Berlin underground train (Bing)
| Exhibit |
|---|
Berlin underground train (Bing) |
 |
| location: |
|
Arch Two , Area 14 US and European Locomotive Outlines (display) |
| Shelf 4 |
A very early electric gauge 0 red and yellow gauge 0 three-car Metropolitan Railway underground train made by Bing.
Dating and rarity
This is an earlier set than the adjacent 1923 Metropolitan version - although both trains have the same basic bodywork under the paint, the Metropolitan cars have printed detailing with some hand-painted modifications, whereas on the Berlin cars, everything is hand-painted and hand-lined.
Internally, the Berlin set has simpler "bench couch" seating, whereras the Metropolitan set has more ornate individual legged chairs and tables.
We don't know the exact date of the piece other than that it's earlier than the 1923 set. It also seems to be pretty rare - we've had European visitors to the museum who've visited the big German collections on the Continent telling us that they've never seen an example of the set.
