Märklin Engine

The BR 80, better known as the "Märklin Engine" was an off-the-shelf Gauge 1 model used to haul rolling stock in the background of the first series for creating the illusion of business. It is a German Federal Railways 80 class 0-6-0 tank engine first produced by the German model railway maker Märklin in 1971.

Background Information
The BR 80 (know commonly as the "Märklin Engine") was first acknowledged in the crew members' interview pages on the Sodor Island Fansite. . The behind the scenes photograph from the episode Tenders and Turntables shows the Märklin Engine pulling a small goods train, originally published on the Model Railway Constructor December 1984. After that, many fan surveys confirmed that it also appeared in Trouble in the Shed, The Flying Kipper, Off the Rails, Thomas' Train.

During the production of the second series, the Märklin Engine was no longer needed and other engines were used to haul rolling stock in the background. Because of this, the model was cut up and used as set dressing. A scrap smokebox of the Märklin engine later appeared at Crocks Scrap Yard in Edward, Trevor and the Really Useful Party, the numbering and lettering was still visible on the model's smokebox door. A Märklin BR 80 chassis was also used to push trucks along in several episodes.

A scrap model of the Märklin engine was later included in Blue Mountain Mystery in a scene at Vicarstown Dieselworks by Greg Tiernan as a nod to how its scrap variant was seen in the background of series past.

Parts
Parts of the BR 80 were used as parts of the following engines:

Appearances
Television Series= {{Scroll box|

Thomas & Friends

 * Series 1 - Thomas and Gordon, Thomas' Train , James and the Coaches , Tenders and Turntables , Trouble in the Shed , The Flying Kipper and Off the Rails
 * Series 4 - Toad Stands By
 * Series 5 - Put Upon Percy


 * Scrapped model
 * Series 2 - Saved from Scrap
 * Series 3 - Edward, Trevor and the Really Useful Party
 * Series 5 - James and the Trouble with Trees, Stepney Gets Lost, Toby's Discovery and Thomas, Percy and Old Slow Coach
 * Series 12 - Steady Eddie

Specials

 * 2005 - Calling All Engines!
 * 2012 - Blue Mountain Mystery

Music Videos

 * Series 5 - It's Great to be an Engine
 * Blue Mountain Mystery - Blue Mountain Mystery

Books
}} Other Media=
 * 1992 - Edward and the Party

Annuals

 * 1985 - Gale Warning

Trivia

 * In the first five seasons, Toby's wheels and side rods were red, because they were not repainted from the original colour of the BR 80.
 * In Busy Going Backwards, Mavis' exposed chassis was seen pushing Toad and his train of trucks past the buffers that were set away by the points.
 * The locomotive was also used as the basis for Puffa and as parts for Little Owl from Thomas & Friends' sister show, TUGS, though Puffa is modified with a 19th-century diamond smokestack, an oil-burning headlamp and a cowcatcher.
 * In real life a DRG class 80 did in fact reside in the UK on the Nene Valley Railway, but has since returned to Germany. A DRG class 64 does remain however.