Great Model Railway Challenge 2019

[daffy]

watching Train Truckers instead tonight so I don't yell at the tele so much over the comments of the presenters.

Maybe i'll catch up by watching the end of the program at 9:00 just to see the layouts.

[Southerngooner]

I rather like the series! You have to take it at face value and see it as TV entertainment based around railway modelling. I think the second series has been better, and I don't mind the slightly cheesy nature of the comments. The modelling is still a key for us, even if action items have to be included to bring entertainment. The ingenuity of the teams to meet these targets is well within the normal routine of a club with its range of experts, it's just that it's not the norm for a club or exhibition layout. It seems to be attracting newcomers to the hobby, and The Train Set from episode 1 came up with some marvellous modelling for beginners, and young too!

As for the suggestion of a tsunami hitting James Street's harbour, I would say we have enough already going on on the layout to not need further distractions! We could always get the dock operator to knock his knees onto the board I suppose as a low-tech alternative.......

[Chris Morris]

Do you know as I was typing that I though of "Little Aller" and it's "don't touch" button, but I wouldn't Class that as an "action item", more a life lesson...

Skyline2uk

That is an "interactive" feature rather than an animation.It does bring lots of smiles to people's faces and that is a good thing. I did think of spraying a little water on anyone who says "where's the rain" but decided it might get me into trouble. I also have many sounds to go with the layout that I play when young ones are around - cows, sheep, tractor starting, seagulls, skylarks and the bells in the signal box (codes for accept an express and train entering section are used). I think this helps to provide entertainment and adds a bit more depth to the model.

As for the GMRC - I enjoy it. Yes the modelling is rushed but that's about making tv that will entertain a wider audience rather than just pure railway modellers. Whenever I have seen layouts at exhibitions with any animation it has always attracted a lot of attention. This leads me to think that maybe the tv programme has got a lesson for us all in that thinking up a few little animations for our layouts is a good thing. They are entertaining and it gives us all something different to think about. I suppose I could claim that making the signals work is a form of animation - I like watching them go up and down even if viewers usually miss them or don't notice that they work. Animation in N is more of a challenge than in larger scales but it might be worth giving it a go sometime....

[Bealman]

The idea of automated effects is not new. A layout called Ortogo (if my memory serves me well) was featured in RM and Meccano magazine back in the fifties. The entire layout was automatic, hence the name.

This impressed a young Bealman, and I have several effects on my layout, which visitors can activate by pushing push-buttons on the layout's fascia.

Anyone who has visited Minatur Wunderland in Hamburg would know what I'm talking about.... except I did it first 

On my layout, press "Factory chimney" and you get 30 seconds of smoke. "Haunted priory" gives wails and spooky lighting. The button under the kid throwing a stone at a window gives the sound of breaking glass, etc.

[emjaybee]

I rather like the series! You have to take it at face value and see it as TV entertainment based around railway modelling. I think the second series has been better, and I don't mind the slightly cheesy nature of the comments. The modelling is still a key for us, even if action items have to be included to bring entertainment. The ingenuity of the teams to meet these targets is well within the normal routine of a club with its range of experts, it's just that it's not the norm for a club or exhibition layout. It seems to be attracting newcomers to the hobby, and The Train Set from episode 1 came up with some marvellous modelling for beginners, and young too!

As for the suggestion of a tsunami hitting James Street's harbour, I would say we have enough already going on on the layout to not need further distractions! We could always get the dock operator to knock his knees onto the board I suppose as a low-tech alternative.......

Never let it be said that the operators on James Street don't have a sense of humour. I had a chat with one at TINGS, I apologise as I can't remember his name, and I casually mentioned "I've always thought you're a bit light on stock". His face was a picture until he saw your other chap wetting himself laughing.

James Street is awesome.

If you want an abject lesson in how to draw crowds and keep people entertained...  ...James Street is it!

[guest311]

although I did not exactly enjoy the first series, mainly IMHO spoilt by the inane chatter of the talking heads, I decided to watch series 2 to see if things had improved ...

yes and no, again my opinion...

inane chat and excruciatingly forced puns from the talking heads as before, but the program itself had for me improved....

so, i decide to solve the problem when watching episode 3 this morning, on my5 ...

muted the volume, ans concentrated on watching what was going on, and it worked 

much more enjoyable 

the down side of course is the while you can pause, replay etc the actual program, the adverts have this ability removed  but are long enough to boil a kettle, or open a bottle 

so, overall, and purely for me, much more enjoyable

[Bealman]

As in post #78 above, I don't have a problem with animated effects, but the scale you all describe intrigues me....

Free advertising for the program, cos I can't wait to see it!

[Skyline2uk]

Still keeping up with this and last night watched heat 5.

Probably the best so far in terms of quality, couldn't pick a winner at first but then winners turned on the style.

Not entirely sure they deserved TWO sets of full marks (it's almost as if the judges opened the plaudit floodgates).

But still worthy winners.

Skyline2uk

[Luke Piewalker]

The crocheted trees weren't realistic enough... The realistically flat model of Holland wasn't hilly enough... 

[Chris Morris]

I'm thoroughly enjoying the second series. My wife, who has no interest in model railways is now very much into it and trying to decide who will win. Ok, it mostly isn't serious modelling but it is entertaining. Team Grantham are awesome modellers and great at animation.
Whilst very few exhibition layouts feature animation it has to be said that those that do always attract a crowd. It is possible we could see more animation on new layouts being built now following this show. I think this would be a good thing.
The thunder and lightning were added to Little Aller Junction before the TV show. I think of this as an interactive item. I also have a number of other sound effects; my favourite being the skylark . At TINGS a fellow exhibitor said that it was the layout that got the most smiles which was nice. I've been surprised to find that children will just not press button marked do not press so I might change that to maybe "press if you are brave". Little Aller Junction will be at the Great Electric Train Show next weekend. This will almost certainly be the penultimate show for this layout; it will be dismantled next year so the components can be reused on another project.

[Pjlons83]

Potential SPOILER ALERT!.............







I've just been on the Warley Show website to look at tickets and I fear that their homepage gives away the winner! 

Unless I'm wrong and there are multiple layouts from the show there, but I thought just the winner got to exhibit at Warley? Would be a huge mistake in my opinion if that's the case! 

[Graham]

I was lucky enough to be in the UK at the same time as Warley last year, and there were definitely at least 2 of the layouts from the show there.

For those of us outside the UK, @Bealman especially, this is now available here
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=f8axo8zJA54

cheers
Graham

[joe cassidy]

Thanks a lot Graham for the link.

I just watched the first episode.

S. Flint was clearly biased in favour of Corby right from the start. A tailor's dummy would be more telegenic.

He has to go.

[Chris Morris]

I think Stern Steve does a great job.

[silly moo]

I don't mind Kathy or Stern Steve but the two silly presenters and the piano music are dreadful   .

I noticed that two of the teams used foam underlay under their track which makes a lot of sense give the time constraints.

I'm enjoying the second series but wonder how sustainable the concept is, could they do another series or are there only so many layouts with effects that viewers would like to see? I think the format needs changing a bit with layouts in different scales and sizes. Why don't they try challenging the contestants to build a layout for young children or a very compact layout to fit on a bookshelf for instance? I think a bit about the techniques used to build the layouts might help too.

Maybe I should contact the organisers.