MOONBASE CENTRAL: ANOTHER LOOK AT THE SIXTEEN 12 'INFERNAL MACHINE' EPISODE SET

Monday 6 December 2021

ANOTHER LOOK AT THE SIXTEEN 12 'INFERNAL MACHINE' EPISODE SET

Another look at the Sixteen 12 episode set, ‘The Infernal Machine’.

This set comprises of a standard Eagle Transporter and grey loading platform display; Alpha Moon buggy; Eagle Beak Alpha Tank and Flatbed Alpha Tank.

Some have mentioned they would have liked to have seen a model of ’Gwent’, the Infernal Machine itself in the set but maybe that proved impractical for reasons I don’t know. Anyway, the tanks have always been popular with fans judging by the number of excellent unlicensed models that have appeared over time.

Three laser tanks were built for the episode by Martin Bower, using 1/25 scale Tamiya Chieftain tank kits for the lower hull.

It’s assumed in Space: 1999 mythos that the laser tanks are adapted lunar construction vehicles, and converted at some point post-breakaway to provide additional ground defences.

I’ve included a couple of photos I’ve taken of the actual filming props, with my thanks to each of their owners who were happy to display them at ‘Smallspace’, and ’Fab Worlds’.

Several Eagles appear in the episode. Two armed Eagles attack Gwent, which end up suffering superficial damage, and Eagle 4 which is used to carry supplies to the Gwent ship. Later in the episode Gwent quells an attack from Moonbase Alpha which carries out a full scale assault using Eagles and Laser tanks.

In the episode a mechanical megalomaniac called Gwent, whose outer appearance is an outlandish space craft lands near Moonbase Alpha. Aboard is a single dying occupant, named Companion who tells the Alphans he is Gwent’s creator. However, over time Gwent has evolved to be dominated by the negative aspects of its personality. When Companion finally dies, Gwent, afraid of an empty and isolated existence needs a new companion and wants one of the Alphans to fill the vacancy!

The episode, written by Anthony Terpiloff and Elizabeth Barrows takes its name from the 1934 play; The Infernal Machine by Jean Cocteau, which itself was based on Sophocles’ tragedy Oedipus Rex.

I should mention that the third ‘Dome’ Laser Tank model comes with the Sixteen 12 Breakaway part 2 episode set. The original P.E. driverless ‘Dome ‘ Tank which came with the Product Enterprise Deluxe Eagle Gift set credits Ian Crichton and Bill Oram as model makers on that particular set. The two laser tanks in the Infernal Machine set were created by Sixteen 12 using 3D Cad drawings scanned from a larger 1:24 scale model.