Great Model Railway Challenge - Channel 5

[PaulRhB]

See this story about lack of dexterity skills for trainee surgeons, they bemoan the drop in practical crafts taught.

 

Maybe this could be the start of bringing back crafts to the national curriculum?

 

https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/education-46019429

 

On the adverts I’d like to see them better the Hornby advert where the track grows in front of the train even with modern animation. I think the imagination encouraged on this show is what the hobby needs to excite kids as an introduction, it certainly doesn’t want to head towards high end modelling for that.

Play is incredibly important and particularly the imagination. The imagination part let’s me see the finished product while building as I know what it should look like . . . eventually!!

Edited October 30, 2018 by PaulRhB

[NIK]

So Basingstoke didn't win then Phil? Or maybe they did and they have their Heat layout on one stand, and their final layout on the other? ;-) 

 

On another note as one of the competing teams, one thing that is not very clear on TV is the level or pre-building (or not) that went on. There were huge differences, representing a massive differential in hours. This happened in Heat 4 (so I'm told). This was not properly taken into account in the judging I feel. The rules will have to be locked down much more clearly if it ever happens again. Or no pre-builds allowed. That would sort the men out from the boys. 

 

I was at a show in Whitstable, Kent over the weekend, with some of the items rescued from our Team Steampunk model (layout was taken down an hour after filming). People were really pleased to see us, the show is getting a very positive reaction in the main from those who spoke to me with sentiments echoed on this thread, and the kids loved meeting a real 'TV star' - T-Rex not me lol. 

 

Hi,

 

Basingstoke will have their 'Santa's holiday' layout from their heat on the Peco stand at Warley 2018. It should also be at their own exhibition in Basingstoke on the 9th and 10th March 2019.

 

It is planned to be used as childrens layout for subsequent exhibitions and hopefully at open days if there is room. The next open day should be in April 2019.

 

Regards

 

Nick (Basingstoke and North Hants Model Railway Society member. The society is looking for new members.)

Edited October 30, 2018 by NIK

[RedgateModels]

 

 

He even did a record that you got with the train sets.

 

 

Still got one with the paperwork, tunnel etc from an APT-P set

 

Flexidisks were a big part of my growing up, used to get them on the covers of music mags and I think even once an early computer mag with a ZX81 or Spectrum program on it (which didn't load!)

[SDJR7F88]

Hi all.
As Adam has mentioned above, we were at RAIL-EX Taunton over the weekend, with my WW1 Trench Railway - Amiens 1918. This is the first show I've done with the layout since our episode aired on the 12th Oct.
Was good to hear all comments about the show, both good and bad. Funny thing was, more was asked about the show than the layout I had with me!

As mentioned one kid and his mum had a photo with me and Callum on the Saturday with the layout, after he spotted our troop train. He said to his mum "That looks like th one that was on that Blackadder Layout!" To which we replied it was! You should of seen the look on their faces!

Edited October 30, 2018 by SDJR7F88

[Hroth]

Still got one with the paperwork, tunnel etc from an APT-P set

 

Flexidisks were a big part of my growing up, used to get them on the covers of music mags and I think even once an early computer mag with a ZX81 or Spectrum program on it (which didn't load!)

Loading anything onto a ZX81 or Spectrum was pretty hit or miss, it was either problems with the connection, setting the playback volume on the cassette just so or memory incidents. Sinclair must have boosted the sale of blu-tac massivly as we tried to combat RAM-Pack wobble!

[RJS1977]

.

Was good to hear all comments about the show, both good and bad. Funny thing was, more was asked about the show than the layout I had with me!

 

 

I was operating John Wilkes (Strangers on a Train)'s layout at Swanley on Saturday - much the same happened there!

[Marcus-Jay]

_{Their layout had a very unfortunate computer crash at the start of judging and nothing ran for most of the judging period.  The most important criteria that we have is that the layouts must run.  It's a shame as it was a lovely layout otherwise.}

 

 

_Kathy

 

Indeed, a computer hitch stopped things running for us.  The edit suite made a very good job of making our 'final' look a lot slicker than it was. We also had a derailment, that was also omitted from the final cut. I was expecting to 'us' to be the comedic relief for the show. Thanks to those at Knickerbocker that cut it otherwise. The look of our performance in the final has been made to look a lot slicker than it actually was.  However, when the judging was over, the cameras needed to get a set of beauty shots of the layout, both with our trains running and the camera truck. During those 20 minutes, the layout ran flawlessly. Proving the saying "You win some, you lose some"

 

For Kathy to call Mattford a "lovely layout" is a great commendation. Her modelling skills surpass many on this forum. Indeed I recall when we arrived at Fawley chatting to her for a wee while not being able to put the name to the face I recognised. I had to ask who she was and which team she was on, only to be told she was a judge :-) Once I knew who she was I was able to talk about some of the things I had learned from her YouTube channel.

I think the 'point' that lots of members of this forum are missing is this show is not aimed squarely at the railway modelling fraternity, it's aimed at those who might be interested in getting into, or are starting out in the hobby. Mattford (not Mapford as stated on the show) is a lovely little 'train set' and it shows what 5 people can achieve in roughly 150 hours (5 x 30hrs as we did very little pre-build). When I am standing by Mattford at an exhibition I am hoping the people I talk to are the newcomers and the people who want to start back into things. Those of us that have been modelling for many years will regard Mattford as a very basic layout. Those who have not yet built theirs may look upon it as a simple inspiration of what they could achieve.

During the CMRA show in Stevenage, there is usually a lovely lady, Maggie Gravett, who takes a table full of kids, young adults, and anyone else who wants a go, and gives them a block of polystyrene and shows them how simple static grass is to lay and how easy it can be to build a tree. I know of two bedrooms where that tiny diorama they made 2 years ago is still on display next to the PS game boxes and other stuff. This is the corner Mattford will hopefully be in.

 

We have just been rebuilding Mattford to get it ready for the shows and people are asking what will you improve on. Aside from replacing foamboard with plywood, the layout will look almost identical to what was seen on television. We will probably add some more labels to the factories and the wiring is now stuck to the underside of the board as opposed to just hanging. However, I believe Mattford embraced the ethos of the show: To build a layout in a day, and that spirit is one to be maintained when we go to exhibitions.

(edited to add Maggie's name in)

Edited October 30, 2018 by Marcus-Jay

[Marcus-Jay]

The programmes have been edited down into such short clips that it is hard to catch everything. I have watched some episodes 3 or 4 times, and still catch some things I had missed before. For instance, in Heat 4, with the Chilli factory, there is a brief glimpse of some lit burners and chilli peppers on the roof - real flames. I wonder who did the risk analysis on that?

 

They were real peppers on the roof and yes, we had actual fire on the layout :-)

 

The burners were acquired the night before from a local restaurant and put to good use. There was also a packet of indoor fireworks in one of our boxes, but we didn't have time to set these up on the last day.

If you watch it again you may also notice the freezer factory being placed over a a green bowl, this contained dry ice which I had made about 90 seconds before hand outside the building using a CO2 fire extinguisher and a pillow case (I'm not allowed to try this at home.. But at Fawley!!) This was the actual ice in the building. Sadly the mist effect we were looking for lasted about 30 seconds and then fizzled out. Not good when it took 2 or 3 minutes to get all the pieces of the production crew up and running. Another nice try.

 

We did embrace the fire and ice them with both hands, the only other detail we didn't get time to add was the freezer factory name:

 

CJ Freezers

Edited October 30, 2018 by Marcus-Jay

[Marcus-Jay]

On another note as one of the competing teams, one thing that is not very clear on TV is the level or pre-building (or not) that went on. There were huge differences, representing a massive differential in hours. This happened in Heat 4 (so I'm told). This was not properly taken into account in the judging I feel. The rules will have to be locked down much more clearly if it ever happens again. Or no pre-builds allowed. That would sort the men out from the boys.

The attached screen grab shows the Fawley Fliers layout (youtube grab) at the beginning of day one and ours, the Diesel Dynamos. Given their workshop was the building we were shooting in they didn't have to move it far. I know from speaking to the team members they pretty much the entire layout working a week or so before the shooting began. One of their pre-built items was the entire upper section of the layout. Measuring roughly 8ft by 4ft (on a 10x5 layout), ballasted, wired and just requiring some scenic detailing. Kudos to them for; planning very well, interpreting the pre-built rules and getting it past the judges. The Railway children baseboards were totally clean when they arrived!

 

This is why I will be very interested in the final. If no prebuilding is allowed, as Laurie mentions, that will separate the men from the boys. I suspect the quality of finish on the final layouts will be substantially less than those in the heats. I'll be proved right or wrong on the 10th Nov

[Phil Parker]

So Basingstoke didn't win then Phil? Or maybe they did and they have their Heat layout on one stand, and their final layout on the other? ;-)

 

You will know better than me, but I'm going from the press release from Bachmann that we have all read:

 

"The winners of the 2018 Great Model Railway Challenge will be on the Bachmann stand at next month’s Warley National Model Railway Exhibition, NEC Birmingham, on the 24th & 25th November 2018. They will be present with the winning layout and on hand to answer any questions."

but Basingstoke will be on the Peco stand at the same show. As you say, they could be in two places at once. However, even if I did know, I'd keep quiet about it to avoid spoiling things for others.

[hayfield]

The attached screen grab shows the Fawley Fliers layout (youtube grab) at the beginning of day one and ours, the Diesel Dynamos. Given their workshop was the building we were shooting in they didn't have to move it far. I know from speaking to the team members they pretty much the entire layout working a week or so before the shooting began. One of their pre-built items was the entire upper section of the layout. Measuring roughly 8ft by 4ft (on a 10x5 layout), ballasted, wired and just requiring some scenic detailing. Kudos to them for; planning very well, interpreting the pre-built rules and getting it past the judges. The Railway children baseboards were totally clean when they arrived!

 

This is why I will be very interested in the final. If no prebuilding is allowed, as Laurie mentions, that will separate the men from the boys. I suspect the quality of finish on the final layouts will be substantially less than those in the heats. I'll be proved right or wrong on the 10th Nov

 

 

I guess this is being aware or the rules, or do I remember someone suggesting rules were either changed or clarified for those doing the later filming

 

 No doubt if there is a second series the rules may be a bit more stringent/clear, but then the new contestants may well be more savey

[Ian Morgan]

"Oh! What A Tangled Web We Weave When First We Practice To Deceive" 

[Gravy Train]

Very entertaining but with respect, definitely not 'The Finest Modellers in the land' , that said to be fair 24hours is not a long time to put a convincing model layout together.

Pete

Edited October 30, 2018 by Gravy Train

[Penlan]

"Oh! What A Tangled Web We Weave When First We Practice To Deceive" 

And ' ... the eternal triangle is oft right tangled...'

[Phil Parker]

"Oh! What A Tangled Web We Weave When First We Practice To Deceive" 

 

Typical N gauger duplicity! (Runs and hides knowing that being called an N gauger is worse than duplicitous) 

[Huw Griffiths]

Rumour has it that Bernard is now rounding up a team of modellers from the Wimbledon area who he thinks have the necessary skills to take on the Scratchbuilder Challenge:

 

 

Is it an Underground Overground railway?

 

Badum Tish!

 

 

I don't know - but I suspect they might be rather good at scavenging.

 

(They would probably also have done rather well on another of my favourite TV shows - the Rob Llewellyn version of Scrapheap Challenge.)

 

 

See this story about lack of dexterity skills for trainee surgeons, they bemoan the drop in practical crafts taught.

 

Maybe this could be the start of bringing back crafts to the national curriculum?

 

https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/education-46019429

 

On the adverts I’d like to see them better the Hornby advert where the track grows in front of the train even with modern animation. I think the imagination encouraged on this show is what the hobby needs to excite kids as an introduction, it certainly doesn’t want to head towards high end modelling for that.

Play is incredibly important and particularly the imagination. The imagination part let’s me see the finished product while building as I know what it should look like . . . eventually!!

 

In my family, we don't tend to worry too much about dexterity - nothing sinister, you understand - although this might have something to do with quite a few of us being left handed.

 

Seriously though, if I needed to be operated on, I might be slightly worried if I found out that the surgeon couldn't sew.

 

 

By the way, I'd also like to see more in the way of practical crafts taught in schools (preferably in the national curriculum - so they don't get dropped at the first mention of spending cuts).

 

I'd also like to see more encouragement for "young people" to get actively involved in hobbies like modelmaking (especially railway modelling - radio control car, boat and aircraft modelling - and also robotics, for that matter).

 

A while back, I seem to recall the NMRA website including a list of practical skills etc that railway modelling teaches / helps people to hone. I suspect that many of these skills would also apply to certain other areas of modelmaking - so I certainly don't wish to discourage people from having a go at any of these.

 

OK - I've been interested in both railway modelling and electronics for most of my life - so I'm particularly keen to see people get involved (and stay involved) in these hobbies - but I'm not about to discourage anything enjoyable that improves people's practical skills.

 

 

Huw.

[jcm@gwr]

 

During the CMRA show in Stevenage, there is usually a lovely lady (whose name escapes me) who takes a table full of kids, young adults, and anyone else who wants a go, and gives them a block of polystyrene and shows them how simple static grass is to lay and how easy it can be to build a tree. I know of two bedrooms where that tiny diorama they made 2 years ago is still on display next to the PS game boxes and other stuff. This is the corner Mattford will hopefully be in.

 

 

 

Maggie Gravett

[hayfield]

Maggie Gravett

 

 

Its becoming more common at shows to see a section where the younger ones can make things, Its a wonderful to see young ones enjoying themselves and certainly I think is a one of the ways of stemming the tide of falling attendance numbers, nothing cheers up a child like taking something home they built. Likewise having a train doctors section, there are always folk asking about reviving their old locos etc, 

 

Thinking out loud nothing wrong with clubs inviting one of these layouts to their next show and using them in advertising, plus the age old "build a layout at the show" attraction

[Huw Griffiths]

Hornby must have paid a fortune to show the campaign where that lad is phoning round looking for a Signal Box.

 

If only he had known that all he needed was a cola bottle, a washing up brush and a copy of the yellow pages he could have made his own...

 

Aren't you forgetting the shot glass, straws, sink plunger and high heeled shoe - or am I thinking of something else?

 

 

Huw.

[sharris]

 

Seriously though, if I needed to be operated on, I might be slightly worried if I found out that the surgeon couldn't sew.

 

.

 

I work in an orthopaedic department where the tools of the trade are drills, hammers, saws and chisels - our surgeons need woodworking skills as much as needlework! 

[wagonbasher]

Aren't you forgetting the shot glass, straws, sink plunger and high heeled shoe - or am I thinking of something else?

 

 

Huw.

you may have a hazy memory of shot glasses and high heel shoes.....

 

 

Andy

[JohnR]

Maggie Gravett

She and Gordon were running sessions at Pecorama this August, on making plastic kits.

 

I went along with my 6 year old, and now he's hooked on building kits for buildings!

[Huw Griffiths]

you may have a hazy memory of shot glasses and high heel shoes.....Andy

 

… Yes … the secret's out … I've watched every episode of GMRC.

 

Anyway, some people might suggest a far more suitable type of vessel for drinking spirits out of - a stein!

 

 

Huw.

Edited October 30, 2018 by Huw Griffiths

[LocoLaurie]

Rats! If I knew you were there I would have made the effort to visit.

 

Ok well don't know if any of these are near to you. I'm displaying 'Cato Pass' at all of these except the first one:

Romford Nov 3 2018 (this weekend) with 'Dunmovin Mine' 

Royston Nov 17

Guildford 20 Jan 2019 

Tenterden 23-24 Feb

Trainwest 13-14 Apr

Basildon 7-8 Jul

Medway 7-8 Sep

Sudbury 5 Oct

Warley 23-24 Nov 2019 

More dates to be added throughout the year no doubt. 

 

Do say hello. Is always great to chat to people and I can give them some behind the scenes information ;-) 

[RJS1977]

They were real peppers on the roof and yes, we had actual fire on the layout :-)

 

The burners were acquired the night before from a local restaurant and put to good use. There was also a packet of indoor fireworks in one of our boxes, but we didn't have time to set these up on the last day.

If you watch it again you may also notice the freezer factory being placed over a a green bowl, this contained dry ice which I had made about 90 seconds before hand outside the building using a CO2 fire extinguisher and a pillow case (I'm not allowed to try this at home.. But at Fawley!!) This was the actual ice in the building. Sadly the mist effect we were looking for lasted about 30 seconds and then fizzled out. Not good when it took 2 or 3 minutes to get all the pieces of the production crew up and running. Another nice try.

 

We did embrace the fire and ice them with both hands, the only other detail we didn't get time to add was the freezer factory name:

 

CJ Freezers

 

If you'd been able to add "John's Brewery" as well, you would have had virtually the entire editing history (save for the first few issues) of Railway Modeller in one place!