Great Model Railway Challenge - Channel 5

[Scottish Modeller]

I'm quite happy to stop talking about DCC prices. However if I have a couple of good ideas for layout designs for a new series, how could I advance them?

Hi there,

 

Nothing wrong with having ideas for layouts in future events.

 

In fact, my experience with the production team confirms that they are open to new ideas and welcome suggestions.

 

However, the best way (to me at least) is to gather your ideas, see if they make sense, then suggest them to see if they make a basis for forming a team.

 

If they do...

 

You know the drill!!

 

Send your proposal to the casting email address that Bryher provided elsewhere.

 

Thanks

Edited November 8, 2018 by Scottish Modeller

[Sweeps]

Sorry if this question has been asked previously in the 74 pages here, but has anyone noticed a tangible benefit from the show, like increased sales of modelling magazines, increase in people wandering into model shops or attendance a exhibitions?

[enginelane]

Sorry if this question has been asked previously in the 74 pages here, but has anyone noticed a tangible benefit from the show, like increased sales of modelling magazines, increase in people wandering into model shops or attendance a exhibitions?

 

Will let you know 19 th Nocv after the Wakefield Show!

[Scottish Modeller]

Sorry if this question has been asked previously in the 74 pages here, but has anyone noticed a tangible benefit from the show, like increased sales of modelling magazines, increase in people wandering into model shops or attendance a exhibitions?

 

Hi there,

 

Well, I've had stands at 4 exhibitions since the first heat was televised.

 

There were lots of folk asking about the show at all of them.

 

Whether or not that indicates more people becoming involved or more modellers becoming aware - I don't know.

 

I have, however, agreed to help 4 people who had started out, but then became dispirited or confused, to make something out of what they have.

 

There are a lot of 'lost modellers' out there and this program seems to have reawakened their interest in the hobby.

 

I found one lost soul less than 3 miles from me!

 

I've been to see him once and got him on the task of clearing out the shed he started to build a layout in.

 

Once he lost heart in the layout idea, the shed became a dumping ground for anything that needed put away under cover.

 

So - Yes, it would seem that some good is coming out of the GMRC!

 

Thanks

Edited November 8, 2018 by Scottish Modeller

[Torper]

Alison Graham is the editor of RT. TBH I don't think much of her: far too many of her editorials seem to be based on her own personal preferences ("I don't want to see..." style 'observations') rather than objective assessments of a programme's quality (or lack thereof). When I find that she likes a programme that I enjoyed it's usually nothing more than coincidence (quite often the things she says she liked about a programme bear no relation at all to what appealed to me about it).

 

I actually like Alison Graham - she seems to share many of my own views about the programmes on TV. And as an editor, she's perfectly entitled - indeed it's her job - to express opinions and preferences.  I certainly like what she wrote about GMRC in the current Radio Times (once again sharing my own views).  I trust Radio Times won't mind if I quote her:

 

"The Great Model Railway Challenge is one of those rarities, a show with pan-generational appeal. I know this because a young member of my family (my great nephew) loves it and the oldest member of my family (his grand-dad) loves it too.  Age wise I fall roughly in the middle and i think it's great.  I know little to nothing about model railways, though I do know something of the passion of its enthusiasts (see above) and I'm a big fan of anything that shows people who love their hobbies simply doing their thing.  It's the final this week and it's heartening to see kindness, fun and good-natured competition where no one behaves as if their world depends on success".

 

DT

[Phil Parker]

Sorry if this question has been asked previously in the 74 pages here, but has anyone noticed a tangible benefit from the show, like increased sales of modelling magazines, increase in people wandering into model shops or attendance a exhibitions?

 

After the first week, there were reports of people arriving at Swansea show having watched the GMRC and the same feedback came from Wycrail last weekend. There are other mentions in this thread of similar occurrences.

 

Andy tells me RMweb usage is up, and so we are told is traffic to the Missenden website.

 

Mag sales - reports on these lag quite a bit so we won't really know for a couple of months.

 

More to the point however, over a million people have watched a series of shows about model railways. Can that be anything other than a good thing?

[rob D2]

RM making me laugh with its comments section on the show.

 

I know we are in trouble when the correspondent starts “ I’m ..... years old....and “. Do they want congratulations on their longevity ?

 

Or another classic “why didn’t It address historic research......”.

 

“ I prefer monastic silence when I’m modelling “. That would make for good TV, or we could watch paint dry .

 

Because it’s entertainment....? Nobody wants to be bored to death watching the TV ?because they are trying to make a very narrow subject interesting to the general public ?

 

Dinosaurs became extinct for a reason

Edited November 8, 2018 by rob D2

[Robin Brasher]

Sorry if this question has been asked previously in the 74 pages here, but has anyone noticed a tangible benefit from the show, like increased sales of modelling magazines, increase in people wandering into model shops or attendance a exhibitions?

The Poole & District Model Railway Exhibition was very busy last Sunday.

[TEAMYAKIMA]

RM making me laugh with its comments section on the show.

 

I know we are in trouble when the correspondent starts “ I’m ..... years old....and “. Do they want congratulations on their longevity ?

 

Or another classic “why didn’t It address historic research......”.

 

“ I prefer monastic silence when I’m modelling “. That would make for good TV, or we could watch paint dry .

 

Because it’s entertainment....? Nobody wants to be bored to death watching the TV ?because they are trying to make a very narrow subject interesting to the general public ?

 

Dinosaurs became extinct for a reason

 

Please forgive my ignorance, but can you post a link to this topic please? Thanks

[PMP]

Please forgive my ignorance, but can you post a link to this topic please? Thanks

https://peco-uk.com/pages/railway-modeller#RM-2

[Huw Griffiths]

Sorry if this question has been asked previously in the 74 pages here, but has anyone noticed a tangible benefit from the show, like increased sales of modelling magazines, increase in people wandering into model shops or attendance a exhibitions?

 

Well, I've had stands at 4 exhibitions since the first heat was televised.

 

There were a lot of folk asking about the show at all of them.

 

...

 

There are a lot of 'lost modellers' out there and this program seems to have reawakened their interest in the hobby.

 

I found on lost soul less than 3 miles from me!

 

...

 

So - Yes, it would seem that some good is coming out of the GMRC!

 

After the first week, there were reports of people arriving at Swansea show having watched the GMRC and the same feedback came from Wycrail last weekend. There are other mentions in this thread of similar occurrences.

 

Andy tells me RMweb usage is up, and so we are told is traffic to the Missenden website.

 

Mag sales - reports on these lag quite a bit so we won't really know for a couple of months.

 

More to the point however, over a million people have watched a series of shows about model railways. Can that be anything other than a good thing?

 

Reports like these sound encouraging, however ... I strongly suspect that a number of us are like Oliver Twist - that's right, we want some more.

 

Well, actually, some of us might be quite happy to find plenty more people discovering what some of our American friends refer to as "The World's Greatest Hobby" - and why not?

 

As for the series' impact on attendance at exhibitions, a number of people from here will get a very good idea of this in a couple of weeks' time - in a building somewhere near Solihull. I am, of course, talking about the NEC - and the Warley show. I could imagine the depth of the crowds around some of the "crowdpleaser" layouts providing some sort of clue. The same goes for how much trade some of the "boxshifters" get (and how many sign up for stands at shows next year) - how busy the magazine stands are (and how many of the people visiting them are beginners / returners, with questions) - even how busy some of the demonstration stands are.

 

I've never been a member of any of the societies / "special interest groups", but I could imagine it taking slightly longer for extra interest to filter through to them. I'm just trying to imagine what I might have thought about 30 years ago - after I'd finished my electrical engineering HND - when I started visiting major exhibitions. Initially, there was this "WOW! factor" - this big hall, full of model railway stuff. To be brutally honest, I seem to recall it being slightly overwhelming. However, after a few shows, I had more idea of what to expect and started looking for the stuff that interested me - and seemed to take in rather more demonstrators, societies, magazines etc - and not forgetting specialist trade. Indeed, this was probably when I started to become interested in kits (not all of which got built).

 

However, returning to societies / special interest groups, I wouldn't be too surprised if some of these groups were to consider fielding teams (complete with branded sweatshirts, of course) in next year's GMRC (I'd personally like a GMRC with more teams and more heats). Of course, I'm not saying that this is actually going to happen - I could also imagine certain groups being more interested than others - however, this might offer one way of raising their profiles.

 

 

As for sales of model trains, magazines and show tickets, I'd imagine it is still "early days" - but there have been encouraging reports. I hope at least some of these translate into increased takeup of the hobby - but time will tell.

 

 

Huw.

[Zomboid]

We've seen a lot of point-missing on this thread, so I would expect it to be missed elsewhere in significant numbers too.

[Ian Morgan]

We have had 5 new members joining the Basingstoke & North Hants MRS in the last few weeks. However, we did have the Radio Times article, a club open day and an article in the Basingstoke Gazette about our GMRC appearance, so it has been a concerted effort. I don't know if we can keep the bandwagon rolling until our exhibition in March though.

[Ian Morgan]

Oh, and as people seem to have missed how to apply to be part of the second series, try here:

 

http://www.channel5.com/modelrailway

 

or

 

Please send your name, location and contact details to casting@knickerbockerglory.tv

[Ian Morgan]

Oh, and for those wanting to have more teams and heats, the first series had 15 teams of 6, that is 90 participants!

[hicksan]

Whilst I understand the safeguarding and insurance issues for not having younger modellers on the programme - I do not agree with the above. In fact I suggest that the comments I have highlighted in bold are rather narrow minded and also are insulting to those youngsters who have a real interest in model railways. I find the term "train set" has been used as a degrading term, yet I am sure all modellers started with such - so what is wrong with that?

 This almost smacks of the sort of "model railway snobbery" that the Missenden team were portrayed as having in the edit (we are better than the rules etc). Whilst you have, in the past, adequately and eloquently explained how the editing was perhaps unkind to the team - you have done yourself no favours with the comments above.

 In my local model club, who are regular customers of mine, and have applied for series 2 - there is a 14 year old member who has constructed the best layout in the club - a wonderful RAF based shunting layout. Whilst, from a safeguarding point of view, he would be unable to compete in their team. Would it be right to ignore him because he can't be a good modeller because he is 14??

 

Fair point. No offense intended. It is great if young people are coming into the hobby and we should do all we can to encourage them, as I was encouraged at that age and try to do likewise now. As I said: I did try to involve my own kids in the programme, who are equally competent modellers and were disappointed to be excluded. My concern is an all adults team vs an all kids team might seem a tad one-sided, simply because of the gap in experience and accumulated knowledge. It might be seen as an unfair contest, which would make judging difficult to be fair to both teams. Perhaps an episode exclusively for younger teams?

[hicksan]

You forgot the large rucksack as part of the uniform with which they can bang other teams and destroy their models!

 

They couldn't do any worse than we did!

[PaulRhB]

Dinosaurs became extinct for a reason

Oh I think meteorites are a fairly persuasive way to become extinct!

 

Far more so than from watching paint drying

 

I think my local modelshop owner taking time to ask what experience people have, then suggesting achievable kits and bits is far more likely to help keep the enthusiasm going from the programme.

I’ve helped fuel the hobby in two friends kids by supplying kits and bits they can practise on and repainting a HST as they couldn’t afford the Hornby one. Getting some of those hooked by the first shows into teams for the second round would seem like a good idea. They can learn in the pre build time and then ‘shadow’ a more experienced modeller.

I learnt that way through club members who were friends.

[hicksan]

Sound and light from an existing member of the team is a quick win. There is a budget but all teams wanted to stretch it! Was interesting that a lot went for the faller system as another quick win and can be set up as a pre build. We considered the boat option for waterworld but went for cheaper option of smoke generator in the scratchbulit tug which of course worked ore filming but not when filming!

 

Or you could encourage people to use self-printed download card kits from Scalescenes and similar producers, as we did at very low cost. Of course that would have mean changes to the prebuild rule because they take ten times longer to make, perhaps to allow such kits to be prepared up to the level of Metcalfe kits but not assembled, so as to represent comparable on set construction tasks.

[hicksan]

Sorry if this question has been asked previously in the 74 pages here, but has anyone noticed a tangible benefit from the show, like increased sales of modelling magazines, increase in people wandering into model shops or attendance a exhibitions?

 

Interest in the Missenden Railway Modelling Courses up x10.

[andyram]

Fair point. No offense intended. It is great if young people are coming into the hobby and we should do all we can to encourage them, as I was encouraged at that age and try to do likewise now. As I said: I did try to involve my own kids in the programme, who are equally competent modellers and were disappointed to be excluded. My concern is an all adults team vs an all kids team might seem a tad one-sided, simply because of the gap in experience and accumulated knowledge. It might be seen as an unfair contest, which would make judging difficult to be fair to both teams. Perhaps an episode exclusively for younger teams?

 

 

Agreed. A team comprised completely of young modellers may only be a gimmick. It is good to know that there are other good young modellers out there. The hobby certainly needs them. It would be nice if the next series allowed these in as part of a team, but it is understandable that it could be too much of a safeguarding minefield.

 Having said that - showing younger modellers as part of a mixed aged team may be another positive for the hobby.

[newbryford]

Very well.

 

But how do I garner support for encouraging lower cost modelling in the next series of the GMRC?

 

...R

 

Clockwork powered?

Edited November 9, 2018 by newbryford

[TEAMYAKIMA]

As someone who is very impressed with GMRC and who is delighted our hobby is getting such high profile exposure I would be interested to read these negative comments that are posted elsewhere - if only to reply positively to them.

 

I accept that it would not be acceptable to post a link here to such other forums but I would request anyone sending me a PM with such a link.

 

Thanks

[Zomboid]

Interest in the Missenden Railway Modelling Courses up x10.

I wonder how much of that is people who weren't in the hobby before GMRC, and how many (like me) simply hadn't heard of the club and its courses before the program.

It's good news either way, of course.

[hayfield]

Very well.

 

But how do I garner support for encouraging lower cost modelling in the next series of the GMRC?

 

...R

 

 

One way could be with the scratch building challenge, rather than give 3 rather obscure items do what one of the cooking programs does

 

Have a table full of everyday items (a bit like the articles in the Railway Modeller in the 60's) like card boxes, bits of plastic, matches  and or basic items like balsa strip etc and challenge the modeller to construct something from scratch.