DICETYLENE CAGE

From the 1965 TV series ‘Thunderbirds’ created by Gerry Anderson

The Dicetylene Cage is one of the most unusual machines used by International Rescue. It is seen in only one episode- ‘Thirty Minutes After Noon’ - where Virgil and Alan use it to descend an elevator shaft in the burning Hudson Building to save Tom Prescott from a wrecked (elevator). Presumably Dicetylene is a special formula - created by Brains - that is highly effective at suppressing fires. Several arrays of Nozzles on the sides and underneath spray the chemical all a round the machine. The small cage has a rugged grab which is used to haul the damaged elevator - and Prescott - to safety.

I love this thing. For a moment let’s put aside the practicality of how they actually get this thing into the elevator shaft. Prescott’s elevator, seen earlier in the episode, is supported by a couple of steel cables and has wheels that run along guide rails. It is perfectly normal looking elevator. By comparison, the International Rescue machine is much smaller - allowing it access to tight spaces. It is is supported, not by cables, but by a a massive, chunky sort of articulated chain. This is attached to the ‘cage’ by four thick cables that are securely mounted to the corners by large brackets and there is also a central rod down the centre to the roof. The cage itself appears to have some sort of reinforced frame. This really looks tough, with redundancy-built in. The grab arm looks weighty and string and is covered in grease. Just superb.

It is rare to see a direct reflection of the IR machinery and the regular world, and the contrast is clear. I love it.

I also like the scene in ‘Pit of Peril’ where Virgil descends int the pit with a high-quality heat-resistant suit, but the cables lowering him have a mechanism that looks like it has some sort of gearing or pulley system to make it more efficient and multiple cables for redundancy.

The Dicetylene Cage is carried aboard Thunderbird 2, and how it gets from TB2’s pod to the building’s lift shaft is not shown, or mentioned. Take a look at the video to see some possibilities.

What If #19 Fantasy Model Kit Box Art

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=T8b3wO8P3U4