Hornby.A.Model.World.S02E02.1080p.WEB-DL.H.264.AAC-BRUH
Transcript
00:00This is Britain's biggest model-making company, home of four iconic brands, Hornby, Airfix,
00:13Scalextric and Corgi.
00:15That's terrific, that really does look good.
00:19Here it comes!
00:22In this series, we'll follow the designers as they strive to shrink a new generation
00:27of mighty machines.
00:28Literally the real thing in miniature.
00:31This is where as a kid I used to spot, I thought, if we could recreate that, that's what model
00:36rowers are all about.
00:37And everybody knows this logo, don't they, it's iconic.
00:41And it's running absolutely beautifully in the wrong direction.
00:45From century-old steam engines to cutting-edge racing cars.
00:49It's going to be really exciting to be able to put that onto that smaller scale.
00:54This is what we do, we make pieces of art.
00:58I think we press the button, we go into production, let's get them in.
01:01And we'll marvel at some of Britain's best home builders.
01:04This is our layout, four seasons in one rotation.
01:08I think everybody likes something in miniature.
01:10There is my grandmother's shop.
01:12Creating entire worlds fit for these mini masterpieces.
01:23This time, Simon and Chris get up close to their favourite logo.
01:26But I'll be able to just get in the cab and have a look.
01:30Yeah, I can feel that.
01:32For a prototype with all the bells and whistles.
01:37Model railway layouts go a bit rock and roll.
01:40I go on tour in Europe using the Eurostar, there's me on it, look.
01:43For a 100-foot layout tucked away in the loft.
01:47Having an afternoon of setting out a city, I can't think of anything more enjoyable.
01:50And a plan to woo the next generation.
01:53Choo-choo!
01:54Is pinned on a Victorian tank engine.
01:57It's a nice little locomotive.
01:59Yeah.
01:59It's got quite a bit of character to it.
02:01It has, yeah.
02:07The company's roots are deeply embedded in the landscape of Kent.
02:11Where they've been innovating in the world of model making for more than a century.
02:16Powered by a team of creative engineers, young and old, all working together.
02:22I mean, we've got a lot of new designers.
02:24What we need are young folks who can come in with fresh ideas.
02:28Obviously, it really is important they have a terrific atmosphere in the department.
02:33They meet here, but it's good for them to get outside and meet away from their machines, really.
02:41So, Simon Kohler's approved a team-building paddleboarding outing.
02:45Designed to make the most of their seaside location.
02:48Do enjoy yourselves, and please don't drown,
02:54because there's still plenty of work for you to do.
02:58Only trouble is, the North Sea on a grey day isn't exactly inviting.
03:04Their legs are going to be blue when they come out.
03:08Wendy and Catherine from the office have joined new designer Prad
03:12to watch their colleagues from the safety of dry land.
03:14And so far, Sam's not been on it for more than two seconds.
03:17I'm glad I can't swim.
03:19It's our first team bonding experience, and so far,
03:22I'm not sure how they feel about doing it again.
03:25And we should work a lot better together,
03:27because we'll all have funny jokes about the time they swam in freezing cold water.
03:31I think a wet suit may, yeah, it may have worked, it may have been good, but I'm fine.
03:36Yeah, it wasn't too bad. It's starting to rain.
03:38Storms are starting to come in.
03:40With the weather on the turn, and the team's ice-breaking exercise
03:44in danger of becoming all too real, they call it a day.
03:53Inside the warmth of the visitor's centre...
03:56I see a train!
03:58...Simon is busy plotting the future,
04:00with a plan to attract a new generation of modelers.
04:04These are the models that we're going to be using for the first time.
04:08These are our grassroots. This is where it all starts. It begins from here.
04:13The company has produced entry-level sets since its earliest days,
04:17called the starter sets.
04:19And what you get in with this is a locomotive, a couple of wagons,
04:24a simple oval of track.
04:26The loco, actually, in here is probably well over 40 years old.
04:32Which is your favourite?
04:33That one.
04:35That one.
04:37And over the decades, this set has brought generations of modelers to the hobby.
04:44You see these trains going round,
04:47and the look and the excitement of these youngsters' faces.
04:51You get these kiddies running the length of the layout,
04:55running back when the train disappears into the tunnel.
04:59Then they go running round the other end to see it come out.
05:02It's fun. You're selling so much enjoyment here.
05:06They're getting so much satisfaction.
05:08And the starter set was how Simon himself fell in love with model railways.
05:13My brother bought a Hornby 00 set.
05:17And like every sibling, I could see the fun he was having.
05:21I wanted some of that fun.
05:23And so the following Christmas, I said,
05:25can I have a set, please, Mum?
05:27In a nice way, she basically said no.
05:29But what I did get was a locomotive and a couple of bits of rolling stock
05:35that I could, if I asked nicely, put on my brother's layout.
05:41The starter set was designed back in the 70s and is well overdue an upgrade.
05:47Wow, what a noisy lake.
05:51What we need to do is look what techniques have transpired over 40 years.
05:57And believe me, there's quite a few.
05:58Hopefully, we'll have a set that's, yeah, inspiring.
06:07To achieve this, Simon's investing £80,000 in a new starter set
06:12based on a charming tank engine called Normandy.
06:16It shunted trains in the Southampton docks during the 1890s.
06:23To pull off this audacious design,
06:25Simon's called in not one, but two creative brains.
06:29Hello, Simon.
06:30Yeah, sure.
06:32Yeah, I'll get Prad.
06:33OK, see you in a minute.
06:35Development manager Carl will be mentoring newbie Prad,
06:38fresh from the paddleboarding trip.
06:41Looking sharp.
06:42Yes, thank you very much.
06:43Same to you as well.
06:44I try to be.
06:45Sorry, just want to talk about this O4O set.
06:48Yeah, yeah, come on.
06:49Grab a seat.
06:50Grab a seat, yeah.
06:51First up, an assessment of an existing starter set.
06:55So this is our current offering.
06:57It was designed to be economical.
06:59Existing chassis, a body, roof, just clips in.
07:03Easy assembly.
07:04This would have been one of the original drawings.
07:06They would have based that design on Prad.
07:08Yeah.
07:09All drawn by hand.
07:10Oh, wow.
07:11It's a lot of detail, the one drawing.
07:14And the luxury we've got, we can visualise it all in 3D now.
07:17Yeah.
07:18With young blood Prad, closer in age to the eight-year-old target audience,
07:22he knows how tough it is to engage a new generation of consumers.
07:27Trying to get kids off electronic devices and into modern railway.
07:31Yeah, yeah, that would be good.
07:35The set's got to be fun and affordable,
07:37retailing at less than £100 to tempt parents.
07:41And to achieve this, Simon and Carl have had to review their suppliers.
07:46China does a good job.
07:47Now, costs have increased dramatically.
07:51And we have to look at other areas
07:53because we just cannot handle prices going up all the time.
07:56So we're looking at other countries, other manufacturing areas,
08:00and one of them is India.
08:01They found a new factory there,
08:03but the design still has to be economical.
08:06It's just being careful when you're designing the body as well,
08:08you know, making sure there's not too much material in it.
08:11Minimum number of screws and click together if possible.
08:15And their new manufacturer wants the design as soon as possible.
08:19The only issue we've got is we need it in 30 days.
08:22Yeah, that's a big challenge, which is...
08:25Yeah, well, that does include weekends.
08:29I'll bring my bag.
08:31Time is going to be tight.
08:32We couldn't do it any quicker.
08:33And this is a really important set.
08:35I mean, this is the set that most people start off with.
08:39So this has to be a good experience.
08:41But I think he's got the enthusiasm to do it.
08:43If you've got any problems, just come and ask and we'll help you.
08:47Should be good.
08:47Should be a fun project.
08:50I know he will beat it.
08:52I'll see you in 30 days.
08:54Simon hopes that from the simplest set, a lifetime's hobby can grow.
09:04Further up the Kent coast,
09:06pianist and bandleader Jules Holland is one such devotee.
09:11Having first topped the charts in the 1970s with Squeeze,
09:15he's hosted TV events and played to millions on stage.
09:19But few know of his personal passion, hidden away in his attic.
09:27I go on tour in Europe using the Eurostar.
09:29There's me on it, look.
09:30And it's the Hornby Eurostar that really started the idea
09:33for this particular layout.
09:35I realised it would allow me to have buildings of both continental style
09:40and of vernacular British style.
09:42With a love of architecture,
09:44Jules has collected models and kits of curious buildings
09:47for the past 45 years.
09:51A lot of these buildings have fond memories
09:52because I've bought them from places while I've been away.
09:55Over here, you can see the British Embassy,
09:58part of the Cold War with us and them,
09:59and a little defector going on.
10:01An unpleasant little scene going on here
10:03of somebody going in for an interrogation.
10:04There's a bit of a scene going on here.
10:06And then there's a bit of a scene going on here
10:08with a bit of a scene going on here.
10:10And most of these buildings here are from Freiburg.
10:13I did go there and I didn't realise that's where the buildings were from.
10:18And you suddenly walk out and you're in your layout.
10:20It's really great.
10:24With seven tracks and multiple layers,
10:27the layout stretches 45 feet on either side,
10:31recreating 600 miles of Europe and parts of London.
10:36People have said to me,
10:37the bigger the room you can have, the better it'll be.
10:39I'm lucky because I can afford to have a big room.
10:41So it's very important, if you're in a family house,
10:43is to really put your foot down.
10:45You know, if necessary, put elderly relatives out on the street
10:47and use their space to put a layout in
10:49because it'll bring you much more happiness.
10:51That's my tip.
10:53The English Channel has been compressed to a mere estuary
10:56to fit Jules's favourite spots into a single room.
11:00No rules, really.
11:01The Eurostar, as we know, is a modern phenomenon,
11:03but it's a very modern building.
11:05It's a modern phenomenon, but it's going through, you know,
11:08a 1950s London, so how can that be?
11:10I will have moments where I'll just run old things around,
11:13and then I'll have moments where I'll run modern things around.
11:16I try not to mix it up too much.
11:19From Belgian mansion houses to Parisian red-light districts
11:22and London's bomb-damaged East End,
11:24it's become a very personal three-dimensional diary.
11:28I was quite keen on buildings that had been demolished and gone
11:30because so many had been lost.
11:32There is my grandmother's shop with a huge queue.
11:35Based on a photograph that was taken of it,
11:37and I used to go and help there a little bit as a child,
11:39go up to the market and get the fruit and veg very early in the morning.
11:42That's hard work. Playing music's a doddle, let me tell you, it really is.
11:45And all of these have since been demolished to make way for a new road.
11:51So, up there, we've got the lovely Royal Observatory
11:54furnished by Christopher Wren,
11:56and then down here, you're suddenly whizzed into central London.
11:58You know, you have to sort of suspend reality for a bit.
12:01By recreating scaled-down versions of the places he enjoyed,
12:05they're preserved forever in Jules's imagination.
12:09Walthamstow Stadium, which, of course, was a fondness.
12:11I used to have Greyhounds years ago, and we used to go to Walthamstow.
12:15And below Walthamstow, as you pan down, you can see Dirk's Cafe,
12:19where mods and rockers would have a punch-up.
12:21So, there were signs on there for frothy coffee
12:24and jukebox for all those sort of things.
12:26Half the pleasure is just putting the things around, you know?
12:29Having an afternoon of setting out a city
12:31and then thinking, well, no, I sure don't like that, you know?
12:33That's... I can't think of anything more enjoyable.
12:35The layout has been a decade in the making,
12:38and now Jules has plans to recreate a lost building in London's Whitehall.
13:02At the Bluebell Heritage Railway in Sussex,
13:05designers Karl and Prad are in full-on steam engine immersion.
13:08No worries, we are, like, going to go fast.
13:12I've seen steamloafers before, but not up close.
13:15I wouldn't say up close. It's quite...
13:17Try not to make this too jolly.
13:19It's going to do some measuring up.
13:20Yeah, let's go.
13:22They've left Kent to get the vital statistics
13:24for their new children's train set.
13:26There she is.
13:28What do you think?
13:29That looks amazing, yeah. No, it looks great.
13:31It's a nice little locomotive, isn't it? Yeah.
13:33It's got quite a bit of character to it.
13:35Yeah, I know.
13:37Before now, Prad had been working off photos
13:40of this powerful and compact C14 tank engine
13:44that worked in Southampton docks for almost 50 years.
13:48First impressions, I mean, it's quite impressive.
13:51It's got a lot of power, it's got a lot of speed.
13:54It's got a lot of power, it's got a lot of speed.
13:56First impressions, I mean, amazing, low-costly.
14:00I still need to add a little bit more detail.
14:02Some of the pictures, you don't have, like, top view,
14:04so you can't really see.
14:05Rivet details in the bottom.
14:07We can add that in as well.
14:08I'm liking the look of it now, seeing it in the flesh,
14:10and it's got a nice big tank on the side of it,
14:12so you've got lots of space to add decoration on
14:14for sets and specials and things like that.
14:18Although they're designing a budget toy model,
14:21Karl and Prad are on the hunt for little details
14:24that will make it realistic.
14:25Yeah, the chimney's, like, tapered as well.
14:28Yeah, yeah, yeah.
14:29So let's give it a once-over.
14:31Yeah.
14:32With this being Prad's first large project,
14:35Karl's here to show him the ropes.
14:37You know, he's obviously lacking all of the years
14:39of experience our more senior designers have got,
14:43but we're here to support him.
14:45Oh, Karl's amazing.
14:48So I think we need to get some overall dimensions, don't we?
14:51Yeah.
14:52And a footplate, cinders, boiler.
14:54It's like a mentor, so it's like he's guiding me as well
14:58as I go through this,
14:59because it's my first set on the first local as well.
15:02Yeah, it's really good.
15:04I'll tell you what, let's measure the tank first.
15:08I want a fresh set of eyes on it, you know,
15:10and we can sort of work together
15:12and make it the best product it possibly can be.
15:16Growing up, I wasn't really fortunate enough
15:18to have formula products,
15:19but as I got older,
15:21I got into design, engineering, mechanics,
15:24and then looking at locos,
15:26obviously, it's like the pinnacle of design.
15:29They've got plans and photos,
15:31but nothing beats climbing all over the engine
15:34with a measuring rod
15:35to find features to persuade children
15:37to play with this little loco.
15:392.3. Got it?
15:41Yeah.
15:42Oh, loads of detail here.
15:43Yeah, yeah.
15:44It's worth putting the measuring stick along there
15:47and taking some photos.
15:47Yes, please, yeah.
15:49You get back to CAD,
15:49and then you can add all the details,
15:51and that's the fun bit.
15:53Yeah, just looking at the details in the CAD grid
15:55and taking a few measurements
15:56to see if there's any extra little bits of detail
15:58Prad can add.
15:59My hands look really clean.
16:01I don't know how it works with moulding,
16:04but whether we add these two levers.
16:06Yeah.
16:07Should we take some measurements to this then?
16:08Yes.
16:10It's crucial to make the new set cost-effective,
16:12so any feature that can be incorporated
16:15into the mould is a bonus.
16:17On our high detail models,
16:18we put all these brake arms and brake shoes
16:21on the separate parts.
16:23Because the side of the chassis
16:24comes down quite close to the arm,
16:26we've made mould onto the side of the chassis.
16:28And even with Prad's engineering background,
16:31he's intrigued by why there's a tube
16:33that pours sand onto the rails.
16:35I'm not sure.
16:36Maybe for friction or braking when you brake?
16:42Yes, if you get wheelslip,
16:44it blows sand in between the rail and the wheel.
16:47To give it extra friction and grip.
16:49Yeah.
16:51While Prad picks up new loco tips,
16:53Karl's discovering a few surprises of his own.
16:56Oh, I didn't notice that before.
16:58At the moment, I was just symmetrical
16:59about the centre line.
17:00Got this little cutout for that winding handle.
17:02Yeah.
17:03It's little features, isn't it?
17:04And then, you know,
17:06little characteristics of locomotive.
17:07I like all that.
17:08Every day is a school day, Karl.
17:11And they can take what they've learned
17:13to create a loco with bags of character.
17:16But there's one more important photo on Karl's list.
17:20Oh, me in the cab.
17:25Back in the Kent countryside,
17:27with trains old and new,
17:29entertainer Jules Holland is working
17:31on his 100-foot layout,
17:33inspired by the Eurostar.
17:35I play music up here,
17:36and it's one of the few places
17:37where you can listen to music in much more detail
17:40because you've got the time to do it.
17:42I suppose some people go on holiday.
17:44My work takes me away all the time,
17:46so I don't really want to go away
17:47and stay in a hotel
17:48because that's like work for me.
17:49By having this,
17:50you can get here very, very quickly.
17:53You don't have to get on a plane, a train,
17:54get in a car, you don't have to do anything.
17:55And in no time at all,
17:57you're whisked into another world,
17:59which you can focus on.
18:01And today, he's concentrating
18:03on a miniature new building
18:05dedicated to a personal hero.
18:08I've got the Banqueting House by Inigo Jones,
18:10and I wanted also a building
18:12that was by another great architect.
18:14And one of my favourite architects and people
18:17is Sir John Vanbrugh.
18:19He was the 18th century architect
18:21who designed the magnificent Blenheim Palace
18:24and Castle Howard.
18:26He built a house for himself,
18:28which was on Whitehall,
18:29which was then demolished,
18:30and it was called Goose Pie House.
18:31In a book on Vanbrugh,
18:32I found the architectural drawings.
18:34The task of actually making a building from scratch,
18:37I found that a little bit daunting.
18:38But what I did do is
18:40I got the architectural drawings blown up
18:42the size of four millimetres to the foot,
18:46so I could then just fold the paper around
18:48and see if it would work.
18:49And then I made this,
18:51and this I had to draw on
18:53to try and give it some semblance of reality,
18:55and add the window and the doors
18:57and the whole thing there.
18:58It was really the pleasure in doing it, I think.
19:00Using watercolour, pen and ink,
19:03he's created a miniature mansion.
19:05And now for the finishing touches.
19:08The other enchantment is the gardens.
19:10Actually, look, there's a bit of hedges.
19:11That bit of hedge has come off there.
19:12That's gone back in, that little hedge.
19:14It's important to get the garden right,
19:15get a bit of atmosphere there.
19:17I mean, I tell you what,
19:18it's so much easier than big gardening.
19:19I'm pleased with it.
19:21I enjoy doing it,
19:22and I haven't really found a home for it yet.
19:25Quite how they all sit harmoniously as a whole,
19:28we'll have to wait and see.
19:29It's a bit like doing the tracks on an album.
19:31You want to get them in the right order.
19:32One has to sort of set the other one off.
19:34So it's a very good way of relaxing,
19:36but also while you're travelling around,
19:38which I do a lot of,
19:39it's a way of looking at the things
19:40that are in the world around me.
19:42Having spent a decade on the layout,
19:44there's no sign of Jules
19:46putting away his modelling tools anytime soon.
19:54Down on Margate Beach,
19:56the weather's improved
19:57and the paddleboarders are out in force.
20:01But Prad's making waves in the office
20:03with fresh inspiration from the field trip.
20:06It's helped me a lot
20:07in terms of adding more details in
20:09and getting the shapes and the features right.
20:12Even though his brief
20:13is an affordable starter set for children,
20:16it's important that it's authentic.
20:18I adjusted the height of the chimney
20:20and then added more reverse details
20:21on top of the body.
20:23Oh, and the back shape as well.
20:24We thought it was symmetrical,
20:25but when we went in there,
20:26we could see we got that detail wrong,
20:29so we had to adjust it.
20:31Now Prad wants to recreate
20:33Normandy's distinctive reversing lever
20:35with a special component.
20:37When we went there,
20:38we were kind of playing around with this lever.
20:40If we make it a separate part,
20:41we might as well make it interactable.
20:44Hopefully, it'll get signed off.
20:47But all Prad's design ideas
20:49must be approved by mentor Karl.
20:51I like that wood effect on the floor there.
20:54Will Prad's innovative handle idea
20:56also pass muster?
20:57I don't know if you're going to,
20:58like this or not, but...
20:59Is that...
21:00No?
21:00Yeah.
21:01Weren't staying there, though.
21:02Yeah.
21:02It's a no from Karl.
21:04The handle detail will be moulded
21:06rather than a separate movable piece.
21:09You know, you have to be careful
21:10when you're doing your toy items
21:12that you don't get carried away.
21:14Make something so delicate
21:15that a five-year-old's gonna swallow the bits.
21:18Yeah, this is looking good.
21:20You never forget your first project.
21:22Yep.
21:22Well done.
21:23Rookie Prad's clearly impressed the boss.
21:25He's done this really nice wood effect on the surface
21:28to represent those wooden planks.
21:30But the way we've had to design this model,
21:32you can get some detail on that surface
21:34and it's going to really stand out
21:35as a nice little feature, actually,
21:36that we don't normally do that.
21:38The look of the starter set
21:40may be progressing well,
21:42but Prad's next challenge
21:43is to crack the complicated motor mechanism.
21:47Looking forward to this.
21:48Hell.
22:04While engaging young modelers
22:05with the starter set is important,
22:08revamping the flagship locos is essential too.
22:14And to keep old hands inspired,
22:17Simon and Chris have travelled to Stewart's Lane Depot
22:20in South London on a special mission.
22:22Hello, Jason.
22:23Hello.
22:25Good to see you.
22:26Their host is Dave Esson
22:28of the Merchant Navy Locomotive Preservation Society.
22:31Have you come to look at our engine?
22:32Certainly have.
22:33Amazing.
22:35And the engine in question is Clanline,
22:38a shining example of the Merchant Navy class,
22:40which they plan to re-release in 00 scale
22:43with new sound effects.
22:44I think it's amazing.
22:45Absolutely fabulous.
22:47Yeah.
22:48This classy steam engine
22:50took holidaymakers to the luxury liners
22:52that were departing from the South Coast ports
22:54in the 1940s.
22:57For Simon, Clanline still oozes romance and glamour.
23:02Very nostalgic.
23:03We're very proud of it.
23:04Yeah, I just think you should be.
23:05I'm very much so.
23:06Yeah, absolutely.
23:08Every single one of us is a volunteer.
23:10But you can see the love in it
23:12and hopefully we will be able to
23:15sort of replicate that in the model we produce.
23:18To pack the new model with all the bells and whistles,
23:21electronics engineer Chris
23:23has brought along his sound recording kit.
23:25What I'm looking at, Dave,
23:26specifically are one-off sounds
23:28like a whistle or a train cock sort of fire.
23:30We can do that to no problem at all.
23:31We can do the steam generator.
23:33That'd be good actually, that's great.
23:35And then she'll be moved outside later on for an exam
23:38and the safety bells will be lifted.
23:41Today, Clanline's boiler will be fired up to the max,
23:44forcing her safety valves open with bursts of steam.
23:48Oh, yeah.
23:48Yeah, that'll be good.
23:49That'll test your volume.
23:52And when the iconic loco leaves the shed,
23:54it will be a chance for Simon to fulfil a boyhood dream.
23:58Would I be able to just get in the cab and have a look?
24:01Climb in the cab.
24:02Yeah.
24:04Silver will pass into your palm.
24:07Yes, of course.
24:08Yes.
24:08I'm now going to underline it in my book
24:11and put a C next to it.
24:12I'll have cabbed it, you know.
24:14Yeah.
24:16All right?
24:17Good, yeah, let's do it then.
24:19First up on Chris's recording session
24:22is the loco steam-driven compressor that powers the brakes.
24:26So this is the Westinghouse steam pump.
24:29How long does the steam pump run?
24:31It takes between six and seven minutes to charge the system.
24:36He's asked for the shed's extractor panels to be switched off
24:39so he can get a pure recording.
24:41Unless it sounds authentic and no background noise,
24:46I'm not happy.
24:47And I'll keep doing it until I get it right.
24:50Next, the steam-driven generator for the loco's electrics.
24:57Clanline's cab is crammed with machinery,
25:00making amazing atmospheric sounds.
25:03Best of all, the special signal warning.
25:05If the signal is nothing other than green,
25:08that's when the horn blows,
25:10and it has to be cancelled.
25:11What sort of period of time?
25:13It's got 2.3 seconds.
25:15So you've got to be on it?
25:16Yeah, otherwise the brakes won't work.
25:21To save the volunteers from a huge blast of steam,
25:24the loco must leave the shed for the spectacular safety valve test.
25:30But to pull it off,
25:33a load of coal must be shoveled and a lot of heat generated,
25:36and Simon is in the thick of it.
25:39Yeah, I can feel that.
25:45Just remember, you're doing this for fun.
25:47I know.
25:48All right, OK.
25:49I'm glad I kept my scarf on.
25:50I just realised, you've got a scarf on.
25:53That's why I go.
25:54No.
25:56When the water pressure reaches its maximum...
25:59OK.
25:59..the steam will force the safety valves open,
26:02giving Chris's microphone a full-on blast.
26:06We've got some fantastic sounds, actually,
26:09particularly the whistles.
26:13I mean, I could stay all day.
26:14I might ask.
26:15I don't think the missus needs me to come home tonight.
26:18For me, personally, the Merchant Navy's one of my favourite class of locos,
26:21and the bullied whistle is something like no other.
26:26And the bullied whistle is something like no other.
26:30I'm like a kid in a sweet shop.
26:31And inside the cab, Simon's also having a field day.
26:35But that's in mid-gear at the moment.
26:37Right.
26:37And the engine couldn't possibly go anywhere, OK?
26:41By turning the handle, the engine goes into full.
26:44Got it.
26:46Oh, that's nice.
26:46Yeah, enjoy that.
26:47I love it.
26:48Yeah, it was brilliant, wasn't it?
26:50I'm going to take my scarf off now because I've warmed up a bit.
26:52It was a bit, you know, a bit chilly in there.
26:55Did you get the sounds?
26:56Your safety belt will be a real good feature.
26:57Yeah.
26:58When I was youngster with my brother, occasionally in the station,
27:02the drivers would let you get into the cab.
27:04But no, you're never shunted backwards or forwards or anything like that.
27:07You know, I've waited 70 years for that.
27:10With the safety tests complete, it's the end of a perfect day for Simon and Chris.
27:16They've got a full set of sounds for a souped-up version of Clanline
27:19that Chris plans to try in a test loco.
27:26The heat is on back in Kent.
27:28Prad's 30-day deadline is looming,
27:30so he's getting into the nuts and bolts of his starter set.
27:34How are you getting on?
27:35Yeah, all good.
27:36And to keep costs down, Carl wants a specific motor to drive it.
27:40What I'd like to do is remove this intermediate gear here,
27:44because obviously it's another operation to assemble that.
27:46Yeah.
27:46I really want to get rid of that and get the motor lowered down into the chassis
27:50so we can drive straight onto one of the driving axles.
27:54Time for a quick demo in the showroom
27:56to help Prad get to grips with the world of motors.
27:59It's my first project with the motor in,
28:02so I'm really glad that Carl's helping me with this
28:04and kind of guiding me through this.
28:06Carl's brought a current starter set loco to demonstrate the motor options.
28:11This is our Santa's Express 040.
28:13That's in our range every year.
28:16With this one, you'll see this little component here.
28:18Yeah.
28:18That's actually a resistor to basically slow down the motor.
28:21Yeah.
28:22This setup does lose the extra gearing
28:24and uses electronics to achieve the correct speed.
28:27But the motor is big and expensive,
28:30taking up space for a decoder
28:32that could provide sound and special effects in the future.
28:36So Carl has another possibility up his sleeve.
28:39We've got this square type Mibuchi motor.
28:41Yeah.
28:41It's low cost, so we can have a look at fitting that one in there.
28:44Judging by the width of that,
28:45it's going to be easy for you to get down into the chassis.
28:47So let's start off with this one.
28:49Yeah, that's quite nice and slow.
28:50Yeah.
28:52It's back to the drawing board with the new motor option.
28:55But to hit his 30-day deadline,
28:57Prad will need to get a working version tested within a week.
29:03Meanwhile, electronics engineer Chris is grappling with his own challenge,
29:08crafting his recordings into a unique soundboard for the new Merchant Navy loco.
29:13All right, so what we've got here are the individual trough bands.
29:18What I've done is got a running sound sample
29:21and then split it up into loads of different workable bits
29:23and then tweaked it further.
29:25But the chuffs are proving tricky.
29:27They're rhythmic, but they're not equal.
29:28The offbeat sound every third beat is specific to this class of loco.
29:37It's slightly offbeat, so it almost sounds slightly out of time.
29:40If I heard a Merchant Navy or a West Country over a Black 5,
29:43I'd know instantly the difference between the two.
29:46I'd feel quite sad for saying so.
29:48And to satisfy modern model train buffs,
29:51Chris wants to synchronise his sound recordings to the loco's actual movements.
29:56These six files indicate one wheel revolution.
29:59So for a complete sound set, you'd want that repeat cycle of the six beats.
30:07So as the Clanline model changes speed,
30:09the audio file will speed up or slow down.
30:12It's been quite a big learning curve
30:14and it's taken me quite a while to get it together.
30:16But I actually feel like I've got it to a point now
30:18where I can install it into a loco and test it and see how it sounds.
30:22The edited audio files have been copied across to a decoder
30:26in a current Merchant Navy.
30:28I could do it on a bench, I could do it on a decoder tester,
30:32but I prefer doing it in a locomotive if I've got that type to hand,
30:35just because you can then see how it sounds and how it performs in a loco.
30:39And he's given himself the added pressure of unveiling it
30:42at an extraordinary meeting of his Model Railway Club.
30:46Yeah, this has been more about me and putting my personal stamp on it.
30:49So I'm hoping it's well received.
30:53All is well in the test centre.
30:55It moves, it's good.
30:57But it's got to achieve a lot more than simply running
31:00to win over his fellow modelers with more than 50 years in the game.
31:12With the tight deadline on the starter set for children,
31:16Prad's feeling the pressure.
31:18So a little bit behind schedule.
31:21It's been a good project, I've really enjoyed it.
31:23A little bit of changes, I mean, that's the design, just changing things.
31:27Hopefully get this produced, peace out.
31:31It's all hands to the pump.
31:34Senior designer, Steve, has been working on it too.
31:38We've now got the two 3D printed samples of the two wagons
31:41that we're looking at putting in a new set.
31:44And Carl's come up with an idea designed for little fingers.
31:47We're going to have the option of a magnetic coupling,
31:49so it's easy for younger children to couple together.
31:55As seasoned dads themselves, they know what's at stake.
31:58If children find things too fiddly, they can just put them in a box.
32:01So we've got a little bit of a puzzle to solve.
32:03So we've got a little bit of a puzzle to solve.
32:06If children find things too fiddly, they lose interest very quickly.
32:10We'll run it around the test track just to make sure that
32:13it will run around the tightest curve,
32:15which is the curve supplied with the set anyway.
32:17And the rolling stock must be rugged enough for kids to do their worst.
32:21Just looking at these side details, Steve,
32:24it looks like it might be a bit fragile.
32:26I'm looking at moulded knees in polypropylene, because it's more durable.
32:31If a child drops that and they snap buffers off,
32:34whereas with polypropylene, that won't happen.
32:38For now, they're fixing the new prototype wagons to an existing starter set loco.
32:44But will the magnets hold the train together on the bends?
32:47I just want to see if it goes around this first radius, OK?
32:50Yeah, it seems to be fine, doesn't it?
32:51Yeah. Do you want to run it through the points?
32:53Yeah.
32:54So we've got quite a complex set of points here,
32:56but any modeller could have any set up,
32:59and it just makes sure that it will traverse through those points.
33:04Can you just slow it down a bit, Steve?
33:06Yeah, sure.
33:09No, it looks fine, doesn't it?
33:10Yeah.
33:10Can you try it in reverse for us, please?
33:13Right, what's happened there?
33:14After running the tiny carriages backwards and forwards over the tricky points,
33:18Carl's flushed out a potential problem.
33:21The coupling arms containing the magnets don't pivot quite enough on the sharpest bends.
33:26When we align these wagons, they're right on the limit of their movement
33:30when they're laid over the first radius curve.
33:32And this could lead to the magnets breaking apart,
33:35and potentially tears before bedtime.
33:38Just to play it safe, I think it's worth just having
33:40a couple of extra degrees of movement in there.
33:43Depending on how the set is set up in somebody's house,
33:46it could be on the carpet, it might not be quite flat.
33:49It will just add that extra safety that it will go around the smallest curve available.
33:55Steve will adjust the couplings so the train stays together on the bumpiest of tracks.
34:01Very happy.
34:02Good.
34:02I do exactly what it says on the tin.
34:04For a younger child, just to be able to do this.
34:07Yeah, just to be able to push them together.
34:08You know, and you've got no trying to align your coupling hooks and things like that.
34:13It's brilliant.
34:14We just need the locomotive now, don't we?
34:17With the carriage prototype looking promising, it's now down to Prad to complete the set.
34:26It's an anxious day for electronics engineer Chris.
34:30With months of his audio work getting premiered to an exacting audience,
34:34his own model railway club.
34:36Hopefully it'll be a positive result because they are effectively the customer.
34:42It's not something I've done before.
34:44So, yeah, hopefully the reception will go well.
34:48Morning, chaps.
34:50The clubhouse is heaving with curious modelers
34:53who've come especially to check out Chris's new model.
34:56Club chairman Nick Evans has certainly built up expectation.
35:00Well, you'll be pleased to know I had a word with the lads the other night
35:04and they're all quite excited to know more.
35:07Actually, there's more people in than I've anticipated,
35:09so I'm actually feeling really nervous now.
35:12Some of these guys have been on the actual trip with Clanline,
35:15so they know what it sounds like, so they are going to be the most critical.
35:18But hey, you know, all feedback's welcome, so good or bad.
35:23He's brought a loco with his new sound recordings to demonstrate.
35:27It's an exciting development, this.
35:29So, well, look, it's nearly time for tea, so shall we ring the tea bell
35:32and then you can tell them more about it and how it's going?
35:34Yeah, yeah, go for it.
35:39Would it be possible if you could just stop the locos that you've got running?
35:44Yeah, lovely.
35:46Once Chris has command of the room, it's showtime.
35:50Most of you will know that I've been on Immersant Navy,
35:52it's got quite a distinctive beat and I've tried to capture that with this.
36:07It sounds really good.
36:12It's sounding right.
36:14So far, so good.
36:16Sounds like Chris has recreated the unusual rhythm of Clanline in miniature.
36:20All right, so what I'm going to do is play some of the whistles now.
36:25The whistle sounds like it could be a bit louder compared to the chat.
36:29I'll get everyone to run their locos again in a minute
36:30and then we'll see how it sounds against everything else.
36:32It stands out from the others, yeah.
36:34But with more locos running, the whistle is being drowned out.
36:38This is very much an authentic desk bed for you.
36:40Yeah, absolutely.
36:40It is a club layout setting where you've got all of us chatting and drinking tea.
36:45On the test layout at work, it sounded all right.
36:48But in this environment, that's even evident to me that the volume is boosting as well.
36:53This is the perfect focus group for Chris's modified loco.
36:57And it's a chance to show off a sound library he's spent years collecting.
37:03That's the safety valve, but I think that needs to be louder as well.
37:06It certainly does, yes.
37:06Because that's deafening almost.
37:08That is deafening in real life.
37:09It frightens the kids out of their lives when that goes off on the platform.
37:12All right, so this is the passing whistle.
37:19I actually recorded it on my phone, which is even better.
37:22I was standing actually waiting for a train into London.
37:24It was just a crowd of people and I'm like, what's going on?
37:26Oh, a canline's going through.
37:27I can never switch off as a sound engineer.
37:32Chris wants to wow this set of modelers with his pièce de résistance
37:37in creating an ever more realistic train driving experience.
37:41Then you've got an advanced setting with the throttles.
37:43You're too heavy-handed.
37:44It'll slip and you have to gain control before you can start it again.
37:48So it just kind of makes you control it more, doesn't it?
37:50It just makes you feel like you're in the cab.
37:52We haven't got it at the moment, but this isn't a completed project yet.
37:56But there's one quirky sound effect which leaves this knowledgeable bunch baffled.
38:00It's supposed to simulate bacon frying on the shovel.
38:04It sounds more like someone flushing a loo in the third carriage along.
38:07I will take that criticism.
38:09At the end of the rail test, has Chris won over these most discerning of experts?
38:14I'm impressed at how advanced it's looking.
38:17You really are in control with the sound and the engine.
38:20It becomes an integrated experience.
38:23I've got a Merchant Navy at the moment which has got an old sound file in it
38:27and it will be splendid if I can upgrade it to what Chris is working on now, for sure.
38:32See you later, chaps.
38:33Cheers, Chris. See you next time.
38:34See you later.
38:35See you later.
38:37Armed with the feedback from this experiment,
38:39Chris knows he's onto something in creating the ultimate clanline model of the future.
38:45They've given me that constructive feedback so I can work with that
38:48and then hopefully improve it.
38:49Hopefully they'll be satisfied with the project that I've come up with.
38:57It's been 30 days since junior designer Prad was tasked with a new starter set for children.
39:03In the test centre, Carl's taken delivery of the 3D printed version.
39:08So we've got the first running samples of our new locomotive for the 040 set.
39:12Prad, have you got a second?
39:15This is the moment when Prad will see his first ever loco running.
39:19Come and have a look.
39:20Let's see.
39:24Oh, that looks amazing.
39:25That's good, doesn't it?
39:26Yeah. Is that magnetic coupling as well?
39:29Yeah.
39:30Are you pleased with it?
39:31Yeah, that's really good, yeah.
39:34It's definitely got a bit of character, hasn't it?
39:37Actually, it's really nice.
39:38It's fast, isn't it?
39:39Yeah, it's like a proper set.
39:43It's been a team effort, but even now eagle-eyed Carl can see improvements.
39:48It's a width of those front steps.
39:50Yeah.
39:50I don't want it to hit platforms when I'm going around bends and things like that, so.
39:54Yes, yes, I see that.
39:55Okay.
39:56You could bring them in a little bit.
39:58Prad's new design is drawing a bit of a crowd.
40:01What have we got here?
40:02There it goes.
40:03Electronics engineer Chris has been lured from his sound studio.
40:06That's impressive.
40:07I like the detail.
40:08I like the magnetic couplings too.
40:10It's just going to make it so much easier.
40:12Yeah.
40:13For the age range, isn't it?
40:14They look quite robust too.
40:15Yeah, they look good.
40:16Yeah, it'd be easy for one to handle and use, wouldn't it?
40:19Now they must check the overall proportions
40:22by placing it side by side with a similar 00 scale loco.
40:26For me, the boiler looks too big in diameter.
40:30Yeah, it does, yeah.
40:31And the cab roof looks too high.
40:33Yeah.
40:33Yeah, I see what you mean.
40:35The initial motor was so thick and round, I had to increase it.
40:39And I think you've designed a coda socket in here as well.
40:43Yeah.
40:43Oh, nice.
40:44Well done.
40:45And I make allowances for a speaker in there as well.
40:47Oh, that's really cool.
40:48For a kid's set, that's really cool.
40:49You know, maybe in the future we'll do a sound version.
40:53With space for future sound effects in the children's loco,
40:56it's tempted Mr. Audio Chris.
40:59Of course, it does now pose a problem for me
41:00because it's probably going to be an additional set
41:02I have to purchase to run over the Christmas tree.
41:05Prad has played a blinder,
41:07designing the first digital children's loco in record time.
41:11I bet you can't wait to see it in the shop, can you?
41:13Oh yeah, 100%.
41:14I can't wait.
41:15That's going to be a dream.
41:16Waste of film.
41:17You know, when I was designing things,
41:19when you go into a shop and you see it for the first time on the shelves,
41:22it's really something.
41:23It's a realisation that you've done that.
41:24Yeah, obviously.
41:26It's a step up and a massive step forward
41:29in terms of what's in the range at the moment.
41:31I think if I was six, seven, I'd be so excited to have that.
41:36We're not there yet.
41:37We've got to make some more changes,
41:38but in the time frame I've set of a month,
41:41we're going to be there or thereabouts.
41:43It's good.
41:44For many Christmases to come,
41:46Prad's set may well be top of children's wish lists.
41:49It's really amazing to see it running our first actual loco.
41:53Yeah, can't wait to see it in production
41:54and then hopefully in people's hands and people playing with it.
42:02For Simon, Carl, Chris and Prad,
42:05constantly improving the range keeps their experienced modelers happy
42:09and encourages future generations to get involved.
42:13Next time, Simon and Montana go on a royal visit.
42:17Wow, and there she is.
42:20That's amazing.
42:21It's so elegant.
42:22It's tricky enough getting greens right, let alone purple.
42:25An ambitious coronation loco taxes designers.
42:29They will be the best coaches we will have ever produced.
42:33Cutting edge.
42:34As part of a royal year.
42:37I feel as though I should be waving a flag as it comes past.
42:40And a spectacular addition joins the famous Copenhagen fields layout.
42:45A bit of brain surgery here.