
appeared in the December 1935
edition of Model Railway News.
As the importer Bassett-Lowke called these trains
“Twin Train Table Railway” The name Trix
was not used until 1936 in Britain.
Bassett-Lowke has been involved in developing the Bing
Table Railway in the 1920’s. He was
mainly an importer of model railways, commissioning manufacturers in Germany to
make models for the English market, although his company made some models in
the UK. Clearly he saw the Trix Express
development as a continuation of the “00” Bing trains. As a marketing expert he latched onto using
its main characteristic in its name i.e. “Twin” the unique dual running we are
now all familiar with and the ability to mount it on a “Table Top”, not possible
with his competitor; Hornby 0 Gauge.
Probably to him the name “Trix Express” did nothing to promote the
concept of these smaller model trains.
The price of the passenger set above was 35/- or £1-75 in modern money, the goods set 30/-
or £1-50
1936
In February
1936, Model Railways News showed the above advertisement.
Prices show wagons for just 8d that is about 3 1/2
pence today, coaches for 2s or 10 pence today !
The advertisement promises new stocks arriving soon.
In July 1936 new
supplies were in the shops and the above advertisement appeared in the Model
Railway News.
In November
1936 the two advertisements below appeared in the same edition of Model
Railway News, but in different parts of the magazine
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This is the first advertisement I have using the
name “Trix Twin Railway”, even the catalogue for 1936 showing the new English
outline trains used Bassett-Lowke’s preferred name “Twin Train Table Railway” |
The new English outline stock was first shown to
the public at the British Industries Fair in the Spring of 1936. A photo of this trade layout can be seen in
my Exhibition layout section. By the autumn stocks were available in sufficient
quantities for the expected Xmas rush.
Still Bassett-Lowke used the name Twins rather than Trix Note the prices : goods wagons had now risen 50%
in price from 8d to 1/- |
1937
Coinciding
with the BIF Spring fair Trix launched the Portsmouth set. The advertisement above by Bassett-Lowke
continued to emphasise the name Twin Trains.
Now where in the ad is the word “Trix” used. Indeed the box label only shows “Trix Ltd” as
the manufacturers with the emphasis on Twin Train and Bassett-Lowke.
In the
autumn of 1937 Trix launched there own advertisement for the new Princess where
the name used was only Trix Twin Railway
In December 1937 the full page advertsiment below appeared
in The Model Railway News.
1938
Above
advertisement was shown for several months from January 1938 in Model Railway
News
In the
early part of 1938 Bassett-Lowke launched their own catalogue, showing mainly 0
gauge items but including one page for Trix models still called by them “Twin
Trains”
A sale at Bassett Lowke in March 1938 is revealed in the advertisement
below in The Model Railway News.
Below I am showing the detailed prices at this sale.
Wagons lits coaches for just 6 pence in modern money and a
loco at just 50 pence !!
This really shows what inflation we have had in the past 73
years !
Note the number on the loco, ( under the cab window),
appears to be 20 053 not 20 051 of the disc wheel loco.
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In
December 1938 the advertisement on the left appeared in several
publications. The one on the right was in
Practical Mechanics. For the first time
Bassett-Lowke had given in and named these as TTR models but note underneath
Twin Train Railway is still used.
1939
After the outbreak of war, production ceased and the above advertisement
appeared in the autumn of 1939. The loco was to be based on the successful Trix
Express 2-4-2 with automatic coupling at both ends. At least one pre- production model was made.
In December 1939 the advertisement below appeared in The Model Railway
News, quoting Neville Chamberlain
“ Keep the Wheels of Trade
Revolving”
and what better way to do it than with Trix !
1940
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The
Model Railway News of February 1940 carried the advertisement on the left. Note the
number of the compound is 1149. This
number was never used in production instead the number 1168 was used for both
the black and reddish coloured models. Thanks
to Don Gibson of Australia for this advertisement |
1942
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The
Model Railway News of March 1942 carried the advertisement on the left. 5
goods wagons were being offered for 12/6 that’s about £20 today. On left (middle), Bassett-Lowke were also offering
to buy second hand model railways for cash. A way
of keeping the business alive during the war. Thanks
to Don Gibson of Australia for this advertisement |
1945-1952
I do not
have any photos of advertisements in this period. If you have any from magazines please send me
a copy to add here
garrylefevre@hotmail.com
I do have the
advertisement below from the USA :
1949
1952
1953
In November 1953 Trix
were promoting their new signal using optical plastic to project the changing light
from the base out of the top of the mast.
1954
1954
was the year of the conveyor and associated die cast wagons
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January 1954 above |
The above 2 page
add appeared in the catalogue for a 1954 Model Railway exhibition in London |
This small poster was
used for shop display
At the end of 1954 the advertisement below
appeared in November
Or