
News + Trends
To the moon and the dinosaurs: Brio shows the autumn novelties
by Stephan Lamprecht
With more than 5700 parts and impressive dimensions, Bluebrixx is celebrating the Wuppertal suspension railway in clamp building block format. The new set combines technical precision with a pinch of nostalgia - including Mini-Tuffi.
Few German means of transport are as iconic as the Wuppertal suspension railway. For more than 120 years, it has attracted attention every day, hovering over the River Wupper and symbolising the art of engineering, the courage to try the unusual and the city of Wuppertal itself. Now the icon is getting a miniature version: Bluebrixx has announced that it will be launching the suspension railway as a highly detailed clamp-on building block set. Including a small elephant.
With the new model from the Bluebrixx Pro series, the manufacturer is targeting experienced builders and collectors who enjoy complex constructions. The set with the number 108474 is intended to replicate the characteristic blue colouring and the filigree support system of the original, as can be seen in the first images. The train is suspended from a detailed track modelled on the original along the River Wupper.
The model comprises 5744 parts and measures an impressive 84.8 × 56 × 43.6 centimetres. This makes it one of the largest sets Bluebrixx has ever released and also one of the most elaborate.
The design is modular and individual sections can be removed to allow a view of the interior or to better emphasise the intricate construction. There is also space for minifigures, which should provide additional design options.
The Wuppertal suspension railway can be described as a moving monument to German engineering. The globally unique transport system was put into operation in 1901 and still runs on a route around 13 kilometres long today. Unlike conventional railways, the train hangs below the track, which is mounted on a steel frame and runs directly over the Wupper for long stretches.
Its design goes back to the engineer Eugen Langen, who was already working on a solution for space-saving urban transport at the end of the 19th century. The decision to have a railway run above the city rather than on top of it was visionary at the time. It made Wuppertal a symbol of technical progress.
Tuffi survived the fall with only minor injuries and the incident made headlines around the world. In Wuppertal, the story became a legend and Tuffi became the city's secret mascot. Today, a memorial plaque commemorates the site of the incident, cafés and shops bear his name, and even chocolate figures and souvenirs keep the memory alive.
That's why the clamp building block set comes with a small Tuffi figure that you can either place in the railway or next to it. Or you can stage the grey skinner with some thread in free fall...
My interests are varied, I just like to enjoy life. Always on the lookout for news about darts, gaming, films and series.
From the latest iPhone to the return of 80s fashion. The editorial team will help you make sense of it all.
Show allAnd now to the elephant in the room, or the elephant on the set: probably the most famous moment in the history of the suspension railway took place on 21 July 1950, when the Althoff circus wanted to advertise with a unique PR campaign. The four-year-old elephant Tuffi was to travel in a carriage as a symbol of courage and sensation. But the ride took an unexpected turn: shortly after setting off, Tuffi panicked, broke through the side wall of the wagon and fell around ten metres into the Wupper river.
Bosch Professional Zubehör GBA ProCORE 8 Ah 18V+
18 V