Just a reminder, part two tonight bbc4 9 o'clock.....the fuming competitors and a dramatic showdown.....

thanks

ill see what champions league scores are before deciding if i watch it

i enjoyed pt 1


tim

I found part 2 just as enjoyable as the first. Good to see Peter still smiling. Thought Simon Kohler handled Hattons' and Rails' disappointment really well.

Did anyone else try the infeasibly long and obviously fake URL at the end? [spoiler]
I can confirm it doesn't resolve.
[/spoiler]

Hopefully more series to follow on Dapol, Bachmann Farish, RevolutioN Trains, et al. Hint hint @James May !

Quote from: RailGooner on March 15, 2019, 11:59:02 PM
I found part 2 just as enjoyable as the first. Good to see Peter still smiling. Thought Simon Kohler handled Hattons' and Rails' disappointment really well.

Did anyone else try the infeasibly long and obviously fake URL at the end? [spoiler]
I can confirm it doesn't resolve.
[/spoiler]

Hopefully more series to follow on Dapol, Bachmann Farish, RevolutioN Trains, et al. Hint hint @James May !

Thank you for this.  I agree completely; a marvellous programme.  I found the Scalextric parts interesting, just like the Airfix ones in the first episode.  And the paradox of Hornby's two best customers now also being its competitors was very cleverly explored.

James May is the person for this type of programme; I loved his, "Realistic chuffing sound"* and "Rails of Sheffield in Sheffield".  Although I enjoyed the 'Great Model Railway Challenge', this was better.

I think John of Rails of Sheffield is worth a programme (or series) on its own.

John (No relation!)

*As I recall he used the phrase about his Tri-ang Hornby Flying Scotsman in the Barnstaple to Bideford programme a few years ago.

I thought the two programmes very good although one or two of Captain Slow's comments disappointed, like the one in the first show "We've pixelled out the teenager's face in the front row so he has a chance of getting a girlfriend" (or words to that effect)
Really? Is that how railway modellers are perceived?
I'm not sure I know how Simon Kohler sleeps at night, too.

Quote from: Newportnobby on March 16, 2019, 02:47:30 PM
...
I'm not sure I know how Simon Kohler sleeps at night, too.

Why is that? Is it because of the Terrier and 66?

I wonder if there is any chance of getting James to present if they do another series of the challenge, instead of the two

Quote"We've pixelled out the teenager's face in the front row so he has a chance of getting a girlfriend" (or words to that effect)
Really? Is that how railway modellers are perceived?

I am going to be generous and suggest James was mearly riffing off the stereotype. It's a sad state of affaires but some judge others on such stereotypes when they find out what they enjoy as hobbies.

Of course, we the enlightened know that it is those people's loss, I am sure James knows this as well 

Skyline2uk

Quote from: class37025 on March 16, 2019, 05:13:05 PM
I wonder if there is any chance of getting James to present if they do another series of the challenge, instead of the two

That would be nice, but I think he's too dyed in the wool BBC.

Quote from: Skyline2uk on March 16, 2019, 08:26:47 PM

Quote"We've pixelled out the teenager's face in the front row so he has a chance of getting a girlfriend" (or words to that effect)
Really? Is that how railway modellers are perceived?

I am going to be generous and suggest James was mearly riffing off the stereotype. It's a sad state of affaires but some judge others on such stereotypes when they find out what they enjoy as hobbies.

I know he meant it as a joke but how many younger modellers will take it to heart? It's not really funny and it's not really helpful to my mind.

Quote from: RailGooner on March 16, 2019, 03:14:58 PM

Quote from: Newportnobby on March 16, 2019, 02:47:30 PM
...
I'm not sure I know how Simon Kohler sleeps at night, too.

Why is that? Is it because of the Terrier and 66?

Correct - but purely the way I think. They must be his 2 biggest customers in the UK.

Quote from: Newportnobby on March 16, 2019, 09:20:34 PM

Quote from: RailGooner on March 16, 2019, 03:14:58 PM

Quote from: Newportnobby on March 16, 2019, 02:47:30 PM
...
I'm not sure I know how Simon Kohler sleeps at night, too.

Why is that? Is it because of the Terrier and 66?

Correct - but purely the way I think. They must be his 2 biggest customers in the UK.

I get it. My initial thought was "Simon Kohler, you sneaky little ".

But Hornby have long been a manufacturer of railway models. Hattons and Rails have long been retailers of railway models. Both Hattons and Rails face relatively weak competition from other much smaller retailers selling exactly the same products. I think they've become too comfortable sitting at the top of the retail tree and were both extremely naive not to consider that Hornby would compete against them in manufacturing. Especially considering how historically strong a seller the Terrier is for Hornby.

I kept expecting Mr Kohler to come back with "Well you started it, moving in on our manufacturing business. ". But I'm glad he didn't go that low.

Quote from: RailGooner on March 16, 2019, 10:19:45 PM

Quote from: Newportnobby on March 16, 2019, 09:20:34 PM

Quote from: RailGooner on March 16, 2019, 03:14:58 PM

Quote from: Newportnobby on March 16, 2019, 02:47:30 PM
...
I'm not sure I know how Simon Kohler sleeps at night, too.

Why is that? Is it because of the Terrier and 66?

Correct - but purely the way I think. They must be his 2 biggest customers in the UK.

I get it. My initial thought was "Simon Kohler, you sneaky little ".

But Hornby have long been a manufacturer of railway models. Hattons and Rails have long been retailers of railway models. Both Hattons and Rails face relatively weak competition from other much smaller retailers selling exactly the same products. I think they've become too comfortable sitting at the top of the retail tree and were both extremely naive not to consider that Hornby would compete against them in manufacturing. Especially considering how historically strong a seller the Terrier is for Hornby.

I kept expecting Mr Kohler to come back with "Well you started it, moving in on our manufacturing business. ". But I'm glad he didn't go that low.

It's not just retailers, Kohler and Co have gone in direct competition with Dapol with the Large Prairie (announced at the 2019 launch) which there are rushing out (due August2019) before Dapol's version. I get the impression they want to harm other manufacturers to make more profit for themselves. It maybe good for Hornby but I can't see it being good for the model railway industry.

Quote from: nookfield on March 16, 2019, 11:21:38 PM

Quote from: RailGooner on March 16, 2019, 10:19:45 PM

Quote from: Newportnobby on March 16, 2019, 09:20:34 PM

Quote from: RailGooner on March 16, 2019, 03:14:58 PM

Quote from: Newportnobby on March 16, 2019, 02:47:30 PM
...
I'm not sure I know how Simon Kohler sleeps at night, too.

Why is that? Is it because of the Terrier and 66?

Correct - but purely the way I think. They must be his 2 biggest customers in the UK.

I get it. My initial thought was "Simon Kohler, you sneaky little ".

But Hornby have long been a manufacturer of railway models. Hattons and Rails have long been retailers of railway models. Both Hattons and Rails face relatively weak competition from other much smaller retailers selling exactly the same products. I think they've become too comfortable sitting at the top of the retail tree and were both extremely naive not to consider that Hornby would compete against them in manufacturing. Especially considering how historically strong a seller the Terrier is for Hornby.

I kept expecting Mr Kohler to come back with "Well you started it, moving in on our manufacturing business. ". But I'm glad he didn't go that low.

It's not just retailers, Kohler and Co have gone in direct competition with Dapol with the Large Prairie (announced at the 2019 launch) which there are rushing out (due August2019) before Dapol's version. I get the impression they want to harm other manufacturers to make more profit for themselves. It maybe good for Hornby but I can't see it being good for the model railway industry.

Hornby have to act fast to stamp their authority whilst the competing customers still need their product.  The man from Sheffield's reaction was he would come back with better competing products, but it will take time to build up the portfolio.

It's not N but manufacturers and suppliers competing to make a point is good for quality and competition. 

You can bet Ben and Mike have put the wind up Farish and Dapol as if the market is not expanding they must be taking a big slice of the available pie.

It will be interesting to see what's going on at the Ally Pally show next Saturday.

Do we have time to get @James May and a crew down to Ally Pally?

Simon's not running a cottage industry in a shed and able to be content with making a steady five figures a year. The company's been losing millions. The survival of the iconic brands, and quite a few people's jobs, are depending on his flair and enthusiasm.

If he can make a company of that size nimble enough to seize quick opportunities, I wouldn't criticise him. His increasing numbers of competitors will pounce on opportunities they can spot, and if even he can't make Hornby, Airfix etc work, it could well go bust.

Business is business. Hattons, and Rails of Sheffield from Sheffield, are now manufacturers too, and Simon hasn't got a widespread retailing business to fall back on.

He seems to know what sells, and he has to get those profits in, fast.