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Mit freundlicher Unterstützung von  with special thanks to

Coert van Dijk, Netherlands   1939 + general info

Garry Lefevre, United Kingdom    general info about the early history of TTR


 

Trix electric trains were first made in Germany in 1935 under the Trix Express label. In late 1935 Trix trains made their debut in the U.K. where they were sold and distributed by Trix Ltd, a company owned by Stephan Bing who was the principal shareholder of the Trix Express company in Germany.  With Bing's agreement Bassett Lowke Ltd. also promoted the same trains as The Bassett-Lowke Twin-Train Table Railway. Bassett-Lowke was a well-established British model making company.

In 1936 new English-made body castings were manufactured in the style of British rather than German steam locos. These locos, along with British rolling stock, were on sale in LNER, LMS, and Southern liveries. The motors, wheels and some other items were made only in Germany up to 1939.  In 1936  the name Trix Twin Railways replaced the Trix Express name in England.

The 1939-1945 war interrupted production, which resumed in 1948. Some unsold pre-war items were sold post-war. Post-war, Trix locos continued to operate on 14 volts alternating current, unlike rival manufacturers Hornby-Dublo and Triang that used 12 volts DC. Trix locos had a complex reversing mechanism, which made production expensive and less reliable. In Germany, Trix changed from AC motors to the more efficient and reliable permanent magnet DC type. Unfortunately, the British Trix company retained the old AC system for several years which contributed to their extremely chequered history. They were taken over several times, with the models renamed Trix Twin Railways, Trix Trains, British Trix and Liliput.

In 1956, Trix changed to 12 volt DC operation, but the models were still three-rail and more expensive than other popular 00 brands.

In April 1963 British Celanese (part of the Courtaulds Group) formed British Trix Ltd and purchased the goodwill and patents of Trix Products Ltd for £1. Ernest Rozsa was placed in charge of design and development but later took full responsibility for production.

Despite a number of successes, the financial problems continued and at the end of 1967 the plug was once again pulled. The German Trix company acquired the assets of British Trix and a company called Thernglade Ltd was acquired to take over production. Rozsa was a Director of the new company and the product was renamed ‘Trix Trains’. This period was famed for the excellent LNER Pacific locomotives they produced in 00 scale.

A number of German toy company ownership changes lead to a decision to phase out model railway production at Wrexham from 1971. The Minitrix tools were bought by the German Trix company and in 1973 Rovex Ltd became the importers of the range which was renamed Hornby Minitrix. The Trix production ceased in 1973.

Rozsa had salvaged the model railway side of the business and purchased stock and spares. He set up a mail order business under the name Berwyn Hobbies Supplies while Liliput of Austria purchased the British model tools owned by Trix of Germany. In 1974 Rozsa formed Liliput Model Railways (UK) Ltd and continued to assemble former British Trix models from parts supplied by Liliput. This continued until 1992 when the supply of parts finally dried up.

Some parts and tools were acquired by Dapol Ltd and others were retained by Liliput which was bought by Kader in 1993. Kader, a Chinese company who owned the American Bachmann company, had established Bachmann Industries Europe Ltd in Britain to market British outline models made from the former Mainline Railways tools which it owned. With the Liliput tools now in their possession, the former British Trix A4 model formed the basis of the Class A4 models currently sold by Bachmann.

You can read more about the history of Trix Twin on the website www.Trix-Twin.co.uk

 


1980 Liliput UK (Trix)
   
1935 erster TTR Katalog, Faltblatt, 8 Seiten
1935 first TTR catalogue, foldout catalog, 8 pages
(€94,- ebay 2016)

April 1936 Katalog Faltblatt, 8 Seiten
april 1936 catalogue, foldout catalog, 8 pages
 
       
1937 23 Seitenpages 1937/38 24 Seitenpages 1938 dealer leaflet 1938/39
       

Das sehr bekannte Warenhaus F.A.O. Schwarz lieferte spezial für den US Markt TTR und Trix Express US Modelle. Diese Modelle haben an der Vorderseite einen Kuhfanger. Die Puffer fehlen ebenfalls. Die hier abgebildeten Katalogen enthalten Trix Express und TTR.

 

The well known company F.A.O. Schwarz did sell special US models from both TTR as Trix Express. Typical for these models is the cowcatcher on the front of the locomotive. The catalogs on the left do contain both Trix Express as TTR.

1937/38A 8 Seitenpages
gedruckt in Deutschlandprinted in Germany
  
1938/39A 12 Seitenpages
gedruckt in Englandprinted in England

(€152,- 
ebay 2007)
(€80,- ebay 2016)
  1938/39 35 Seitenpages
       
1939 Händlerkatalog, Faltblatt, ausgefaltet 44,5x43cm, beidseitig bedruckt, 12 x DIN A5, sehr selten
1939 tradecatalog, foldout brochure, 44,5x43cm, both sides printed, 12 x DIN A5, very rare
1939 25 Seitenpages 1939 25 Seitenpages 1939/40 25 Seitenpages letzter Vorkriegs Katalog last prewar catalogue
       
1948 erster Export Nachkriegs Katalog für die USA, 28x18cm, 10 Seiten, Druckverzeichnis S/3487/848. Auch in der franzözische Sprache erschienen.
1948 first export postwar catalog edition for the USA, 28x18cm, 10 pages, printcode S/3487/848. Also published in the french language.

(€67,- ebay 2012)
(€43,- ebay 2016)
 
1950 Export Katalog für Canada, 28x18cm, 10 Seiten, sehr selten, Druckverzeichnis C/3931/750
1950 Export catalog for Canada, edition, 28x18cm, 10 pages, very rare, printcode C/3931/750
 
1949 erster Nachkriegskatalog für Deutschland, 28x18cm, 10 Seiten
1949 first postwar catalog for Germany, 28x18cm, 10 pages

 

Die nächste 2 Kataloge sind ausgegeben wurden durch den Amerikanischen Agentur Model Trains inc. Es handelt sich um eine Zusammenfassung der Trix Express und TTR Modelle. Der 1949 Katalog war nur in dem F.A.O. Schwarz Geschäfte erhaltlich und enthaltet nebst TTR auch Trix Express.
The 2 catalogs on the right were published by Model Trains inc., the american importtrader. It's contents are both Trix Express as TTR. The 1949 leaflet was available through the famous F.A.O. Schwarz toystores.

HILFE GESUCHT !
INFO NEEDED !


1948-49 1949? Faltblattleaflet, 43x28cm zweiseitig bedruckt

1950? 19 Seitenpages
Polk's war um diese Zeit Generalvertreter für die USA. An der Obenseite des Kataloges ist die Name Polk's jedoch unlesbar gemacht. Wer hat weitere Info?

Around this time Polk's was the sole distributor for the US market. On the top of the catalog, the name Polk's has however been erased. Wo has more info about this?

       
1951 6 Seitenpages 1952 8 Seitenpages 1953 8 Seitenpages 1954 8 Seitenpages
       
1954 Jahresbuch und Katalog, 11,5x15cm,
125 Seitenpages
1955 Jahresbuch und Katalog, 11,5x15cm,
125 Seitenpages
1956 Jahresbuch und Katalog, 11,5x15cm,
120 Seitenpages
1955-56 16 Seitenpages
       
 
1956 Faltblatt, beidseitig bedruckt, 12 x DIN A5
1956 foldout brochure, both sides printed, 12 x DIN A5

augustus 1957 14 Seiten, nur kurzzeitig ausgegeben
august 157 14 pages temporary version

1957 22 Seiten, Farbkatalog
1957 22 pages colour catalog
 
       
1959 23 Seitenpages 1959 23 Seitenpages only edition to list the Engineer's coach 1960 23 Seitenpages, erster Editionfirst version: hardcover 1960 23 Seitenpages, zweite Edition:
second
version: softcover
(€25,- ebay 2011)
       
 
  1963, 22 Seitenpages
catalogue from the Courtaulds Group
1964 44 Seitenpages (january 1964) 1965
leaflet from the Courtaulds Group
       
1966 16 Seitenpages (april 1966) 1967/68 22 Seitenpages 1970/71 DIN A4 hoch, 14 Seiten, letzter Trix England Katalog
1970/71 DIN A4, 14 pages, last Trix England catalog
um 1980 DIN A4 quer, 10 Seiten (einseitig). Dieser Katalog wurde um 1983 in der Katalog Sammlung aufgenommen
approx. 1980 DIN A4 oblong, 10 pages (singlesided). This catalog was acquired in 1983 for my catalog collection

 

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1937 advert 1939 new items, 4 pages 1937, 48 pages
1937 US, 48 pages
       
     
      Coronation Scot brochure
       
 

'Square deal' instruction leaflet
Nr. 1,
4 Seitenpages

issued with the spring 1939 TTR Gazette

instruction book D-C  
       
Twin Cadet brochure, 16 pages
catalog? DIN A4 oblong blueprint folder folder
       
single sheet frontcover single sheet backcover automatic uncoupling brochure 1960 8 Seitenpages
       
single sheet frontcover single sheet backcover single sheet frontcover 1938 approx. 1950 4 Seitenpages junior train leaflet included with the sets
       
 
instruction leaflet instruction leaflet instruction leaflet