Great Model Railway Challenge - Channel 5

[Captain Kernow]

Undoubtedly we'd all like to see more but minutes cost money in terms of editing and production which would take costs beyond the producer's budget and unless there was prior agreement and financial commitment from the channel (in effect buying the additional programmes) for supplementary content and programmes.

Fair comment and I, for one, have no knowledge of the intricacies of making a TV programme, but I certainly thought that the final could have done with more air time, even if only an additional 15 mins or so (but then I suppose you come up against the problems of scheduling etc.).

[Captain Kernow]

Each heat winner

 

We were in heat 4 

It sounds from other posts that 'heat' was the operative word during some of the filming. Presumably this was filmed during the summer 'heatwave?'

[D9020 Nimbus]

I thought Aberdeen were very worthy winners. The city was a bit like Coruscant in the Star Wars series but the "underclass" area was quite a bit more opulent. I just can't see how any team could create so much in so little time! Well done to all of the teams involved.

[enginelane]

It sounds from other posts that 'heat' was the operative word during some of the filming. Presumably this was filmed during the summer 'heatwave?'

We had the heat with no heat, humid and thunderstorms just what you want when needing your water effects to dry!

[whart57]

At least by the end of the programme the presenters had realised that what they thought was narrow gauge was actually N gauge !

 

'N' stands for 'Narrow' doesn't it?      

[whart57]

I got the impression Steve Flint was itching to give the prize to Fawley, but that would have been dull, dull, dull. You wondered what Aberdeen were up to but when they did the final run and it went from four fairly standard layouts to their futuristic vision, there really could be only one winner.

[Nimbus]

I sensed the camera team responding to the different vibes on each team's contribution. Particularly noted the measured panning on the Fawley shots, with evocatively tantalising shots of a WD sneaking out of the yard partially masked by standing wagons. Just what would have had us get pencil and ABC at the ready 'back in the day'!

 

The Nim.

[Mallard60022]

I watched the Final on replay so I could FF the ads. Not enough time IMO   pity really. next series maybe have a two part Final with cliff hanger from the first?

Best imaginative layout won but not my cup of tea. However I'm an old steam age far# and liked the trad scenes on the Fawley effort. How they got that sort of detail in such a short time is a mystery to me. What I'm sure about is that there could be a whole bunch of new entrants to railway modelling following this rather bizarre series.

Phil

[The Fatadder]

I really enjoyed the series, so much so I would give serious thought to having a crack at series 2

 

I didn’t agree with the judges final decision, but then I rarely do on these things. I will keep my reasoning to myself.

 

I did think it a shame that there wasn’t time for More of the layouts to get stock to match their theme, perticularly Aberdeen which looked a bit odd with 4472 and a large logo 37 running in that distant future world. I’d have liked to see more weight on the overall picture including stock than just the scenics.

 

The other improvement I think it could have done with would be either a semi final knocking the final down to 4 or an extended final episode (in the way Bake-off added an extra half hour this year). There certainly didn’t seem enough time to get a good look at the judging or for that matter the build.

[NittenDormer]

This afternoon's Channel 5 schedule reveals that the mystery train enthusiast at the top is also slightly interested in Christmas. 6 - yes, six - hours of films with one consistent theme? Bah!

[JohnR]

This was the first episode where we went into the judging and I couldnt tell which layout had won. Aberdeen were a worthy winner, and while it wasnt a design I would have preferred myself, the imagination and the design were spot on. The other teams had, to a certain extent had gone back to their comfort zones. 

 

I notice that next week Lidl have a Hornby train set amongst their childrens toys promotions. As far as I am aware, this is the first year this has happened. While I assume this will have been prepared many weeks or even months in advance, it cant help but be taking advantage of the upsurge of interest caused by this programme.

[Butler Henderson]

I got the feeling Fawley were using the show as a way of making two parts of a larger layout - neither really tackled the theme to any great extent, and the final effort was pitiful, as it would have got in the way of a set period layout  - they got through the round heat very luckily IMO and the almost arrogance "we will win" the final was the only off putting thing in the final show.

[JohnR]

I got the feeling Fawley were using the show as a way of making two parts of a larger layout - neither really tackled the theme to any great extent, and the final effort was pitiful, as it would have got in the way of a set period layout  - they got through the round heat very luckily IMO and the almost arrogance "we will win" the final was the only off putting thing in the final show.

 

I too thought that Fawley had half an eye on building a layout that could go on display at Fawley Hill after the competition. Although I think all the teams were encouraged to say the "we will win" type of stuff. 

[Coryton]

I got the impression Steve Flint was itching to give the prize to Fawley, but that would have been dull, dull, dull. You wondered what Aberdeen were up to but when they did the final run and it went from four fairly standard layouts to their futuristic vision, there really could be only one winner.

 

But of course it only won because it had the futuristic vision and they managed to pull it off so well.

 

A difficult task to pick a winner because they all the layouts were so good and very different. I wish I could built at that speed, never mind to that quality!

[Ian Smeeton]

I enjoyed the final, and like many others would have liked to have seen more of each individual layout. However, time was against the production co as well as the competitors.

 

One thing, though. There was mention of a split decision, from the judges, but no mention of who came second.

 

Anyone know?

 

Regards

 

Ian

[TEAMYAKIMA]

.

I got the feeling Fawley were using the show as a way of making two parts of a larger layout - neither really tackled the theme to any great extent, and the final effort was pitiful, as it would have got in the way of a set period layout - they got through the round heat very luckily IMO and the almost arrogance "we will win" the final was the only off putting thing in the final show.

I regret that I felt that the Fawley team just didn't seem to adhere to the spirit of the programme. Don't get me wrong ... in traditional model railway terms both of their layouts were excellent but I think that the great thing about the programme was that it went outside the norm and encouraged teams to work outside their comfort zone. Fawley were the only one of the 15 groups that stayed in their comfort zone and I regret to say they didn't seem to 'get' the themes.

[Captain Kernow]

encouraged teams to work outside their comfort zone. Fawley were the only one of the 15 groups that stayed in their comfort zone

But a 'comfort zone' is called that for a good reason!

 

It's comfortable and by definition, safe.

 

I was in one of my comfort zones this afternoon, my armchair. It was comfortable. It was cold, wet and windy outside. Why would I want to go there?

 

Who would knowingly buy a rock-hard bed in preference to a comfortable one?

[MRDBLUE17]

Hi everyone,

 

I very much enjoyed watching the final last night, it was exciting to watch and if I hadn’t already known who the winning team was it would have been hard to pick a winner. I liked the Brunel inspired layout and those Cooling towers on Melton Down were impressive. Very well done to Aberdeen, stunning heat layout and where there ideas and concept came from for the Final just brilliant to do something so different. Don’t be hard on the Fawley team - they are a great bunch of very friendly people that I had pleasure of meeting in our heat and spent time chatting to as well as showing us round the museum and railway trip through the estate. They stuck to what they enjoy and are all very talented Modellers which showed in the quality they produced.

 

I’ve just spent a couple of hours this afternoon in Harburn Hobbies meeting customers and talking about the show as part of there Peco weekend with Steve Haynes. The time flew by and was great to meet a few younger Modellers, one who has enjoyed the show, recognised me from our heat and was in looking at getting a set for Christmas, another was buying a set to add to his collection and another with his dad showed me what they had been building and shared a few modelling tips with. It seems the show has brought more people in and my thanks to Bob/Jill and the team for inviting me along. The good thing about this is building a railway actually brings a family together to do stuff instead of everyone in isolation on a tech device!

 

Well done to all in the final it made for some exciting telly.

 

Thanks

Mark

[Coryton]

But a 'comfort zone' is called that for a good reason!

 

It's comfortable and by definition, safe.

 

I was in one of my comfort zones this afternoon, my armchair. It was comfortable. It was cold, wet and windy outside. Why would I want to go there?

 

Who would knowingly buy a rock-hard bed in preference to a comfortable one?

 

It all depends what you want.

 

I know people who are happy with their life exactly as it is, and don't want any change in it. And that's fine.

 

But for people who want change, who want to develop, to do new things, it's hard to do that while staying in your comfort zone.

 

I wouldn't have a layout, such as it is, if I hadn't had to develop skills I didn't previously have in order to put it all together. And I've enjoyed doing that, and the results.

 

Now whether one should be forced to leave one's comfort zone for this programme isn't so clear. Fawley won their heat with a very 'traditional' layout, but the winner in the final was rather different. So it's probably not the deciding factor.

 

Incidentally, can someone enlighten us at to what the equivalent of the scratchbuild challenge that has been referred to for the final was?

['CHARD]

What a fantastic show - now here's a thing - I watched the final and I was so engrossed in the production that I forgot that I am actually a railway employee, enthusiast and modeller.  Reckon the series has proved its worth....

[Ian Morgan]

In lieu of the normal scratch build challenge, in the final, each team was given a standard 7 plank wagon that had to be decorated and loaded to 'portray the ethos and character of our team, and fit our chosen theme'. All five wagons were to have then formed a train that would be hauled along the 'star tracks' across all the layouts.

 

I spent half a day weathering the wagon, adding chain link couplings and building a 'steam punk' style Brunelian time machine around a battery and some electronics to flash some LEDs, with another Brunal figure at the helm.

 

Fortunately, Kathy Millat captured it on her camera. Brunels hat is just visible over the beam engine part of the time machine (although Tim referred to it as a surf board):

 

[TEAMYAKIMA]

Don’t be hard on the Fawley team - they are a great bunch of very friendly people that I had pleasure of meeting in our heat and spent time chatting to as well as showing us round the museum and railway trip through the estate. They stuck to what they enjoy and are all very talented Modellers which showed in the quality they produced.

 

 

I sincerely hope my comments are not taken as being hard on the Fawley team. I totally accept that in 'normal' model railway terms their two layouts were the best - no question. But lets face it what we serious modellers might call 'normal' is not winning us many converts out there in the wider world.

 

And so this programme comes along and attempts to sell our hobby to a wider audience by going beyond the 'norm' and I feel that although they might have had the best traditional layout they chose not to step outside the accepted norm and therefore I don't think that their layouts would attract many outsiders to our cause.

 

So to sum up I think that people within the hobby might vote for it as being the best, but outsiders (the wider TV audience) would not.

[NIK]

I enjoyed the final, and like many others would have liked to have seen more of each individual layout. However, time was against the production co as well as the competitors.

 

One thing, though. There was mention of a split decision, from the judges, but no mention of who came second.

 

Anyone know?

 

Regards

 

Ian

 

Hi,

 

I don't know for sure who the other team were involved in the split decision but another team was mentioned by a judge after the winner was announced.

Sir William McAlpine was to be the third judge I understand but he sadly passed away between the start of production and the filming.

 

I thought all the teams throughout the series had done a really good job - so much more challenging from baking a cake with a TV crew present, when I saw a still photo of the winning finalist I didn't understand the amount of working railways in the lower levels but the TV show final showed the lowest? level - T gauge or N gauge?.

I also though the winners were brave risking cutting the translucent base for the top level tracks with a jigsaw.

 

Regards

 

Nick (a sub bodger - some are born Bodgers, some achieve Bodging and others have Bodging thrust upon them).

[2mmMark]

I reckon the Fawley Fliers demonstrated a pretty high degree of creativity in their heat and the final. Producing layouts of that quality which are both realistic and engaging in a short space of time takes some ability. Some of the techniques demonstrated were new to me, like boiling pan scourers to make material for trees.

 

To say that the general public are less interested in accurate model railways is to do them a great disservice. Earlier this year, Copenhagen Fields was on display at the LT Museum family weekend (very much a non-purist event) and there were crowds around the layout at all times.

 

Like others, I think the final could easily have filled a 90 minute slot but it's highly likely that Channel 5 were being cautious. Now that the viewing figures are shown to be higher than Big Brother, it's got to make them think a bit.

 

Channel 5 are definitely working hard to defeat Adam Faith's reputed last words.
https://www.theguardian.com/theguardian/2003/may/13/guardianleaders

 

Has anyone entered the "competition" to win the weekend on the Ravenclass & Eggsdale?  It's a tricky question, sending your address in.

[Nimbus]

To say that the general public are less interested in accurate model railways is to do them a great disservice. Earlier this year, Copenhagen Fields was on display at the LT Museum family weekend (very much a non-purist event) and there were crowds around the layout at all times.

Indeed. If the hoped-for new recruits have no interest in models attempting to show life-like situations, then their enthusiasm is likely to evaporate when they open their first copy of RM, or visit here to investigate what lies beyond what could be shown in the slots on telly. Such left-field interpretations as Aberdeen's winner are thin on the ground here!

 

The Nim.