Administrators Phil Parker Posted June 15, 2011 Administrators Share Posted June 15, 2011 Is it me, or is the whole James May speechifying thing, town criers, vicars blessing trains with malt whisky, etc. just becoming slightly irritating? Still watchable, but not something I'd care to watch a second time. As a formula it was well executed, and I would like to know more about the "concept" trains. Was the "sauerkraut" one just a pure joke, designed to explode as it did? Hats off to the hydrogen cell propulsion method (lithium batteries are hardly leading edge), and why didn't the turbo train (surely an update on the old Triang "Battle/Space" jet-propelled rocket car?) simply pull its carriages to avoid derailments? I suspect that the stuff around the edges of the event like blessing trains etc. is what the TV production compnay think they need to add to get a prime time Sunday PM slot for the show. If you look closely, there is a whole lot of TV trickery going on that we don't see. For example "Replacing the chassis block", surely not likely to be required on a 1960's loco. You would wear many more parts out before this ! Personally, I would watch a much more technical and detailed programme that gave more coverage on the alternative trains but that would be science and the BBC doesn't do science seriously any more and if it did, would bury it on BBC 4 at midnight. Phil Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
RMweb Gold Huw Griffiths Posted June 15, 2011 RMweb Gold Share Posted June 15, 2011 I suspect that the stuff around the edges of the event like blessing trains etc. is what the TV production compnay think they need to add to get a prime time Sunday PM slot for the show. If you look closely, there is a whole lot of TV trickery going on that we don't see. For example "Replacing the chassis block", surely not likely to be required on a 1960's loco. You would wear many more parts out before this ! Personally, I would watch a much more technical and detailed programme that gave more coverage on the alternative trains but that would be science and the BBC doesn't do science seriously any more and if it did, would bury it on BBC 4 at midnight. ... or cut out all the interesting bits - and have it fronted by Wallace and Gromit. After all, they wouldn't dream of pulling "Coast" - only to replace it with the fag ends of a dreary, damp squib of a Grand Prix. No - they'd just go ahead and do it - in much the same way as they routinely pull any decent programs after over-running, goal-less, soccer matches, to give us half an hour of pointless analysis. Still, I suppose it could be worse - like wall-to-wall football, athletics, soaps, endless repeats of 70's sitcoms, or yet more of those dodgy lottery quizzes (which aren't supposed to be fair). Sorry - my mistake - that's exactly what we get at the moment - and it drives me up the wall. Worse still, there doesn't seem to be any way of getting the powers-that-be to take notice of what we actually want to watch. So much for dumbed-down TV. If they ever deign to start doing decent science or engineering programmes (the sort that actually tell you something), I'm sure there are loads of people with Higher Education backgrounds who'd be only too happy to present them. Some of us could even be persuaded to accept their "superstar" salaries. (Don't worry - it'll never happen.) Anyway, I think it's time to return to James May's programme. I also wish they'd cut all the candy floss - the nauseating, superficial, waffle they routinely use to pad out their programs and inflate our licence fees. They won't. Silly speeches - pretend to wind up a few Germans (who are clearly in on the act) - a few "concepts" (which aren't supposed to work properly) - and sidekicks who don't take anything seriously? Jeremy Clarkson routinely gives us all of these (and more) on TopGear - so you'd expect James May to give us the same on one of his programmes. I did, however, learn one thing from this programme - that some model trains are a lot tougher than I thought they'd be. I'm sure that Hornby saw the whole exercise as a brilliant PR stunt - and an excellent chance to give some of their products a very thorough workout. A lot of children run their toy trains on the carpet - but not for 10 miles along a muddy, disused railway line. Even if they did have to do some repairs on that "Donald Duck" set, I doubt if it was ever designed to run off 18V for hours at a stretch. As for the "chassis block" on "60103" / "4472", I wonder if the current Railroad version has a "block" which can be made to fit. Not having seen both versions together, I don't even know if they're the same size. By the way, was I the only person to be irritated by the repeated references to a cam rubbing against a strip of abrasive, on a metal strip inside a hollow plastic tender - sorry the "realistic chuffing sound"? Anyway, I think that's more than enough of my rant. I'd better let you all return to the trains. Huw. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
EddieB Posted June 15, 2011 Share Posted June 15, 2011 Personally, I would watch a much more technical and detailed programme that gave more coverage on the alternative trains but that would be science and the BBC doesn't do science seriously any more and if it did, would bury it on BBC 4 at midnight. Phil Be careful what you wish for, Phil . I've just seen the TV schedules next week, and the BBC has James May fronting a new series on how things work, starting with the human body and inheritance. Perhaps the second episode is all about how to jump the shark? Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
BlackRat Posted June 15, 2011 Share Posted June 15, 2011 An excellent prog which superbly demonstrated the quality of todays rtr models, and of course those of yesteryear. I would love to see a kit built loco etc perform to the same standard, ie a 10 mile challenge without fault. Perhaps go for an endurance challenge trophy at the RM Web day. Circuit of track, or circuits, easily measured. Indoor flyers do something similar I believe. After all, if a rtr loco can do it.............................. I would put up my Centre Models J94 with Romfords for a go. Built and runs like a tank! But I don't think being realistic there's many that could do 5 miles, never mind 10! Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
col447 Posted June 15, 2011 Share Posted June 15, 2011 I have been planing a trip to the Hamburg railway for the last year, and we are due to get there in August. Now where can I get a T shirt with James May and 2-1 printed on the front Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
BlackRat Posted June 15, 2011 Share Posted June 15, 2011 Any other kit builders fancy a challenge then? Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
RMweb Premium spamcan61 Posted June 17, 2011 RMweb Premium Share Posted June 17, 2011 One would have thought they would have reclaimed the track and be selling it to collectors, if it had been me I would have collected it up after the last train then had a sale to the public at Barnstaple and Bideford the next day with the rest on ebay. May even make a profit on it! Simon Kohler has posted on MREmag today pointing out he was one of half a dozen folk who walked back from Bideford to Barnstaple after the last train and picked up all the track, although he doesn't say what he did with it. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Andy Y Posted June 17, 2011 Share Posted June 17, 2011 Circuit of track, or circuits, easily measured. Indoor flyers do something similar I believe. After all, if a rtr loco can do it.............................. Not exactly this but are responsible for a silly train of thought for which I will hold you personally responsible for Neil! Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
owentherail Posted June 17, 2011 Share Posted June 17, 2011 Hornby are trying to sell "james may" pieces of track!!!! LOL, who knows where its been.. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
charliepetty Posted June 17, 2011 Share Posted June 17, 2011 Loved seeing Simon 'With a tear in his eye!' Charlie Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
RMweb Gold Colin_McLeod Posted June 17, 2011 RMweb Gold Share Posted June 17, 2011 Hornby are trying to sell "james may" pieces of track!!!! 10 miles of double track = 1760x10x2 = 35,200 yards at "how much?" per yard. And it was lying there all night and not nicked!!!! I only needed three yard lengths!! Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
BlackRat Posted June 18, 2011 Share Posted June 18, 2011 Cheers Andy! I wonder what we could do, anyone know if there is a world record for instance for a OO or HO endurance run? I am sure there was something featured on the Blue Peter Layout back in the 70's. Mind you, if the HST ran for the best part of 10hrs, we have to be looking at a couple of days possibly. I might be tempted to give it a go here! Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
RMweb Gold The Stationmaster Posted June 18, 2011 RMweb Gold Share Posted June 18, 2011 ....... and why didn't the turbo train (surely an update on the old Triang "Battle/Space" jet-propelled rocket car?) simply pull its carriages to avoid derailments? I too wondered why that very obvious approach had not been adopted - and reached the tentative conclusion that they might have started that way but had found that the ducted fan was blowing the other vehicles off the track (my alternative conclusion was that they were so wrapped up in the technology that the simple solution hadn't even occurred to them) Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
RMweb Premium melmerby Posted July 1, 2011 RMweb Premium Share Posted July 1, 2011 Cheers Andy! I wonder what we could do, anyone know if there is a world record for instance for a OO or HO endurance run? Some ideas here: http://www.Hornby.com/forums/Hornby-forums/general-discussion/240/ Keith Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
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