With so many wonderfully diverse series and countless thrilling episodes to enjoy, it’s not surprising that we’ve been discussing all things Anderson for over 60 years! We regularly receive loads of questions from old and new fans alike and today we’re going to answer another of the most common queries that we’ve seen popping up again and again.
What’s In Each Of Thunderbird 2’s Pods?
Is there a Thunderbirds fan alive who didn’t play the classic game of “Guess what’s in Thunderbird 2’s Pod this week?”
Since 1965, there have been countless questions about just exactly how Thunderbird 2’s incredible equipment delivery system works. Well, wonder no more! Prepare to learn some of International Rescue’s technological secrets…
The Pods
Before we discuss the contents of the Pods, we’d better examine each of them first. While outwardly identical, the Pod interiors are not exactly the same.
Pods 1, 3 and 6
These Pods are the general purpose equipment carriers. Each one features front and rear flaps for loading and deployment and they can carry almost any of International Rescue’s specialised vehicles. They can also be fitted with flat extending deployment ramps for smaller vehicles.
Pod 2
A variant of the general purpose Pod, Pod 2 is equipped with a ventral hatch and contains the magnetic grabs seen in End of the Road and Brink of Disaster. The grabs can fold up to allow vehicles to be moved into the Pod as well.
Pod 4
Acts as Thunderbird 4’s hangar and transport Pod. It is equipped with descent thrusters, buoyancy tanks and an advanced gyroscopic stability system for deployment on water.
Pod 5
Pod 5 houses Brains’ mobile laboratory, which occupies the rear of the Pod’s interior. Pod 5 therefore has no rear flap and is loaded from the front, unlike the general purpose pods.
Why Do Some Vehicles Appear In More Than One Pod?
As you know, International Rescue has a wide variety of auxiliary rescue vehicles, which are adapted to cope with almost any disaster scenario imaginable. There are far more vehicles than Pods in which to store them and, barring Thunderbird 4, no vehicle is permanently assigned to a specific Pod.
Brains has developed a carefully planned rota system, approved by Jeff Tracy, in which the Pod contents are regularly changed to give International Rescue the best chance of having the equipment that may be required at a moment’s notice. For example, there will always be a Pod configured for fire-fighting missions and loaded up with machinery such as the Fire Cat, and Fire Truck. This is often Pod 1, but on a given day it could just as easily be Pod 3 or Pod 6. Conversely, Firefly will usually be stored in a separate Pod from the other fire-fighting gear due to its specialised nature, and it is often paired with the Mole.
Any vehicles that are not presently assigned to a Pod are stored in one of several auxiliary vehicle garages. When needed, they are moved to the adjacent Pod bay, driven into the Pod and secured for flight.
What’s In Each Pod?
Due to the fact that International Rescue constantly changes the Pod contents for the reasons noted above, there’s no single answer here. However, we have seen the following equipment in the following Pods:
Pod 1
– Neutraliser Tractor
– Jet Air Transporter
– Fire Cat
– Monobrake
– Mobile Command Center
– Foam Bombs
Pod 2
– Magnetic Grabs
– Emergency Power Unit
Pod 3
– Mole
– Firefly
– Elevator Cars
– Booster Mortar
– Mobile Crane
– Restraining Unit
Pod 4
– Thunderbird 4
– Underwater Sealing Device
Pod 5
– Mole
– Recovery Vehicles
– BR-2
– Excavator
– Laser Beam Cutter
– Lake Anasta Expedition
– Thunderbird 6
Pod 6
– Firefly
– Monobrake
– Transmitter Truck
– Thunderbird 1 Repair Equipment
And there we have it, a guide to Thunderbird 2’s Pod contents and why they sometimes change!
Let us know if you have any more questions and we’ll do our best to include them in a future edition of Ander-Answers!
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