2003 Archive 
The International Rescue pod vehicles. How many people tuned in to Thunderbirds on a regular basis in anticipation of what surprise would come out of Thunderbird 2's pod?
Thunderbird 2 was the only International Rescue craft to appear in all episodes of Thunderbirds and just about every episode featured some wonderful machine which emerged from the giant transporter's pod. TB1 through TB5 may have received "star" billing but more often than not it was a pod vehicle that accomplished the actual rescue!
The pod vehicles were sophisticated rescue machines. For the most part, each machine was designed to accomplish a specific type of rescue. Beyond this specific built-in purpose, each machine was of limited versatility. Thus, International Rescue's large stable of pod vehicles.
And now, the International Rescue pod vehicles...
The High Speed Elevator Cars
Four High Speed Elevator Cars were featured in the first Thunderbirds episode, "Trapped in the Sky". These vehicles were designed to safely land aircraft which have malfunctioning landing gear. The Elevator Cars are powerful six axle trucks with large spring loaded platforms on top. In practice, a stricken aircraft can land on top of an array of High Speed Elevator Cars speeding down a runway and be brought safely to a stop.
The High Speed Elevator Cars are seen emerging from Pod #3.
Two different sized High Speed Elevator Car studio miniatures were constructed for use in Thunderbirds. At least two, representing a manned master unit and a radio controlled drone, were constructed in the standard "pod vehicle scale" of 1/24th (about 19 inches long) for use in close ups and scenes of the vehicles emerging from the large scale TB2 pod set. Please note that this was the standard model automobile scale in use in the USA at that time. Three smaller scale models were build for use in scenes with a Fireflash nuclear powered airliner miniature.
Remember the smoking brakes and exploding tires? Titanium Tetrachloride, a really corrosive and toxic chemical which smokes spontaneously in contact with the air was used to produce the brake smoking effect. The tires were blown out using electrical explosive detonator squibs.
Check out that scene showing the radio controlled High Speed Elevator Car going crazy and crashing into a hastily put together model airliner during the first Fireflash landing attempt! This started off as an accident that looked so cool in rushes that Gerry Anderson decided to build a little scene around it. What happened was that a front control wire broke during filming on the rolling road and the miniature pod vehicle was dramatically thrown across the stage as seen on film!
Simple High Speed Elevator Car kits were included with Bandai and Imai's standard TB2 model kits first available during the 1960s and then reissued in the 80s and 90s. A more sophisticated model kit was available as a Furuta Thunderbirds Part 3 candy premium. Toy versions were included with Bandai's recent DX Thunderbird 2, their boxed die cast metal TB2 with 11 pod vehicle gift set, and their "System Up" accessory set for the separately purchased die cast metal TB2.
The Recovery Vehicles
International Rescue owns two Recovery Vehicles which were featured in "Pit of Peril". The Recovery Vehicles are tracked yellow/orange craft which can tow distressed vehicles out of danger by means of two magnetic projectiles anchored to a strong cable and winch system. Like the High Speed Elevator Cars above, the Recovery Vehicles come in manned and remote controlled versions.
The Recovery Vehicles are seen emerging from Pod #5.
Two Recovery Vehicle studio miniatures were constructed in the standard pod vehicle scale (1/24th). These two miniatures were approximately 17 inches long and used the characteristic undercarriage of some unknown battery operated toy or model tank which was also incorporated into several other ground vehicles used in Thunderbirds. The studio also constructed larger nose and cannon sections for use in close up action scenes. The projectile cannons of the Recovery Vehicle miniatures were elevated from beneath the set and liberal quantities of Titanium Tetrachloride was applied to produce the smoke effects so noticeable in this episode.
Imai produced a crude spring powered model kit of the Recovery Vehicle in the late 60s which was later reissued during the 1980s and early 1990s. A tiny kit was included in a 3 piece Imai TB2 pod vehicle set and also in Imai's TB2 "Full Container" model kit. Another simple Recovery Vehicle kit was included as a sort of premium in one of Imai's larger TB2 model kits. Bandai, Furuta, and Morinaga of Japan produced premium model kits in authentic and deformed varieties which came with their candy products during the early 1990s. Bandai's DX Thunderbird 2 toy came with a small Recovery Vehicle toy and smaller versions came packed with Bandai's die cast TB2 gift set and the "System Up" package. Bandai also did at least one battery operated toy during the 1960s or early 1970s.
The Jet Mole
International Rescue owns one Jet Mole which is used to burrow beneath the earth to perform subterranean rescues. The Jet Mole is a two component machine. The actual Jet Mole is a manned yellow cylinder with a big revolving drill bit located at the front. This device is carried into position by a blue colored tracked trolley. This trolley is remotely controlled and featured a ramp which elevates the Jet Mole into the proper angle for drilling into the ground.
The Jet Mole can be seen emerging from Pod #5 in "Pit of Peril" and "City of Fire". It can also be seen emerging from Pod #4 in "The Duchess Assignment" and "Security Hazard".
It would seem that only one 1/24th scale Jet Mole model was made but this was reworked several times during production since it took a lot of abuse on set. It was about 22 inches long. Take note of the Airfix Girder Bridge, Revell "Everything is Go!" Atlas missile, and other plastic kit parts incorporated into the trolley.
This has got to be the Japanese's favorite Thunderbird 2 pod vehicle. They call it the Jet Mogura! Several different sized model kits of the Jet Mole were produced in Japan as proper model kits and candy premium model kits over the years by Imai, Bandai, Morinaga, and Furuta. Bandai produced a die cast metal and plastic Jet Mole toy and a great battery operated DX Jet Mole during the early 1990s. Several different die cast metal and plastic Jet Mole toys were made in Japan by Bandai, Popy, and Grip during the 1960s, 1970s, and early 1980s.
The Radio Beam Transmitter Truck
The name says it all. This blue double-tracked vehicle has a large silver parabolic antenna mounted on the back capable of transmitting a powerful radio signal. It was used in "Sun Probe" to transmit an emergency control signal into deep space which fired TB3's steering rockets.
This was a one off 1/24th scale roughly 20 inch wooden model which not only incorporated the standard toy tank tracks used in several other Thunderbirds miniatures but was also reworked into several other vehicles seen in various episodes (like the explosive truck seen in "End of the Road"). It was even reworked into some kind of fire truck pod vehicle as seen briefly in a parking area below Tracy Island in "Security Hazard".
A tiny transmitter truck kit was included in an Imai TB2 pod vehicle set and the same kit was incorporated into their TB2 "Full Container" kit. Bandai also included a small Transmitter Truck toy with their die cast TB2 gift set and the "System Up" accessory set.
The Domo (Restraining Unit)
A one-off tracked vehicle which has three powerful suction cups mounted on adjustable arms. It is used to support structures which have been weakened by damage and are in danger of falling.
The Restraining Unit can be seen emerging from Pod #3 in "The Duchess Assignment".
Another 1/24th scale miniature (about 14 inches long) which was constructed mainly out of wood on top of the standard Thunderbirds toy track assembly. Looks like standard dart-gun black rubber suction cups were used on this model!
The Drilling and Crushing Excavator
The Drilling and Crushing Excavator is a tracked vehicle which resembles the Restraining Unit except that it has a powerful rotary excavator device mounted on an adjustable rig at the front. This vehicle is used to rapidly clear away large volumes of earth and rock from disaster sites. This machine is capable of crushing excavated rock into a sand-like substance which is routed through ductwork and ejected behind the vehicle.
The Drilling and Crushing Excavator can be seen emerging from Pod #5 in "Martian Invasion".
This of course is merely a reworking of the very same Restraining Unit miniature described above. Check out the Airfix SRN1 hovercraft structure parts prominently mounted on each side of the drill housing!
A tiny Drilling and Crushing Excavator kit was included with Imai's Special/HGV Thunderbird 2 model kit. An even smaller and cruder version was included in one of Imai's pod vehicle model kit sets and was also in Imai's TB2 "Full Container" kit. A small but highly detailed toy was included in Bandai's die cast TB2 gift set and in the "System Up" accessory set.
The Monobrake
Some kind of low-slung utility vehicle with a retractable crane(?) or something like that mounted along its transverse axis. Used only in "The Perils of Penelope" to check out a monorail train tunnel.
The Monobrake is carried in Pod #6.
Looks like this one was made out of wood in 1/24th scale and was about 16 inches long. The toy caterpillar tracks used to make this miniature were different than those used to make the Recovery Vehicles, Jet Mole, Drilling and Crushing Excavator, etc.
Thunderbird 4
Yup, it's a pod vehicle. A bright yellow mini sub carried into action for the most part in TB2's pod #4 though also capable of independent launch as seen in "Terror in New York City". Used to perform underwater rescue operations in "Operation Crash Dive", "Day of Disaster", "The Man from MI5", etc.
Several different versions of TB4 were constructed for filming in Thunderbirds. They varied to a great degree in overall contour, ranging in size from 3 inches to 13 inches to 20 inches. All of these miniatures were made from fiberglass and had small plasticine figures of Gordon Tracy in the cockpit and working lights incorporated into the forward trough. Large scale sections were built of the nose (to film rescue tools in operation) and cockpit areas.
Many different toys and model kits have been available of TB4 over the years. Imai, Bandai, and Lincoln International did proper model kits during the 60s, 80s, and 90s. Kelloggs, Smith's Crisps, Boots, Gurico, Bandai, Morinaga, and Furuta did premium kits during the 60s and early 90s. Bandai, Popy, Grip, J. Rosenthal, and Matchbox, did die cast metal and plastic TB4 toys during the 60s, 70s, 80s, and 90s. Too much to list!
The Bomb Neutralizer
A small tracked vehicle featured in "Move and You're Dead". This machine incorporates some kind of sonic device which neutralizes the acoustic trigger mechanism of a particular type of bomb. Kind of specialized but what the heck. It worked!
This vehicle emerged from Pod #1.
The Bomb Neutralizer miniature seems to have been built around the same toy tank or tractor tracks used to make the "Perils of Penelope" Monobrake.
The Hover Bed
A strange air-cushioned hovering vehicle which has a mechanism on the back which produces a blast of air sufficient to cushion the fall of a person from great height. In essence, this machine acts like a contemporary "fireman's net".
The Hover Bed was used in "Move and You're Dead" and can be seen emerging from Pod #1.
The Hover Bed miniature was about 10 inches long and used two small props first seen on a puppet set as oil rig machinery in the Stingray episode "Sea of Oil" as the high pressure air blast mechanism.
The Firefly
A tracked heat resistant yellow firefighting vehicle. The Firefly's most distinctive characteristics are the nitroglycerin cannon and plow blade mounted on it's nose. The cannon is used to launch nitroglycerin shells which literally "blow out" fires by momentarily depriving the fire of oxygen. The plow blade is used to clear blazing wreckage. The Firefly also has a rotating chemical fire suppressant turret mounted at the back.
The Firefly emerged from Pod #6 in "Terror in New York City" and Pod #5 in "City of Fire".
The Firefly was probably made up from fiberglass castings on top of the standard Thunderbirds track set. The studio miniature was about 15 inches long.
Imai produced a very poor quality wind-up model kit of the Firefly. Bandai also provided a small slightly deformed rubber Firefly in their Thunderbirds The Best candy premium series. A tiny version was included in a Bandai TB2 pod vehicle set and also in the TB2 "Full Container" kit. Bandai included a nice little Firefly with their DX TB2 toy and also a much smaller version in their TB2 gift set and "System Up" set.
The Mobile Crane
A six axle red truck with a long extensible "cherry picker" mounted on the back. Used in rescue situations where access to high places is required.
Seen emerging from Pod #3 in "Path of Destruction".
The actual Mobile Crane studio miniature was about 16 inches long and was built on radio controlled model aircraft wheels.
The Laser Beam Cutter
A tracked mobile high energy laser beam unit capable of cutting through thick metal. A high pressure air device mounted near the cutter is capable of blasting back wreckage.
Seen emerging from Pod #5 in "30 Minutes After Noon".
One of the few pod vehicles constructed as a full puppet sized prop! The smaller 1/24th scale one that emerges from the TB2 pod was about 10 inches long and it incorporated the same toy track assembly used in the Monobrake.
The Rescue Pack Vehicle
A small tracked vehicle with a mortar in the front capable of shooting specially packaged rescue equipment to otherwise inaccessible persons. Used in "Edge of Impact" to shoot jet-packs to two technicians trapped at the top of an imperiled TV transmitter tower.
A rework of the Laser Beam Cutter vehicle described above.
A small kit of this vehicle was included in an Imai pod vehicle kit and also in the TB2 "Full Container" kit. A small toy was included with Bandai's die cast TB2 gift set and also with their "System Up" accessory set.
Pod Vehicles Not Seen in the Thunderbirds TV Series
A few pod vehicles were seen only in comic strip form in TV21 or in the Annuals during the 1960s. For example, the Excavator from the TV21 story "The Hood Makes a Strike". Strangely enough, this pod vehicle was produced as a tiny pod vehicle by Imai to fit their standard TB2 kit. It was also included in their TB2 "Full Container" kit. A clockwork powered model was also produced by Imai as well as a larger battery operated version. Both were reissued as late as the early 1990s. A small toy version of the Excavator was included in the Bandai die cast TB2 gift set and also in the "System Up" accessory set. A completely fictional Thunderbirds pod vehicle was dreamed up by Imai in the form of the Thunderbird 7 model kit. This strange looking tracked vehicle appeared to be a missile launching platform. The kit was first produced in the late 1960s but was reissued recently. Another sort-of pod vehicle is the Thunderbird 6 Tigermoth biplane featured in the 1968 Thunderbirds 6 feature film. This was also produced in toy and model kit form in a variety of sizes by Imai and Bandai.
To learn more about the Thunderbirds pod vehicles, try to track down the following resources:
- Science Fiction Modeler #10
- Science Fiction Modeler #11
- SIG #12