Hornby: A Model World

[Robin Brasher]

The programme was a mixture of Scalextric and model railways. I still have a few Scalextric and Airfix slot racing cars from the 1960s so I was interested to see the developments but my main interest is model railways.

 

I am surprised that there are only 150,000 model railway layouts in the Country.  This would mean that there are 18 model railway layouts in my town which is about right. In the 1950s I thought every boy had a train set.

 

The computer programmes to measure buildings for Tetbury are beyond my ability.  I just used a tape measure and then worked out the other dimensions from photographs.  They have used computer programmes to measure the buildings in the 0 gauge model of the Swanage Railway in the barn at Godlingston Manor in Swanage and a modeller in Holland has done the same to create his model of Corfe Castle Station. It does enable people to model a station without a site visit.

[Phil Parker]

16 minutes ago, Robin Brasher said:

 

I am surprised that there are only 150,000 model railway layouts in the Country. 

 

If I were a teacher, I'd say "Show your working" for that number to the TV people.

 

[AndrewC]

On 09/12/2021 at 16:31, AY Mod said:

 

Teatime, far more important!

'Time is an illusion, lunchtime doubly so.' : Ford Prefect

[JohnR]

1 hour ago, Robin Brasher said:

I am surprised that there are only 150,000 model railway layouts in the Country.  This would mean that there are 18 model railway layouts in my town which is about right. In the 1950s I thought every boy had a train set.

 

 

 

Where did that number come from?

[Legend]

Enjoyable series if a bit lightweight and not exactly ground breaking . But it certainly beats celebrity jungle piffle and midwives on ice .

 

Would love if the cameras were still there and we see a shot of SK picking up the phone and saying "what do you mean theres a lot of damaged W1s, how will we get replacements to our important customers . We sell enjoyment not frustration !"

 

Scalextric was very interesting . I never had one (awe!) being more of a Minic man because it had buses ,lorries and was more compatible with trains. Interesting to see inside of the car . Looked like the 60s one had something that resembled an X04 powering it . The new formula E car looked stunning .  I can imagine racing becoming addictive , for a time , but I always thought slot car racing had limited potential compared to the multi dimensional aspects of model railways . 

 

Very enjoyable though Airfix and Tri-ang Hornby were my childhood (along with Lego)

Edited December 14, 2021 by Legend

[MrTea]

I enjoyed last night’s episode even though it was more about cars that trains.
 

One of the best aspects of the series, in my view, has been showcasing modellers and enthusiasts. It might have felt a tenuous link to Hornby as a company but I think they’ve done it well with a good balance of the serious and the light hearted elements of our hobbies. 
 

I enjoyed seeing Chris’ layout featured after following the thread on here. And I’m glad to see his kids getting involved too. It’s nice when our families take in interest in what we’re building and a degree of pride in what we’ve achieved. 

[russ p]

Shame there was nothing about the vanguards range in the the series.  Vanguards seems to have stagnated a bit in last few years 

[Huw Griffiths]

3 hours ago, Robin Brasher said:

I am surprised that there are only 150,000 model railway layouts in the country.

 

2 hours ago, Phil Parker said:

If I were a teacher, I'd say "Show your working" for that number to the TV people.

 

I could certainly imagine my brother saying something along those lines - but then he does have a background in maths / IT teaching (although he's been promoted a few times over the years).

 

However, stuff like this reminds me of an old advert - which included a suggestion that "98.5 percent of statistics are made up on the spot".

 

(OK - I can't remember if it was actually 98.5 percent - but I'm not sure that the actual number matters too much here!)

 

[Chris Chewter]

1 hour ago, MrTea said:

I enjoyed seeing Chris’ layout featured after following the thread on here. And I’m glad to see his kids getting involved too. It’s nice when our families take in interest in what we’re building and a degree of pride in what we’ve achieved. 

It’s a shame that my eldest daughter didn’t want to be interviewed as she helped with some of the build. She did an excellent job with the Tetbury cliff face. However it was up to them whether they wanted to be filmed and how much.

[PMP]

4 hours ago, Phil Parker said:

 

If I were a teacher, I'd say "Show your working" for that number to the TV people.

 

Indeed.

I suspect they’ve taken known monthly mag circulation figures and doubled them and added/subtracted a bit to give ‘a number’.

[johnlambert]

3 hours ago, Legend said:

Enjoyable series if a bit lightweight and not exactly ground breaking . But it certainly beats celebrity jungle piffle and midwives on ice .

 

Would love if the cameras were still there and we see a shot of SK picking up the phone and saying "what do you mean theres a lot of damaged W1s, how will we get replacements to our important customers . We sell enjoyment not frustration !"

 

Scalextric was very interesting . I never had one (awe!) being more of a Minic man because it had buses ,lorries and was more compatible with trains. Interesting to see inside of the car . Looked like the 60s one had something that resembled an X04 powering it . The new formula E car looked stunning .  I can imagine racing becoming addictive , for a time , but I always thought slot car racing had limited potential compared to the multi dimensional aspects of model railways . 

 

Very enjoyable though Airfix and Tri-ang Hornby were my childhood (along with Lego)

Almost certainly an X04 motor (I had a nearly identical Scalextric car), I think Hornby used the same open frame and can motors across railways and Scalextric; my 0-4-0 Desmond "pug" had a very similar can motor to that in some Scalextric cars I had at the time.  The biggest difference was whether there was a pinion or worm gear attached to the output shaft.  And we all know that the old 0-4-0 pugs would go like racing cars!

 

I agree about the limited operating potential of slot cars vs model railways.  I occasionally enjoy getting my Scalextric stuff out, but it needs a lot of space and you really need someone to race.  Model railways, I think present more options for modelling and operation (but no doubt a die-hard slot car racer would find trains of limited interest, and it'd be a boring world if we all liked the same stuff).

 

My biggest irritation with the show was that in the trailers they spoilt the fact that the 3D print failed.

 

I have to say of the series as a whole, that it makes Hornby look like quite a nice company to work for.  Obviously they're not going to show the workplace disagreements about who finished of the last of the milk or borrowed someone's stapler (or do anything to show the company in a bad light), but it certainly looks more rewarding than my typical 9-5...

[Steamport Southport]

47 minutes ago, johnlambert said:

Almost certainly an X04 motor (I had a nearly identical Scalextric car), I think Hornby used the same open frame and can motors across railways and Scalextric; my 0-4-0 Desmond "pug" had a very similar can motor to that in some Scalextric cars I had at the time.  The biggest difference was whether there was a pinion or worm gear attached to the output shaft.  And we all know that the old 0-4-0 pugs would go like racing cars!

 

I agree about the limited operating potential of slot cars vs model railways.  I occasionally enjoy getting my Scalextric stuff out, but it needs a lot of space and you really need someone to race.  Model railways, I think present more options for modelling and operation (but no doubt a die-hard slot car racer would find trains of limited interest, and it'd be a boring world if we all liked the same stuff).

 

My biggest irritation with the show was that in the trailers they spoilt the fact that the 3D print failed.

 

I have to say of the series as a whole, that it makes Hornby look like quite a nice company to work for.  Obviously they're not going to show the workplace disagreements about who finished of the last of the milk or borrowed someone's stapler (or do anything to show the company in a bad light), but it certainly looks more rewarding than my typical 9-5...

 

Many of the people who buy Scalextric are adult lads buying them as a party plaything. Get a few mates around and a few drinks. Makes a change from FIFA and other computer games.

 

It's like the Mario Balotelli shopping trip.  

 

"Do you always do what your mum asks? Balotelli certainly doesn't.

His mother sent him out to a department store to buy an ironing board... But he returned with a quad bike, a Scalextric set and a trampoline!"

 

https://www.bbc.co.uk/newsround/21260375

 

 

Jason

[F-UnitMad]

4 hours ago, Robin Brasher said:

I am surprised that there are only 150,000 model railway layouts in the Country. 

Was it 150,000 layouts, or modellers, they said?

 

I'm one modeller,but I have 3 layouts, with another shunty-plank under way, so how would I fit into statistics?

As none of my modelling is British 4mm scale, I am of much use to Hornby as they are to me, that is to say - none whatsoever. But it's been an enjoyable series to watch.

[Robin Brasher]

Model Railways can be a party play thing as well as Scalextric. I had a party in my flat at Worthing about thirty years ago.  All the men ended up playing with my layout and all the ladies stayed in my lounge and chatted with each other. 

 

I noticed that Chris was running a bright yellow engine on his Tetbury layout.  We used to have an authentic layout based on Evercreech Junction in our model railway club. On club nights we used to run engines that were unlikely to have run on the Somerset and Dorset Railway like a Deltic or a Coronation Pacific.  Everyone enjoyed watching these although we would have been criticised if we had run them at exhibitions.  I think that most people run guest trains in private that would never have run on the railway they are modelling.

 

It is a pity that Tri-ang Minic Motorways never caught on.  Model Railway layouts usually have moving trains and static vehicles although some people have adapted the Faller electric vehicles to run on British layouts.

[Legend]

Wasnt the yellow loco the limited edition (was it RMweb?) DJM Austerity ?

[Sweep]

I too enjoyed last nights show, the model of Tetbury was stunning and showed Chris as a normal bloke enjoying his hobby rather than the quirky misfit the media usually likes to portray.

[AY Mod]

1 hour ago, Legend said:

Wasnt the yellow loco the limited edition (was it RMweb?) DJM Austerity ?

 

Correct. The only RTR loco I have done the livery artwork for. Not as simple as you would think!

[Chris Chewter]

Yep, you’re right, the yellow loco is the RMweb limited edition. It’s by far the kids favourite loco too, especially with a train load of minions in tow. I’ve always wanted to weather it, but the kids have told me it must stay as it is.

[AY Mod]

Just now, Chris Chewter said:

especially with a train load of minions in tow.

 

That did make me smile last night Chris. 

[Barry Ten]

3 hours ago, F-UnitMad said:

Was it 150,000 layouts, or modellers, they said?

 

I'm one modeller,but I have 3 layouts, with another shunty-plank under way, so how would I fit into statistics?

As none of my modelling is British 4mm scale, I am of much use to Hornby as they are to me, that is to say - none whatsoever. But it's been an enjoyable series to watch.

 

You've eaten into the national layout quota there, quite selfishly. The rest of us get by with one layout, but you had to have three. It's one rule for the metropolitan elites, another for the rest of us.

[2E Sub Shed]

4 minutes ago, Barry Ten said:

 

You've eaten into the national layout quota there, quite selfishly. The rest of us get by with one layout, but you had to have three. It's one rule for the metropolitan elites, another for the rest of us.

 

3 and one under construction here, although all are Micro's by Carl Arednt's definition, (under 4 sq ft). 

[F-UnitMad]

1 hour ago, Barry Ten said:

 

You've eaten into the national layout quota there, quite selfishly. The rest of us get by with one layout, but you had to have three. It's one rule for the metropolitan elites, another for the rest of us.

I thought every modeller worthy of the name has 3 layouts? The one he just dismantled, the current one, and plans for the next, best one - the one that he should've built in the first place??

 

Edit. I want some Minions!!  

Edited December 14, 2021 by F-UnitMad

[RJS1977]

I know of one person who has over 70!

[Robin Brasher]

I originally had one 00 gauge layout in the spare bedroom and a 4' x 2' N gauge layout to take to exhibitions in my car. Somehow the N gauge layout grew to 16' x 4' which took a long time to set up at exhibitions so I built another 4' 6" x 2'6" N gauge layout that I can take to exhibitions. The 16' x 4' N gauge layout is now 12' x 4' in the spare bedroom so there is nowhere to put the 00 gauge layout so that gets erected in a local village hall.  During lockdown I could not get to the village hall so I built an 8' x 4' layout to fit in the lounge and run my 00 gauge trains.

 

I have now got four layouts in a small flat with barely enough room for one.  It looks like it is normal for model railway enthusiast to have four layouts. There may be only 150,000 model railway enthusiasts but 600,000 layouts.

Edited December 14, 2021 by Robin Brasher
I did not intend to post my comment until I had finished it.

[melmerby]

11 hours ago, Legend said:

 Interesting to see inside of the car . Looked like the 60s one had something that resembled an X04 powering it .

There were slot car versions of both the X04 and the TT equivalent.

Airfic (MRRC) also did their 5 pole X04 replacement motor for trains and cars

The car ones had two fixing holes because they were fitted horizontally and hinged on a pin as part of rudimentary suspension.

 

I started with an 80 set (4 cars 4 lanes) when I was at work, soon added extra track and cars with more powerful motors and later started building cars with a la carte fittings.

I had cars with Mabuchi & Pittman slot car motors

We also had a club with a large 6 lane track that wasn't and never did get finished, even though we had a building on the sports club ground for it.

 

Scalextric is all gone now, went at one of the moves.

My track was knackered anyway as the plating on the contact strips was worn away leaving bare steel which rusted quickly between use.

 

(the works track had copper contacts as did the club ones shown on the programme.)

 

Edited December 14, 2021 by melmerby