GMRC Series 2 - Episode 1 - 'The Restless Earth'

[noiseboy72]

1 hour ago, LNER4479 said:

Ah yes, but if you do have points and they work (remotely) that scores you points (oops - pun not intended!) for functionality and a bit of build quality. That was our experience (Heat 5), Stern Steve certainly appreciating such aspects - which provides some reassurance that railway modelling IS an important aspect.

 

I think we all had operational points in Heat 5 - and both your team and ours had shunting moves!

[Andymsa]

I watched this for pure entertainment, but that said effort from all teams was good. The newbies were most unfortunate not to win I felt, but what really concerned me was the use of a jigsaw on the track. Apart from a practical use of such a power tool it appeared damn right dangerous. Did not anyone from the production company think through the consequences of what could happen. From the short clip of it, it appeared to kick back on the user.

Edited September 15, 2019 by Andymsa

[ColinK]

I wonder what the insurers would say If an exhibition layout had a earthquake, landslide and volcano that actually errupts?

[hicksan]

On 11/09/2019 at 09:45, Ian Morgan said:

 

Yes, they do keep trying to push the 'Stern Steve' and 'Perfectionist Kathy' images for the judges. They really are not like that in real life (or are they?).

 

 

Having experienced the judges at their absolute harshest, as part of the controversial Missenden team last year, I can say in all seriousness that Kathy and Steve, as well as the presenters James and Tim, are really nice, lovely people. They bent over backwards to try to find a way round our misunderstanding but at the end of the day it wasn't possible so we just built the layout for the fun of it. All the rest was theatre to make an appealing story. The nice thing about the show, and it doesn't really come across in the broadcast version, is how well everyone got on at Fawley and how different teams helped each other and even the film crew stepped in on occasion to help some of the teams. It didn't feel like a competition; more like three teams each racing the clock.

 

This new series looks much tighter and better organised with clearer rules and better scoring system, which is all good. It seems a bit more gimmicky but they have obviously done their research into what the viewing public want. And the baseboards look way better - last years were so heavy you need a crane to lift them. It will be interesting to see the viewing figures and whether we have another hit. I hope so. I enjoyed it.

[Waraqah]

On 14/09/2019 at 19:26, BlackRat said:

A serious prog about railway modelling......... followed by watching paint dry.

 

Its about entertainment pure and simple and they need to cater for a 'mass' audience, the bigger the audience the more they can charge for adverts.

 

Id love to see a prog on what appeals to me, but it's not going to happen.......even on the satellite channels....although we have got near to it with Modeltown etc.

Is that one of those specialist channels that only starts broadcasting at 10pm?

[CraigT]

I was a participant in the first episode of the new series. The Corby layout had 5 locomotives in operation, 3 on shuttles and two on looped track. All animations are resettable and the 3 boards constructed on can be parted for transportation to events with careful consideration of design and positioning of features. The volcano was a smoke generator (Which failed) and lit along with all tunnels. Unlike our rivals who used a co2 fire extinguisher within the body. There are many features on the layout which did not get air time unfortunately but again due to time constraints. Many hours of footage were taken including many modelling techniques by all the teams these again not used. The resin must be mentioned and was brilliant. All teams got on really well during filming and after the filming and helped each other with tools etc. The teams are working in very intense conditions with the total build time not being 2 days but less! when interviews of teams or team members were being carried out the other teams had to remain silent and could not get on as planned, with three teams in the room you can imagine the frustration at times by all. I think that the 3 teams did well. The show is designed to engage the public and get the hobby some air time, this is better than nothing at all. We rely on public foot traffic to keep clubs and society's running by attending events. We have Layouts at Corby with thousands of hours spent on them. We need to look at the show as snap shot at what can be achieved and not a concise and detailed study of our skill base, this can be done by engaging with the public at events and showing what can be done.

[AY Mod]

11 minutes ago, Waraqah said:

Is that one of those specialist channels that only starts broadcasting at 10pm?

 

You're thinking of the channel for old men in anoraks - Trainstation.

[melmerby]

9 minutes ago, AY Mod said:

 

You're thinking of the channel for old men in anoraks - Trainstation.

And the one for hard core modellers -TrainstationXXX

[Edge]

Haven’t participated in the show, but bumped into KM at Warley last year and she was a genuinely lovely person to meet and speak to briefly, even though I must have been the seventh hundred person to have bothered her that day  also had a brief chat with steve flint, and got much the same impression. However, he was there to work so I tried to keep that chat rather brief

 

all in all, smashing people. And I’m hoping to corral a team of volunteers to participate in series 3 (should it be made) 

[noiseboy72]

Having just looked at Kathy's photos from Heat 1, the best team did win! What doesn't come across so well on the show is just how much more complete Corby's layout was compared to either of the others - with lots of detail that didn't make it into the final cut. Have a look - https://www.kathymillatt.co.uk/blog/2019/09/13/great-model-railway-challenge-2019-heat-1/#jp-carousel-16053 and see if it alters your opinion at all.

[whart57]

Didn't alter my opinion that someone made some damn good river and seascape features, and I suspected Corby were the best anyway

[Torper]

55 minutes ago, noiseboy72 said:

Having just looked at Kathy's photos from Heat 1, the best team did win!.................see if it alters your opinion at all.

 

I don't know.  It doesn't get over the point that a team of novices were being pitted against a team of seasoned railway modellers.  I don't think it is reasonable to expect the novices to produce as good an actual railway scenario as their more expert rivals and if no allowance is to be made for that I'm not at all sure of the point of having teams of novices in the competition.

 

DT

[RLWP]

1 hour ago, noiseboy72 said:

Having just looked at Kathy's photos from Heat 1, the best team did win! What doesn't come across so well on the show is just how much more complete Corby's layout was compared to either of the others - with lots of detail that didn't make it into the final cut. Have a look - https://www.kathymillatt.co.uk/blog/2019/09/13/great-model-railway-challenge-2019-heat-1/#jp-carousel-16053 and see if it alters your opinion at all.

 

Thank you for the link

 

 

Richard

[Phil Parker]

54 minutes ago, Torper said:

I don't know.  It doesn't get over the point that a team of novices were being pitted against a team of seasoned railway modellers.  I don't think it is reasonable to expect the novices to produce as good an actual railway scenario as their more expert rivals and if no allowance is to be made for that I'm not at all sure of the point of having teams of novices in the competition.

 

For a start, everyone knew what they were getting in to - the novices can't have been surprised that there were experienced railway modellers in the competition. There were last year. They still chose to take part and did a creditable job.

 

How would you define a "non-novice" anyway? Someone who has built a couple of exhibition layouts might count as experienced, but of they were RTR on settrack, would your handicapping system need to help them against someone who has built 2 P4 layouts? It's a can of worms and something the production team won't have wanted to get in to .

 

I'd also suggest that imagination, innovation and solid time-management are as important in this competition as pure model railway skills. You might be able to apply the correct number of rivets to a smokebox and solder lamp irons in place in one go, but these aren't the skills that look good on telly. Being able to build a working earthquake, that's what's needed. That and being able to make the trains work properly, but then if you saw the last series, you'll know how important that is.

 

(Don't forget my programme synopsis: https://www.world-of-railways.co.uk/brm/reviews/others/the-great-model-railway-challenge-series-1-heat-1-the-restless-earth)

[noiseboy72]

14 minutes ago, Phil Parker said:

 

For a start, everyone knew what they were getting in to - the novices can't have been surprised that there were experienced railway modellers in the competition. There were last year. They still chose to take part and did a creditable job.

 

How would you define a "non-novice" anyway? Someone who has built a couple of exhibition layouts might count as experienced, but of they were RTR on settrack, would your handicapping system need to help them against someone who has built 2 P4 layouts? It's a can of worms and something the production team won't have wanted to get in to .

 

I'd also suggest that imagination, innovation and solid time-management are as important in this competition as pure model railway skills. You might be able to apply the correct number of rivets to a smokebox and solder lamp irons in place in one go, but these aren't the skills that look good on telly. Being able to build a working earthquake, that's what's needed. That and being able to make the trains work properly, but then if you saw the last series, you'll know how important that is.

 

(Don't forget my programme synopsis: https://www.world-of-railways.co.uk/brm/reviews/others/the-great-model-railway-challenge-series-1-heat-1-the-restless-earth)

I second this. Our team had never built a layout together before and only 3 of us had built anything in 00 - as our modelling interests are quite varied.

 

To do well, you need a combination of traditional modelling skills, innovation and creativity and just as important is the ability to work well together. In Season 1, some very experienced teams failed to progress as they did not have the right team dynamic or ability to work well under pressure, leading to an unfinished or inferior end product. It's also getting the mix of skills right. As an example, you could be the best loco painter in the world, but if you cannot adjust those skills to be able to do this very quickly, possibly using different techniques and materials, your usefulness to the team is somewhat limited. 

 

Steve said during the program that he like the fresh approach the Train Set brought. I think they just didn't have quite the depth of traditional skills to win in what has become a highly competitive program!

 

 

[JohnR]

Still think the unused footage etc could easily make one of those side programs you usually get with these types of show. "GMRC: Platform 2". A chance to chat to the judges to get their views, losing contestants about what went wrong etc...

[Ian Morgan]

"GMRC: The Banker"

 

"GMRC: Communication Cord"

 

"GMRC: Not while the train is in a station"

 

"GMRC: Bus Replacement Service"

 

"GMRC The Director's Beeching Cuts"

Edited September 16, 2019 by Ian Morgan

[whart57]

49 minutes ago, noiseboy72 said:

.... only 3 of us had built anything in 00 .......

 

 

None of us had. And we still haven't  :-)

 

The big adjustment we had to make was accept the idea that trains can go round corners. Our experience is finescale with its sweeping curves (30" radius is tight) and we struggled to lay flex track neatly to a minimum 21" radius. Fortunately we had all that done before we got to Fawley Hill so no embarrassment in front of cameras. (Or bleeping needed on the sound track).

 

Then when we got there we found the other two layouts had something like 15" curves. And one had gradients more suited to a funicular. Bit of a culture shock.

 

[Ian Morgan]

Yes, the Bodgers used Set Track for the curves because of the difficulty of getting flexi-track right with tight radii (and the gauge narrowing that follows).

 

Very different from my usual hand built 2mmFS track I have been making over the last 30 years.

 

 

[JohnR]

If I was taking part, I would definitely use Set track - quick easy and reliable. 

[noiseboy72]

1 hour ago, JohnR said:

If I was taking part, I would definitely use Set track - quick easy and reliable. 

I have to admit, we didn't... We did 3D print some track curve guides though!

[Ross34]

I watched the first ten minutes... not for me I'm afraid..sorry.

[AY Mod]

A useful contribution there. 

[Graham_Muz]

9 minutes ago, AY Mod said:

A useful contribution there. 

 It’s ok Andy I read the first two words and decided  the post was not for me...

[RLWP]

1 hour ago, Ross34 said:

I watched the first ten minutes... not for me I'm afraid..sorry.

 

And that's fair enough, you gave it a try. Can't argue with that

 

Richard