The Great Model Railway Challenge

[Mike Parkes]

Think the issue with the scratchbuild challenge is too many modellers today expect everything to be ready made or neatly packed together as a kit. The obvious one to me was the spectacles - chop the frame up and use it as scrap metal seemed obvious but not to any of those taking part.

[b308]

Actually I came up with the same idea as one of the teams for the goggles, viewing holes! To be fair they have little or no time to come up with an idea and only an hour to do it, and under pressure so what many of them have done has been quite good in the circumstances...

The viewing figures rather proves the current set-up does actually work! Trouble with us is that we want to see more modelling and less faffing around, if they did what people on here and other forums are suggesting the viewing figures would drop off as the only people watching would be enthusiasts...

What we need to do is capitalise on it's popularity and when exhibitions are run advertise them accordingly and where possible get one of the layouts to the show. Several exhibitions have noticed an increase in attendance since it's started so it can work. One thing we won't do, though, is change the way it's set-up.

[luckymucklebackit]

Think the issue with the scratchbuild challenge is too many modellers today expect everything to be ready made or neatly packed together as a kit. The obvious one to me was the spectacles - chop the frame up and use it as scrap metal seemed obvious but not to any of those taking part.

I think that the problem for most modelers is that we identify something that we want to build and then find an object that could be adapted to enable that building process, when you are presented with the object first it needs a different thought process to come up with something that it can be made into, and when you are under pressure in a competition scenario it can result in your mind going blank - think of the number of contestants that have given stupid answers to questions that seem obvious to the viewer, you are not on the spot having to answer under time constraint.

Jim

[DonB]

Some of my thoughts...

After seeing mixed reviews on this (and the "other") forum, I decided to watch the whole series back to back yesterday (my partner had recorded the series for me).

I have to say that I actually enjoyed the series, however, there were several aspects that let it down:

- That bloody awful muzak.
- The two clowns that presented it. A narrator next time, please.
- That annoying nasal announcement informing the teams of their remaining time. An on-screen timer would have been better.
- The scratchbuilding challenge. Looked like the aforementioned clowns had raided the local recycling centre for random rubbish to use.

I was pretty impressed by several of the layouts (cue awkward questions from my grandchildren about why my project is taking so long), the WW1-themed one ("Go Forth") was particularly good.

Will I be watching the next series? Quite likely.

[sparkhill]

I thought it was just a bit of fun and a good laugh which is a far cry from the usual 'this goes with that attitude', some of us need to lighten up and put the fun back into our great hobby, I love my mates outlook on layout building which includes planting a few palm trees and grass huts and calling it Bongo Bongo Land, I wish them good luck for another great future series.

[RailwayRobbo]

Saw the winners at Warley yesterday.
The layout looked good in the flesh. Very futuristic.
The guys also looked good in their newly acquired 'uniforms' LOL.

Pete

[End2end]

The Blackadder layout is for sale on ebay.
https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/TV-Great-Mod ... 0009.m1982

Thanks
End2end

[RailwayRobbo]

The Blackadder layout is for sale on ebay.
https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/TV-Great-Mod ... 0009.m1982

Thanks
End2end

Didn't sell.
0 bids.

[luckymucklebackit]

Aberdeen are taking their winning layout City of Tiers and also Clucas Bay which was their winner in the heats to Model Rail Scotland, looking forward to seeing them a week on Friday

Jim

[Bufferstop]

If Warley was anything to go on, get there early. They had the biggest crowd. They seemed to be the ones everyone had to see. The City of Tiers was very much a bit of theatre but showed just what could be achieved if you were working to a set of goals.

[Dublo]

Hello all
This program is tv Marmite, love it or hate it. Series 2 is due to start airing on 30th August.

[RailwayRobbo]

Hello all
This program is tv Marmite, love it or hate it. Series 2 is due to start airing on 30th August.

Please not Tim Shaw again. That guy is annoying beyond belief.
James Richardson is not as bad but he's got no knowledge of the subject and should stick to Italian football.
I went to the Silver Fox DCC exhibition in Milton Keynes on Saturday. The star layout of the show was Little Missenden MRC's Ealing Broadway which of course got them disqualified in series 1.

I've read that for this series the programmes are going to be longer, 75 minutes intead of 60.

[mahoganydog]

Please not Tim Shaw again. That guy is annoying beyond belief.

Seconded, thirded and fourthed. He's annoying as hell in every program he's in. He seems to have based his whole career on being irritating and ignorant!

[4472]

According to my TV guide it is not on next friday

[b308]

You have a good guide there, the Channel 5 website only goes up to the 29th!!