The Toy Train
The train, or toy train, is a vehicle which featured in The Wrong Trousers.
History[]
The Wrong Trousers[]
A toy steam locomotive in a red livery, which pulls a mixed traffic train, was first seen when Gromit is waiting beside the track to let it pass-by, after he collects several letters from the door. The red livery toy steam locomotive is referred to by Wallace as the 8:45 (a quarter to nine in the morning).
Later, another toy steam locomotive in a dark green livery, referred to by Wallace as the 9:05 (five past nine in the morning), was pulling by with Gromit's collar and lead for the Techno Trousers from the very end of the train. Wallace gave the lead and collar as a present for Gromit's birthday.
Towards the end of the film, Wallace and Gromit try to catch Feathers McGraw, the penguin who is trying to escape by riding on another toy steam locomotive in a dark blue livery, referred to in the audiobook as the 22:15 (a quarter past ten in the evening), because he stole a diamond from a museum using the Techno Trousers with the red crash helmet on Wallace. During the chase and after Wallace went out of the Techno Trousers, McGraw uncoupled the 22:15 locomotive and tender from the carriages, which Wallace and Gromit were on. This was followed by the penguin's attempt to divert the duo to the track via a switch which lead them to a track which was not completed. Gromit would put some spare track pieces onto the unfinished route and lead them back to McGraw. As Wallace was trying to catch McGraw, he caught the 22:15 locomotive instead. Meanwhile, McGraw, who was sitting on the 22:15 engine's tender, was rolling toward the uncontrolled Techno Trousers, which slowly cross the track with Wallace and Gromit catching up with him at a parallel track. McGraw bumps into the Trousers' foot and sends himself flying across the kitchen, where the distracted Gromit still laying tracks while looking up at the flying penguin crashes into the kitchen's worktop, derailing the train. He accidentally catches McGraw in the process when he fell right into an empty milk bottle held by Gromit. Wallace then slides in off another toy train carriage and cheers their victory.
Other appearances[]
The train reappears in the "Christmas Jumpers" BBC One Christmas ident for Wallace & Gromit: Vengeance Most Fowl. It arrives in front of the sofa and Wallace, Gromit and Norbot rest their feet on it.
Trivia[]
- The prop of the trains is currently in storage at Aardman's unit.
- During the chase scenes, McGraw and Gromit pass several railway signals which resemble Hornby OO-gauge signals.
- In Arthur Christmas, when an elf delivers a wrapped toy train present, he lays the track for it whilst riding the train itself, much like Gromit does with the train in the climax of The Wrong Trousers.
- In The Pirates! In an Adventure with Scientists!, when Number Two comes into the Pirate Captain's room to report there was a ship sighted, there is a model train set layout on the floor which resembles the one from The Wrong Trousers.
- The blue train prop in The Wrong Trousers is made using the chassis of a Hornby Railways 0-4-0 locomotive. It is unknown if the model still had its motor connected during the making of the prop. The coal tender and rolling stock wheels are also spoked wheel sets from Hornby.
An elf laying track whilst on the toy train in Arthur Christmas, much like in The Wrong Trousers.