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In 1901, Frank Hornby founded
a company that would go on to become
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one of the world's biggest
model making and toy empires.
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It has brought joy to millions,
with names such as Hornby Railways,
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Scalextric, and Airfix.
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Now, for the first time
in its 118-year history,
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the company has granted our cameras
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exclusive access, during what is set
to be its most important year yet.
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Hornby's lost
£30 million in the last five years,
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which is an
astronomical amount of money.
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In a bid to save the company,
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they poached the head
of one of their biggest rivals.
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Er, because of my good looks.
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And he's brought back
an old employee of Hornby to help.
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Simon Koehler worked for the company
for 35 years before leaving
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following a fallout
with the previous management.
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It isn't a toy industry.
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It's not the grocery industry.
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It's a hobby model industry.
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Now, the man they call Mr Hornby
is back.
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I have the passion to make it work.
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You know, this is a great business,
you know.
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The people are so into it,
so excited about it.
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They say, "LOVE that loco.
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"Love what you've done with the
Mallard," and you think, "Yeah.
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"Yeah, it is good, actually."
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FANFARE PLAYS
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Hello, viewers. And my apologies if
you thought
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you were going to watch
a documentary
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unencumbered with the thoughts
and opinions
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of a so-called TV presenter.
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But this is important.
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It's very important
and I'm no mere TV presenter.
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I'm James May, and I am...
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..a model train enthusiast.
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Hornby was a part of my childhood.
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I'm sure it was a part of
yours as well.
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And now look, the whole thing's gone
off the rails.
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They've had to call in the old guard
to sort things out.
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00:02:07,080 --> 00:02:08,880
And if that doesn't sound like the
premise
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for a compelling two-part
documentary series,
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then I suggest you turn over
to BBC One and watch
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the Pro Celebrity Boxing.
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You're still here?
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Yes, good! Right.
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Let's get back
to the OO guage action.
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You join us at a critical moment.
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SOUND EFFECTS FROM MODEL TRAIN
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Ken, the Head of Audio, is showing
Simon the company's number two,
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plus another chap whose name
we've forgotten,
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his latest sound prototype for the
forthcoming release
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of their new Lord Nelson engine.
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MODEL TRAIN
SOUND PROTOTYPE CONTINUES
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This is amazing.
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Signing off the Lord Nelson's
chuffing sounds is just one of many
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challenges facing Simon Koehler,
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back after being let go
four years previously.
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Full marks, Ken.
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Great, brilliant. Thanks very much.
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For over 50 years,
Margate was home to the company.
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The factory was here,
as was the bustling HQ
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employing over 2,000 people.
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But with manufacturing now
taking place in China
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and the HQ moved by the previous
management team
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to the glitzy town of Sandwich,
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all that's left here is
the visitor centre,
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manned by Head of Archives, Peter.
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TELEPHONE RINGS
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Oh, bloody Jason. Hold on.
I'll ring him back.
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Jason. Yeah.
Yeah, I'll have to bring you back.
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I'm being filmed at the moment.
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OK. Cheers, bye.
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Welcome to Hornby.
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Where are you from, actually?
Blackpool. Blackpool?!
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Yeah. Oh, lovely.
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Peter runs tours of the museum.
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Where we're standing at the moment
was our canteen, and in them days
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back then, even the junior
managers were served as well.
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It was all very nice.
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He's been at the company for
52 years.
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Are they manufacturing
on the premises? No.
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No, I'm afraid not.
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Made in China?
Made in China, I'm afraid.
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Oh, really? Yeah. The factory's
now been empty
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for about, I think, about four
years.
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But Peter wasn't happy under some
of the previous management teams.
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Most of them didn't know
the difference
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between a bloody diesel train
and a steam train.
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After consulting with our lawyers,
we now understand that the previous
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management team at Hornby
were well aware of the differences
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between steam and diesel
locomotives.
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When they watch the next bit
of Peter's interview,
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our lawyers also suggested some
amendments.
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They were only here to...
TRAIN WHISTLE BLOWS
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..the company.
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That's all they were here for.
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TRAIN WHISTLE BLOWS
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And that's what they came for.
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WHISTLE BLOWS SHARPLY
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He came here and...
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TRAIN RUNNING ON TRACKS
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I hope this is all going
to be edited, innit, eh?
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Slightly more measured in his views
about mistakes he thought were made
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by some of the previous
management teams,
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is Simon Kohler.
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Well, I've heard we've had, previous
management have scrapped a load
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of tools, and I'm a bit concerned
that some of the tools that I will
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want to use at a later date
may have been...
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..some of the victims.
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The moulding tools are the key
components in manufacturing
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the company's fabled plastic
and metal dye cast models.
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They cost tens of thousands
of pounds each, but once made
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they can be used again and again,
to produce new runs
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of the old models.
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But, as Simon now discovers,
a lot of the tooling that didn't go
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over to China in the factory move...
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I tell you what, there's a lot less
here
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than there used to be.
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..has in fact been scrapped.
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We've got no Hornby down here.
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There's just one Hornby tool, which
is the Hornby tunnel.
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Simon is being shown what toolings
remain by Dave, a former toolmaker
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who had to oversee the
scrapping of the very tooling
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00:06:25,720 --> 00:06:27,800
he'd help to make.
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At one stage, there was...
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..around about nine, nine and a half
thousand tools here,
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and there was a comprehensive list
of, across the brands,
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of what was to be scrapped.
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00:06:42,560 --> 00:06:46,360
Simon's hopes of using these
old tools to produce reruns of some
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vintage models are now in disarray.
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The stuff that's gone
is just irreplaceable.
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Yeah. It was a sad day as a tool
maker to see that going
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into a skip.
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I don't know what to say.
I'm just...
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I just need to see how serious
this thing is.
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Oh, dear!
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Four years ago, operations were
moved 8.8 miles down the road,
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via the A256, to Sandwich
and a more suitably corporate HQ.
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The layout is open-plan and modern.
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Even so, some people survived
the move intact.
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Ken's top secret audio research
division is alive and well,
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and to show he's still relevant
in this fast paced modern world,
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he's trying something rather
radical -
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the model railway equivalent
of Phil Spector's Wall of Sound.
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You could have a country
scenario where...
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..the...
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There's a stable.
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With some horses.
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Ken's revolutionary idea
is called the Vent Van.
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It's got 29 sounds.
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You press a button, it will play
a sound
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and you can mix three of them
together,
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it's all you need to know.
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And then you can just sit there and
have fun with it.
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One of these...
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COCKEREL CROWS
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Working on it in here has been
quite interesting,
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because I've managed to annoy all
the neighbours
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out in the main office, many time,
especially with the cats.
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There were so many different
recordings of cats
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that we looked at.
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To me, they all sounded like cats,
and I've got a cat
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and I know what cats sound like,
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but I had to get someone
who had in their mind
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what they thought a cat sounded
like.
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Then as those who are not cat owners
will say, "Oh, that's a cat!"
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so that's the one you will use.
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The cat...
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VARIOUS CAT "MEOWS"
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And that's what everybody else
says a cat sounds like.
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But we had to have the dog as well.
DOG BARKS
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Ken has spent months perfecting
his cat and dog sounds.
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But it will all be for nothing
if it's not approved by Simon Kohler
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and Head of Development, Ed.
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F5.
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This is just people walking about,
isn't it? Yeah.
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And F7.
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People are walking on the platform.
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SOUND EFFECT PLAYS
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And some wagons just passing by.
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With something like this,
you're adding a whole sound...
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..canopy, if you like,
over the whole layout.
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There's no limit to the number
of sounds we can actually evolve
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and put in a chip
and have it as part of the layout.
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F22.
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SOUND EFFECT PLAYS
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Which is a road drill.
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A bit of fun, F23.
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CAT MEOWS, ROAD DRILL RUMBLES
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So, we have a cat in the middle
of the road...
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DOG BARKS
Being chased by the dog.
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Chased by the dog.
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OK, let's go back to silence...
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..because that's apparently golden.
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00:10:13,640 --> 00:10:16,520
Right.
So, now I'm really, really...
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..I'm not going to say chuffed,
but I'm really pleased.
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No, I really am.
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It's great. Great.
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00:10:25,240 --> 00:10:26,680
So, this is due, when?
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When have we got this,
before Christmas?
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00:10:28,600 --> 00:10:31,200
Yeah. Yeah. It should be in by the
end of October.
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I think, or early November now.
Terrific.
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New products like this are
vital to Simon's plans to turn
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the company around.
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But equally important is serving
the needs of the lifeblood
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of the company -
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00:10:52,320 --> 00:10:54,920
the model enthusiasts
up and down the country,
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00:10:54,920 --> 00:10:56,480
those who grew up with Hornby,
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00:10:56,480 --> 00:10:58,840
but in recent years,
have had their heads turned
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00:10:58,840 --> 00:11:00,920
by other modelling companies.
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00:11:04,120 --> 00:11:06,080
People, in fact, like Gerard.
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Welcome to Catford and my garage.
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00:11:28,720 --> 00:11:31,320
The previous owner of the house
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00:11:31,320 --> 00:11:34,040
built his garage himself
back in the 1970s.
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00:11:34,040 --> 00:11:36,720
He was interested in cars, you see,
so when I first viewed the house
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00:11:36,720 --> 00:11:39,480
I came in here and there was, like,
two cars in here.
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00:11:39,480 --> 00:11:41,560
Well, there was half of a car
and one car.
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00:11:41,560 --> 00:11:43,960
And I thought it'd be a great place
for a railway,
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00:11:43,960 --> 00:11:47,920
cos you can get the car in middle,
have a railway around the edge.
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00:11:49,880 --> 00:11:53,600
Did you choose this house,
then, because of the garage?
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00:11:53,600 --> 00:11:54,640
Er, yes.
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Basically! Honest to God.
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00:12:02,480 --> 00:12:05,840
For modellers like Gerard,
detail matters nearly
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00:12:05,840 --> 00:12:07,600
as much as plausibility.
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00:12:09,240 --> 00:12:11,800
I'll show you something that's not
plausible.
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00:12:11,800 --> 00:12:14,160
I can run this engine to here
and then stop and go back.
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00:12:14,160 --> 00:12:15,200
If I do that...
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00:12:15,200 --> 00:12:16,280
CLICKING
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00:12:16,280 --> 00:12:18,240
..and then do that...
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00:12:18,240 --> 00:12:19,520
That is totally implausible.
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Do you know why?
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00:12:21,040 --> 00:12:23,040
I didn't leave a gap.
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00:12:23,040 --> 00:12:25,000
What should happen is this...
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00:12:26,960 --> 00:12:29,440
You drive your engine forward...
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00:12:29,440 --> 00:12:31,360
..and then you should wait.
235
00:12:31,360 --> 00:12:33,400
And then you wait.
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00:12:33,400 --> 00:12:36,200
And then you wait a bit more.
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00:12:36,200 --> 00:12:37,560
And now you go, right?
238
00:12:38,680 --> 00:12:42,240
Because what's happening in that
critical five seconds or six seconds
239
00:12:42,240 --> 00:12:45,040
kind of like reversing your car,
when reverse your car,
240
00:12:45,040 --> 00:12:48,400
handbrake up - donk - into neutral,
look over your shoulder.
241
00:12:48,400 --> 00:12:49,880
Can I reverse?
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00:12:49,880 --> 00:12:51,720
Into gear, release handbrake,
off you go.
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00:12:51,720 --> 00:12:54,400
That takes about three or four
seconds.
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00:12:54,400 --> 00:12:56,200
That is correct running, you see.
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00:12:56,200 --> 00:12:57,880
And that's really important.
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00:12:57,880 --> 00:12:59,320
And when you do that,
people go,
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00:12:59,320 --> 00:13:01,560
"Well, yeah, that's good,"
because you get a little bit
248
00:13:01,560 --> 00:13:03,640
of sense of anticipation,
"Oh, it's stopped.
249
00:13:03,640 --> 00:13:05,000
"What's it going to do now?
250
00:13:05,000 --> 00:13:07,120
"Oh, I'll wait, I'll wait,
I'll wait..."
251
00:13:08,080 --> 00:13:09,360
And then it goes, you see?
252
00:13:10,720 --> 00:13:13,000
All is well in my world.
253
00:13:13,000 --> 00:13:16,280
Hornsby -
pause for plausibility -
254
00:13:16,280 --> 00:13:19,360
were once the dominant force
in model train production.
255
00:13:19,360 --> 00:13:23,560
Today they have several competitors
like Bachmann, Peco and Dapol,
256
00:13:23,560 --> 00:13:26,520
all eating into their market share.
257
00:13:26,520 --> 00:13:28,680
When I first got a railway,
I reckon it was '68,
258
00:13:28,680 --> 00:13:30,200
it would have been entirely Hornby.
259
00:13:30,200 --> 00:13:32,680
But then there was a time when they
were the only player in town.
260
00:13:32,680 --> 00:13:35,040
So I have a kind of a sort
of emotional attachment to Hornby.
261
00:13:35,040 --> 00:13:38,320
But I have an emotional attachment
to other manufacturers too,
actually,
262
00:13:38,320 --> 00:13:39,920
because this track is not Hornby.
263
00:13:39,920 --> 00:13:41,560
The signals aren't Hornby.
264
00:13:41,560 --> 00:13:43,120
The brickwork isn't Hornby,
265
00:13:43,120 --> 00:13:44,480
the flock is not Hornby.
266
00:13:44,480 --> 00:13:45,720
The switches are not Hornby.
267
00:13:45,720 --> 00:13:47,440
The controller's not Hornby.
268
00:13:47,440 --> 00:13:48,920
So, most of this is not Hornby.
269
00:13:48,920 --> 00:13:56,320
In fact, the only Hornby thing
here I can see is that engine.
270
00:14:02,960 --> 00:14:05,560
It's not looking good for Hornby
on this, is it?
271
00:14:05,560 --> 00:14:07,320
You've got that shunter.
272
00:14:07,320 --> 00:14:08,560
I think that is it, actually.
273
00:14:08,560 --> 00:14:12,600
Sorry, Hornby. You done very well,
but it is the only thing.
274
00:14:12,600 --> 00:14:13,640
HE LAUGHS
275
00:14:19,200 --> 00:14:21,640
If the likes of Gerard, brought
up on Hornby,
276
00:14:21,640 --> 00:14:25,160
are turning their backs on the
company, what hope for Lyndon
277
00:14:25,160 --> 00:14:29,120
and Simon and their plans
to save their beloved business?
278
00:14:29,120 --> 00:14:32,280
Luckily they have a plan,
and not just for the train side
279
00:14:32,280 --> 00:14:33,440
of the business.
280
00:14:37,640 --> 00:14:42,680
Hornby also owns Airfix - makers
of mainly 1:72 scale aeroplanes
281
00:14:42,680 --> 00:14:44,000
for over 70 years.
282
00:14:45,000 --> 00:14:48,240
It only accounts for 12%
of the overall business,
283
00:14:48,240 --> 00:14:51,800
but CEO Lyndon Davies
wants to get model planes back
284
00:14:51,800 --> 00:14:53,920
on everyone's radar.
285
00:14:53,920 --> 00:14:56,720
He's invested heavily in making
new tooling
286
00:14:56,720 --> 00:14:58,960
for a very ambitious new model.
287
00:15:00,400 --> 00:15:03,160
I'd been here for about two months.
288
00:15:03,160 --> 00:15:05,200
The Airfix team quietly said
289
00:15:05,200 --> 00:15:09,280
they'd got a partly developed
Hellcat...
290
00:15:11,280 --> 00:15:12,440
..in the cupboard.
291
00:15:13,600 --> 00:15:16,120
I said, "Show me the Hellcat",
292
00:15:16,120 --> 00:15:19,480
and they showed me the Hellcat
and I said
293
00:15:19,480 --> 00:15:22,200
"Well, we've got to go
ahead with that now."
294
00:15:22,200 --> 00:15:26,440
The F6F Hellcat was an American
carrier-based fighter aircraft
295
00:15:26,440 --> 00:15:27,880
during World War II.
296
00:15:27,880 --> 00:15:31,560
It was the United States Navy's
dominant fighter in the second half
297
00:15:31,560 --> 00:15:35,200
of the Pacific War, and Lyndon hopes
it will have a similar effect
298
00:15:35,200 --> 00:15:37,960
on their falling market share.
299
00:15:37,960 --> 00:15:39,800
Airfix has been on the decline.
300
00:15:39,800 --> 00:15:43,280
It's been on the decline because it
hasn't had
301
00:15:43,280 --> 00:15:47,000
the wow product,
the Hellcat is the wow product.
302
00:15:48,200 --> 00:15:51,480
And every new wow product
starts with Jim.
303
00:15:54,400 --> 00:15:58,320
Jim is a model builder
who has the best unpaid job
304
00:15:58,320 --> 00:16:03,040
in the world. When you design a kit,
you need to give that kit
305
00:16:03,040 --> 00:16:07,440
to a modeller independently,
who'll go away and build the kit up.
306
00:16:11,760 --> 00:16:16,280
And whilst he's building that kit
up, he will find problems
307
00:16:16,280 --> 00:16:18,600
in how the kit goes together.
308
00:16:18,600 --> 00:16:21,280
It's part of the development
process.
309
00:16:30,480 --> 00:16:35,280
Jim has arrived at Fighter Command
having completed his latest mission.
310
00:16:35,280 --> 00:16:37,240
Another box of joy for you.
311
00:16:38,280 --> 00:16:39,720
OK.
312
00:16:39,720 --> 00:16:41,520
There she blows. Fantastic!
313
00:16:41,520 --> 00:16:46,280
A Hawker Hunter in 1:48 scale,
assembled and painted by Jim
314
00:16:46,280 --> 00:16:47,680
in exacting detail.
315
00:16:48,960 --> 00:16:50,320
Modelling accuracy, really.
316
00:16:51,720 --> 00:16:55,200
And I went with your suggestion
that we would go
317
00:16:55,200 --> 00:16:57,640
with just a fairly traditional
scheme on it, just as it would
318
00:16:57,640 --> 00:17:01,000
have been in squadron service,
really. One hopes. So...
319
00:17:01,000 --> 00:17:02,680
A pleasure to work on, as I said.
320
00:17:03,960 --> 00:17:05,960
Hawker Hunter pleasantries done,
321
00:17:05,960 --> 00:17:08,880
it's time to present Jim
with the Hellcat.
322
00:17:08,880 --> 00:17:10,920
It's a very large, innocent box. OK.
323
00:17:10,920 --> 00:17:12,200
So, do you want to... Sure.
324
00:17:12,200 --> 00:17:15,160
..fill me in on what you want
doing with this?
325
00:17:15,160 --> 00:17:18,000
So, the Hellcat is a 1:24th model.
326
00:17:18,000 --> 00:17:20,320
So, it's a big model, 600
components.
327
00:17:21,840 --> 00:17:23,600
Expensive.
328
00:17:23,600 --> 00:17:26,000
Hundred grand worth of tooling,
plus.
329
00:17:27,040 --> 00:17:29,080
And it says these are first test
shots.
330
00:17:29,080 --> 00:17:31,360
They're not perfect.
331
00:17:31,360 --> 00:17:35,120
The test shots are the first parts
made from the new tooling.
332
00:17:35,120 --> 00:17:38,960
They have never been assembled
before and they may not even fit.
333
00:17:38,960 --> 00:17:41,880
If this wasn't daunting enough,
Jim has never built a model
334
00:17:41,880 --> 00:17:44,080
in this size - over 600 pieces!
335
00:17:45,720 --> 00:17:47,360
If that wasn't daunting enough,
336
00:17:47,360 --> 00:17:49,760
the instructions haven't
been finished.
337
00:17:49,760 --> 00:17:52,960
And if that was daunting enough,
the model needs to be completed
338
00:17:52,960 --> 00:17:55,120
in just two months
before it's launched
339
00:17:55,120 --> 00:17:57,640
at the Telford Scale Model World -
340
00:17:57,640 --> 00:18:00,480
the largest models show
in the country.
341
00:18:00,480 --> 00:18:02,240
Jim is bricking it.
342
00:18:03,520 --> 00:18:06,000
It's probably the biggest
thing I've built in 45 years.
343
00:18:06,000 --> 00:18:09,400
You know, I'm very aware that
the company is sort of investing
344
00:18:09,400 --> 00:18:11,680
quite a lot in me, really,
in terms of me bringing
345
00:18:11,680 --> 00:18:15,880
this to be the centrepiece
of your display at Telford, really.
346
00:18:15,880 --> 00:18:18,880
As Jim leaves, Lyndon seizes
the opportunity to pile
347
00:18:18,880 --> 00:18:20,920
on the pressure one more time.
348
00:18:20,920 --> 00:18:23,360
If that model's not available
for Telford,
349
00:18:23,360 --> 00:18:25,640
it's going to be a disaster,
because...
350
00:18:27,360 --> 00:18:32,080
..we're going to turn our, we're not
going to have much to show.
351
00:18:32,080 --> 00:18:33,600
Words are not good enough here.
352
00:18:33,600 --> 00:18:37,080
What we need is the actual
model and we need it built.
353
00:18:37,080 --> 00:18:39,480
And it's got to be built on time.
354
00:18:41,600 --> 00:18:45,880
Airfix isn't the only brand
that relies on people like Jim.
355
00:18:47,400 --> 00:18:51,240
Hornby trains also has an army
of volunteer modelling enthusiasts
356
00:18:51,240 --> 00:18:53,880
they depend on for their big events.
357
00:18:53,880 --> 00:18:56,960
Down in south London,
the Double O Gauge Association
358
00:18:56,960 --> 00:18:59,240
are meeting up to plan their layout
359
00:18:59,240 --> 00:19:01,760
for a model train fair
in a week's time,
360
00:19:01,760 --> 00:19:04,920
that is one of the most important
dates in the major model
361
00:19:04,920 --> 00:19:06,680
train companies' diaries.
362
00:19:13,800 --> 00:19:19,320
The pinnacle of what modellers
call "the hobby" is the layout -
363
00:19:19,320 --> 00:19:22,880
a hyper-detailed realisation
of the world of trains
364
00:19:22,880 --> 00:19:26,280
pored over with a steady hand
and an eagle eye.
365
00:19:26,280 --> 00:19:30,280
This is the natural habitat
of a model rail enthusiast.
366
00:19:36,040 --> 00:19:37,080
Yeah, it's good.
367
00:19:38,320 --> 00:19:40,760
The layout they're working
on is for exhibition
368
00:19:40,760 --> 00:19:44,520
at the Great Electric Train Show,
in Milton Keynes.
369
00:19:44,520 --> 00:19:47,840
It's called Batcombe and is a place
where imagination
370
00:19:47,840 --> 00:19:49,320
and reality collide.
371
00:19:52,600 --> 00:19:56,560
What Coddy's done with this,
he's based this on a fictitious
372
00:19:56,560 --> 00:20:01,800
seaside resort where no-one
particularly wants to go to, OK?
373
00:20:01,800 --> 00:20:04,920
But it's based on what you would
normally have at that station.
374
00:20:04,920 --> 00:20:07,480
So, you'd have a goods...
you'd have some goods traffic,
375
00:20:07,480 --> 00:20:10,240
because there'd be coal coming in,
there will be also...
376
00:20:10,240 --> 00:20:12,920
So, for example, the food...
Perishables for the hotel.
377
00:20:12,920 --> 00:20:14,640
Perishables for the hotels, yeah.
378
00:20:19,960 --> 00:20:21,760
Here you go. Brilliant.
379
00:20:21,760 --> 00:20:27,000
The joy of railway modelling, if I
could just paraphrase Walt Disney,
380
00:20:27,000 --> 00:20:31,440
is that it can portray anything
that the mind can conceive.
381
00:20:31,440 --> 00:20:33,200
Anything.
382
00:20:33,200 --> 00:20:35,320
There's a fishing industry as well.
383
00:20:35,320 --> 00:20:38,640
The extremely rare
Batcombe smoked mud fish.
384
00:20:41,680 --> 00:20:45,480
Even if the place is imaginary,
there's a station,
385
00:20:45,480 --> 00:20:47,160
it has a station building.
386
00:20:47,160 --> 00:20:50,680
Otherwise, how can you sell the
tickets?
387
00:20:54,160 --> 00:20:56,360
We'll turn up at the show
with this and the idea is for us
388
00:20:56,360 --> 00:20:57,600
is to entertain people.
389
00:21:00,240 --> 00:21:02,880
People don't want to stand in front
of a layout with nothing moving.
390
00:21:02,880 --> 00:21:04,720
We try to keep these on time,
we have a timetable
391
00:21:04,720 --> 00:21:07,120
we have different track, different
types of trains running.
392
00:21:08,200 --> 00:21:09,760
The hair clip's really important.
393
00:21:09,760 --> 00:21:12,360
The operator on the front
will have a copy of the timetable
394
00:21:12,360 --> 00:21:14,720
like that, and you just shout
to each other, "Right. OK.
395
00:21:14,720 --> 00:21:16,640
"So, what's the next one in, then?"
In this case...
396
00:21:16,640 --> 00:21:20,080
So, for example, it's the 17.11
local push-pull from Wareham,
397
00:21:20,080 --> 00:21:22,040
and then you'll just move it down.
398
00:21:22,040 --> 00:21:26,000
They think, "They must be potty
running to a timetable."
399
00:21:26,000 --> 00:21:28,720
But, in actual fact, what we do
is the time between trains,
400
00:21:28,720 --> 00:21:31,280
where the train would actually
stand there for two hours,
401
00:21:31,280 --> 00:21:32,640
you just cut that bit out.
402
00:21:32,640 --> 00:21:35,120
I mean, it's not interesting for me
let alone somebody watching.
403
00:21:38,280 --> 00:21:41,480
Despite OO gauge
being a Hornby mainstay,
404
00:21:41,480 --> 00:21:43,280
the Double O Gauge Association
405
00:21:43,280 --> 00:21:46,360
are not too impressed
with the direction the company
406
00:21:46,360 --> 00:21:49,000
has been taking
for the last few years.
407
00:21:49,000 --> 00:21:51,600
They withdrew into themselves.
408
00:21:51,600 --> 00:21:55,040
You know, you got the feeling
that they had changed from Margate
409
00:21:55,040 --> 00:21:59,720
to Sandwich and they put barbed wire
around the place.
410
00:21:59,720 --> 00:22:01,320
I think the OO community
411
00:22:01,320 --> 00:22:05,320
felt marginalized, as if Hornby
weren't really interested.
412
00:22:05,320 --> 00:22:08,280
If they, if they went to the wall,
it would be like...
413
00:22:08,280 --> 00:22:09,800
..a bit like the Queen dying.
414
00:22:10,800 --> 00:22:13,240
I mean, there's always been Hornby
hasn't there?
415
00:22:19,040 --> 00:22:21,320
I'm certainly looking forward
to Saturday, that's for sure.
416
00:22:21,320 --> 00:22:23,800
When I get back Sunday night,
I'm going to be, you know, I'll
be wacked.
417
00:22:23,800 --> 00:22:26,560
I'm sort of like thinking, "Well,
what have I done this weekend?"
418
00:22:26,560 --> 00:22:29,000
Well, I've been standing on my feet
all day,
419
00:22:29,000 --> 00:22:30,640
sort of like playing trains.
420
00:22:30,640 --> 00:22:34,400
It's not everyone's idea of fun,
but I've enjoyed myself.
421
00:22:42,480 --> 00:22:47,240
In an anonymous-looking house, in an
anonymous suburb of East Sussex,
422
00:22:47,240 --> 00:22:50,680
the biggest launch in the recent
history of Airfix rests
423
00:22:50,680 --> 00:22:52,880
in the anonymous hands of Jim.
424
00:22:56,320 --> 00:23:00,000
To be honest, I'm not even sure
that you'll see this, but I'm doing
425
00:23:00,000 --> 00:23:02,040
it for completeness.
426
00:23:02,040 --> 00:23:03,320
All modelling is obsessive.
427
00:23:03,320 --> 00:23:05,040
You know, you have to have,
you know,
428
00:23:05,040 --> 00:23:06,600
my partner says that all modellers
429
00:23:06,600 --> 00:23:10,880
are on the spectrum and we all get
very fixated about our, you know,
430
00:23:10,880 --> 00:23:13,400
our hobby and have how far we take
it to
431
00:23:13,400 --> 00:23:14,520
and the lengths we go to,
432
00:23:14,520 --> 00:23:16,920
and in the time and effort we put
into it and all of that.
433
00:23:16,920 --> 00:23:19,480
We're all somewhere on the spectrum
and it's just a question
434
00:23:19,480 --> 00:23:20,680
of where we are.
435
00:23:25,160 --> 00:23:28,760
I started this
about two, two days ago.
436
00:23:28,760 --> 00:23:33,000
The first thing you do is to wash
all the parts down in soapy water.
437
00:23:33,000 --> 00:23:35,800
Quite often, there's a sort of film
of oil and grease on them
438
00:23:35,800 --> 00:23:39,240
from when they've used a release
agent to get them out the mould,
439
00:23:39,240 --> 00:23:42,960
so you wash them all down with soapy
water so that you don't hit problems
440
00:23:42,960 --> 00:23:46,000
when you come to paint the thing
later on.
441
00:23:49,800 --> 00:23:54,320
For viewers just joining us, Jim
is building a 1:24 scale Hellcat
442
00:23:54,320 --> 00:23:57,280
that is due to be launched
at the Big Model Aeroplanes Show
443
00:23:57,280 --> 00:23:59,840
in Telford, in less than two months.
444
00:24:01,040 --> 00:24:05,560
That may seem like plenty of time
but Jim has over 600 parts
445
00:24:05,560 --> 00:24:09,240
to assemble, with very few
instructions and our director keeps
446
00:24:09,240 --> 00:24:12,640
distracting him with pointless
questions.
447
00:24:14,640 --> 00:24:16,000
No. Hardly at all.
448
00:24:16,000 --> 00:24:19,520
She's declared it a sort of,
you know, cordon sanitaire
449
00:24:19,520 --> 00:24:21,520
around it for the rest of the house.
450
00:24:21,520 --> 00:24:25,040
What goes on in here stays in here,
really, by and large,
451
00:24:25,040 --> 00:24:27,280
which is probably the way
I like it, actually.
452
00:24:31,320 --> 00:24:34,480
Jim's plan is to sub-assemble
the model, assembling
453
00:24:34,480 --> 00:24:36,400
and painting in sections.
454
00:24:36,400 --> 00:24:37,880
It's a painstaking job
455
00:24:37,880 --> 00:24:41,080
and one that retired local
government officer Jim
456
00:24:41,080 --> 00:24:42,480
isn't being paid for.
457
00:24:42,480 --> 00:24:46,480
But this is about the glory
of being the first person
458
00:24:46,480 --> 00:24:51,120
in the entire world to get
to fully assemble this model.
459
00:24:51,120 --> 00:24:52,720
For people my age,
460
00:24:52,720 --> 00:24:55,200
Airfix is part of your heritage.
461
00:24:55,200 --> 00:24:59,240
And, you know, that, that logo and
that name is,
462
00:24:59,240 --> 00:25:01,280
you know, it's iconic, really.
463
00:25:01,280 --> 00:25:06,480
And if that went, I think the world
would be a poorer place.
464
00:25:06,480 --> 00:25:09,600
You know, given the situation
that Hornby's been in financially
465
00:25:09,600 --> 00:25:12,520
over the past few years,
anything that I can do to help make
466
00:25:12,520 --> 00:25:15,400
it a successful product,
I'm more than happy to do that.
467
00:25:15,400 --> 00:25:18,240
It's giving something back to the
hobby that, you know,
468
00:25:18,240 --> 00:25:21,240
I've been involved
with for most of my life, really.
469
00:25:21,240 --> 00:25:24,320
As well as constantly building
prototype models,
470
00:25:24,320 --> 00:25:28,080
Jim has also managed to amass
a huge collection of his own.
471
00:25:28,080 --> 00:25:31,920
You're welcome to follow me,
walk this way.
472
00:25:31,920 --> 00:25:34,600
He just hasn't had time
to put them together yet.
473
00:25:34,600 --> 00:25:37,320
Right, so here we are in the
garage, and I'll stand back,
474
00:25:37,320 --> 00:25:39,520
because you'd need to come
in the doorway here.
475
00:25:39,520 --> 00:25:41,000
These boxes here...
476
00:25:41,000 --> 00:25:46,160
That's where my 20-odd years
of kit collecting now resides.
477
00:25:47,200 --> 00:25:50,880
So we've got, I think,
it's 15 or 16 boxes of them.
478
00:25:50,880 --> 00:25:52,360
I can't remember what is in each
box.
479
00:25:52,360 --> 00:25:53,840
No, I haven't got the first idea.
480
00:25:53,840 --> 00:25:56,680
But I have got a computer program
upstairs that tells me what's
481
00:25:56,680 --> 00:25:58,680
in each box, because I do catalogue
them.
482
00:25:58,680 --> 00:26:01,640
So, if I wanted to build a specific
thing, I could go to a box
483
00:26:01,640 --> 00:26:04,320
and know that that kit was in there.
484
00:26:04,320 --> 00:26:06,640
So it's, it's that organized.
485
00:26:06,640 --> 00:26:10,240
Right there, that big box there,
is the Bismarck.
486
00:26:10,240 --> 00:26:12,160
It's a 1:200 scale model.
487
00:26:12,160 --> 00:26:16,040
About four feet long, basically when
you've built it.
488
00:26:16,040 --> 00:26:19,920
This is about, I think, about
160 kits in here.
489
00:26:19,920 --> 00:26:23,720
There's an expression in the
modelling world called SABLE -
490
00:26:23,720 --> 00:26:26,520
Stash Acquired Beyond Life
Expectancy.
491
00:26:31,560 --> 00:26:33,520
JIM LAUGHS
492
00:26:33,520 --> 00:26:34,800
It's a leading question.
493
00:26:36,040 --> 00:26:37,640
I hope to build the Bismarck.
494
00:26:37,640 --> 00:26:40,160
Put it that way. I need to do less
for Airfix.
495
00:26:40,160 --> 00:26:41,800
I'll need to say to them,
you know,
496
00:26:41,800 --> 00:26:44,440
I'm going to have to put some time
aside from myself. I'd have to.
497
00:26:44,440 --> 00:26:46,680
Because I think that would take
the best part of a year to do it
498
00:26:46,680 --> 00:26:47,720
justice to, really.
499
00:26:55,800 --> 00:26:59,120
Back at the company's headquarters,
the engineering team are dealing
500
00:26:59,120 --> 00:27:01,360
with a late-running locomotive.
501
00:27:05,040 --> 00:27:09,800
The model being tested is the hotly
anticipated J36, which should
502
00:27:09,800 --> 00:27:13,280
already be on the shelves of model
shops across the nation.
503
00:27:13,280 --> 00:27:16,320
But there's a major flaw
with the sample.
504
00:27:20,360 --> 00:27:25,560
We've got a J36 here which is one
of our biggest hot potatoes
505
00:27:25,560 --> 00:27:26,600
at the moment.
506
00:27:26,600 --> 00:27:29,080
We've got three deliveries of
this coming out this year,
507
00:27:29,080 --> 00:27:32,640
but we can't complete the sound
version, because we've discovered
508
00:27:32,640 --> 00:27:35,880
that on the wheels, if a modeller
looks at this, they'll be
509
00:27:35,880 --> 00:27:38,560
having kittens,
because there shouldn't be anything
510
00:27:38,560 --> 00:27:42,120
like that slack in the wheels,
and that's allowing the wheels to do
511
00:27:42,120 --> 00:27:45,440
this and it's creating
some mechanical issue.
512
00:27:47,680 --> 00:27:51,520
After months of struggling to create
the perfect cat sound,
513
00:27:51,520 --> 00:27:54,040
Ken has finally met his match.
514
00:27:54,040 --> 00:27:57,360
He can't synch up a
rhythmic chuffing sound to a loco
515
00:27:57,360 --> 00:27:59,360
that isn't running smoothly.
516
00:27:59,360 --> 00:28:03,320
The prototype will have to be
revised in China.
517
00:28:03,320 --> 00:28:05,680
And we'll see if we can get a sample
518
00:28:05,680 --> 00:28:08,560
where the bearings have been
corrected.
519
00:28:08,560 --> 00:28:09,960
You can't do anything with this.
520
00:28:09,960 --> 00:28:12,080
We can't prove anything, really,
until it's...
521
00:28:12,080 --> 00:28:14,240
Until you get a good runner.
522
00:28:14,240 --> 00:28:16,920
But I'll keep you in the loop
anyway.
523
00:28:18,040 --> 00:28:23,160
Head of Development Ed rushes
from Ken's audio research lab
524
00:28:23,160 --> 00:28:26,880
to his weekly catch-up with Simon,
where he has to confess
525
00:28:26,880 --> 00:28:32,320
that the sound versions of the J36
won't be ready for Christmas.
526
00:28:32,320 --> 00:28:36,520
OK, so, I go through the list
and then at the end if you've got
527
00:28:36,520 --> 00:28:40,000
anything that we need to
talk about specifically, we can.
528
00:28:40,000 --> 00:28:41,400
Yeah, OK.
529
00:28:42,480 --> 00:28:43,960
Lord Nelson...
530
00:28:43,960 --> 00:28:45,120
No change to that.
531
00:28:45,120 --> 00:28:50,120
It's still... At the moment it's the
30th November inspection day.
532
00:28:50,120 --> 00:28:52,840
The next one, flavour of the month,
J36. Yeah.
533
00:28:54,480 --> 00:28:57,240
We found quite
a big mechanical issue.
534
00:28:58,240 --> 00:29:01,160
You'll have seen my e-mails
with the bearings...
535
00:29:01,160 --> 00:29:06,200
..and the excessive size of the axle
boxes in the chassis.
536
00:29:06,200 --> 00:29:07,680
You know...
Again, this is looking...
537
00:29:10,000 --> 00:29:13,800
Even with all clear,
this is late December, isn't it?
538
00:29:13,800 --> 00:29:18,320
Well, to be honest with you,
you're going to see this until
539
00:29:18,320 --> 00:29:19,640
January, February.
540
00:29:19,640 --> 00:29:20,840
Realistically.
541
00:29:20,840 --> 00:29:24,400
This delay isn't
just a blow for Simon and his team.
542
00:29:30,560 --> 00:29:33,560
It's also a big problem
for the small models shops
543
00:29:33,560 --> 00:29:36,600
up and down the country,
like this one in Edinburgh
544
00:29:36,600 --> 00:29:38,240
run by Bob and Jill...
545
00:29:39,640 --> 00:29:42,480
You get a base that you can put on.
That's what I'm saying.
546
00:29:42,480 --> 00:29:43,640
Yes. Yep.
547
00:29:43,640 --> 00:29:45,280
We use plaster card for that.
548
00:29:45,280 --> 00:29:46,600
So, it's over here.
549
00:29:46,600 --> 00:29:50,920
..who were banking on the J36,
a Scottish locomotive, no less,
550
00:29:50,920 --> 00:29:53,080
to be a Christmas bestseller.
551
00:29:53,080 --> 00:29:56,440
There's a solid market, enthusiasts.
552
00:29:56,440 --> 00:29:58,400
As long as the product's correct,
553
00:29:58,400 --> 00:30:01,400
they don't mind paying
a specific amount of money.
554
00:30:01,400 --> 00:30:03,520
They're not for kids, these ones.
555
00:30:03,520 --> 00:30:06,560
They are definitely
for adult enthusiasts.
556
00:30:06,560 --> 00:30:08,520
Yeah. Yes.
557
00:30:11,640 --> 00:30:14,040
But the laughter doesn't last long.
558
00:30:14,040 --> 00:30:16,240
PHONE RINGS
559
00:30:19,200 --> 00:30:21,560
Good afternoon, Harburn Hobbies.
560
00:30:21,560 --> 00:30:24,560
So, I'll just...
I'll go and get him.
561
00:30:24,560 --> 00:30:26,880
Bob, excuse me a little minute.
562
00:30:33,160 --> 00:30:35,320
Simon has to break the news to Bob
563
00:30:35,320 --> 00:30:38,600
that, whilst the regular J36
will be ready for Christmas,
564
00:30:38,600 --> 00:30:40,600
the more sought after version,
565
00:30:40,600 --> 00:30:43,200
with realistic chuffing sounds,
won't be.
566
00:30:43,200 --> 00:30:47,960
The digital mod, because it's got
sound chip and all the rest of it,
567
00:30:47,960 --> 00:30:51,200
is taking longer to do, and that
won't be out until March.
568
00:30:51,200 --> 00:30:54,640
But, we've got lots of orders for
the new one...
569
00:30:54,640 --> 00:30:55,840
Yes.
570
00:30:55,840 --> 00:30:58,240
I think I'll believe it
when I see it, actually!
571
00:30:58,240 --> 00:31:01,640
Well, I'm sure...
That's happened before. Yes.
572
00:31:01,640 --> 00:31:03,680
Well, there's been promises...
573
00:31:03,680 --> 00:31:05,280
That's been the gripe, hasn't it?
574
00:31:05,280 --> 00:31:08,880
That's been the problem, that
so many people have said, you know,
575
00:31:08,880 --> 00:31:11,680
"Where are the things
coming out of the factory?"
576
00:31:11,680 --> 00:31:15,240
And we have to make up excuses,
which doesn't look good.
577
00:31:15,240 --> 00:31:20,080
We also need new products, because
everybody wants to see a new item.
578
00:31:20,080 --> 00:31:23,120
Until it actually comes in
and we unpack it out of the box,
579
00:31:23,120 --> 00:31:25,280
I'll believe it when I see it, yeah.
580
00:31:27,000 --> 00:31:29,360
But I'm a very Doubting Thomas,
aren't I?
581
00:31:40,400 --> 00:31:44,080
The problems with the J36
will have to take a back seat
582
00:31:44,080 --> 00:31:46,360
as Simon has bigger concerns.
583
00:31:46,360 --> 00:31:50,120
The Great Electric Train Show
at Milton Keynes,
584
00:31:50,120 --> 00:31:53,640
his first big model show
since his return to the company.
585
00:31:53,640 --> 00:31:58,080
I didn't believe for a moment I'd be
walking back through the doors.
586
00:31:58,080 --> 00:32:02,840
In 2013, he was let go
by the previous management,
587
00:32:02,840 --> 00:32:04,960
the week before Christmas.
588
00:32:04,960 --> 00:32:07,280
The lift doors opened,
I walked out.
589
00:32:07,280 --> 00:32:12,720
And I got a round of applause
from the Hornby team,
590
00:32:12,720 --> 00:32:16,080
which was very touching.
Very touching.
591
00:32:17,480 --> 00:32:19,680
It was a question
of rolling your sleeves up,
592
00:32:19,680 --> 00:32:21,480
you know, it's nice to be back,
593
00:32:21,480 --> 00:32:23,720
there's a job to be done,
let's go on and do it.
594
00:32:27,880 --> 00:32:30,240
Did I think it would be stressful?
595
00:32:31,560 --> 00:32:34,120
No. Didn't even enter my mind,
596
00:32:34,120 --> 00:32:38,480
because, you know,
I can control that side of life.
597
00:32:38,480 --> 00:32:40,600
There were, in the early days,
598
00:32:40,600 --> 00:32:43,080
a couple of times when I was sort of
599
00:32:43,080 --> 00:32:45,640
doing things from the
seat of my pants a bit.
600
00:32:45,640 --> 00:32:48,080
But, no, you keep it...
601
00:32:48,080 --> 00:32:51,560
You know, I can keep it
under control.
602
00:32:52,880 --> 00:32:56,160
I've got me tablets.
Take me tablets, I'm fine.
603
00:32:57,480 --> 00:33:00,000
If I don't put them out, I forget.
604
00:33:00,000 --> 00:33:04,280
And then I sort of wonder
why I feel a bit heady.
605
00:33:04,280 --> 00:33:07,560
They are, er... Gosh, what are they?
606
00:33:07,560 --> 00:33:10,520
Blood pressure, cholesterol,
607
00:33:10,520 --> 00:33:14,280
um, thinners, blood thinners etc.
608
00:33:15,880 --> 00:33:19,520
It's nothing at all to do with
Hornby, it's to do with the genes.
609
00:33:19,520 --> 00:33:23,480
My family has been very good
at dying of heart failure.
610
00:33:24,880 --> 00:33:27,160
But this is fine.
You know, I'm fine.
611
00:33:27,160 --> 00:33:28,360
I am fine.
612
00:33:35,880 --> 00:33:39,240
Milton Keynes, one day
until the third biggest show
613
00:33:39,240 --> 00:33:41,600
in the railway modellers calendar.
614
00:33:44,560 --> 00:33:47,520
Paul from the OO Gauge
Association...
615
00:33:47,520 --> 00:33:48,760
Hiya. Hello!
616
00:33:48,760 --> 00:33:51,040
..is first through the doors...
617
00:33:51,040 --> 00:33:53,520
Brilliant. Thank you very much.
OK. Cheers. Thank you.
618
00:33:53,520 --> 00:33:56,680
..to find the room where their
fictitious village of Batcombe
619
00:33:56,680 --> 00:33:58,160
will be laid out.
620
00:33:58,160 --> 00:33:59,720
OO Gauge Association.
621
00:34:01,880 --> 00:34:03,320
Batcombe.
622
00:34:05,040 --> 00:34:08,600
This is where our layout will be
once we've unloaded it.
623
00:34:08,600 --> 00:34:10,720
Yeah, plenty of room.
624
00:34:11,800 --> 00:34:13,120
That's what I like to see.
625
00:34:15,000 --> 00:34:17,600
I'm excited about the layout,
getting the layout out,
626
00:34:17,600 --> 00:34:20,680
and getting this out
in front of the public.
627
00:34:20,680 --> 00:34:23,040
We put a show on for the public.
That's what I like to do.
628
00:34:27,600 --> 00:34:30,880
So, I'm at the edge of the balcony,
looking over at the main hall
629
00:34:30,880 --> 00:34:34,280
of the Great Electric Train
Show at Milton Keynes.
630
00:34:34,280 --> 00:34:35,760
This is a big arena.
631
00:34:35,760 --> 00:34:37,800
It's going to be
a really big show, so
632
00:34:37,800 --> 00:34:39,560
it's one of those shows
you want to be at.
633
00:34:41,960 --> 00:34:46,200
The hall soon fills up with models
of fanciful towns and villages...
634
00:34:49,320 --> 00:34:51,960
..all built to scaled down
perfection.
635
00:34:54,520 --> 00:34:59,520
But, upstairs, the village
of Batcombe is nowhere to be seen.
636
00:35:00,720 --> 00:35:04,200
Colin has just realised that
he's left the buildings at home.
637
00:35:04,200 --> 00:35:05,560
Which is great.
638
00:35:05,560 --> 00:35:09,200
So, they've jumped in the van and
made their way back to South London
639
00:35:09,200 --> 00:35:12,040
to pick them up and
bring them back later on, so...
640
00:35:12,040 --> 00:35:13,560
Yeah, he said to me just now,
641
00:35:13,560 --> 00:35:15,760
"I can visualise them there,
sitting on the bookcase."
642
00:35:17,160 --> 00:35:21,240
Whilst Colin races back to South
London to collect all the buildings,
643
00:35:21,240 --> 00:35:24,440
the rest of the team work on
the layout of the track.
644
00:35:24,440 --> 00:35:27,680
But they, too,
soon run into difficulties.
645
00:35:27,680 --> 00:35:32,120
The isolation box has been badly
damaged on the journey up.
646
00:35:32,120 --> 00:35:34,680
"What does that matter?",
I hear you ask!
647
00:35:34,680 --> 00:35:36,880
Here's Paul to explain.
648
00:35:36,880 --> 00:35:40,400
On an analogue layout, as soon
as you turn the power on,
649
00:35:40,400 --> 00:35:42,920
the locomotives will move unless
you've got them isolated,
650
00:35:42,920 --> 00:35:45,240
so this basically, these
switches on the top here,
651
00:35:45,240 --> 00:35:48,360
will isolate those sections of track
to stop the trains from moving.
652
00:35:48,360 --> 00:35:50,080
We need to make sure
we get it right.
653
00:35:50,080 --> 00:35:53,280
Desperate times call for...Gerard...
654
00:35:55,680 --> 00:35:59,080
..who, unsurprisingly,
has come prepared.
655
00:35:59,080 --> 00:36:01,120
That's the soldering box.
656
00:36:02,360 --> 00:36:05,160
This is modelling in the field,
so to speak.
657
00:36:05,160 --> 00:36:07,360
I mean, there is an idea
in modelling
658
00:36:07,360 --> 00:36:09,840
that you only solder it
if you can't glue.
659
00:36:09,840 --> 00:36:13,600
And, folks, don't cut wire
this way either.
660
00:36:13,600 --> 00:36:15,440
This is needs must!
661
00:36:15,440 --> 00:36:18,600
Get it in your teeth and pull like
that. Give it to me, I'll do it.
662
00:36:18,600 --> 00:36:20,120
See, like that.
663
00:36:20,120 --> 00:36:21,640
Watch the master.
664
00:36:23,200 --> 00:36:24,880
There you go.
665
00:36:24,880 --> 00:36:27,560
Now you've got to get
your spit off it! It's all right.
666
00:36:27,560 --> 00:36:29,120
It's going to work, it's clean!
667
00:36:29,120 --> 00:36:32,520
1968, that's 50 years ago,
that Christmas,
668
00:36:32,520 --> 00:36:37,000
my parents bought me my first
Tri-ang Hornby railway set-up.
669
00:36:37,000 --> 00:36:39,960
29 pounds, ten shillings,
and sixpence.
670
00:36:39,960 --> 00:36:43,520
I've got the receipt,
from Beatty's of Southgate.
671
00:36:43,520 --> 00:36:46,400
But, since then, I've been
continuously modelling.
672
00:36:46,400 --> 00:36:49,520
I didn't do it at university,
I must admit. I drew a line there.
673
00:36:49,520 --> 00:36:52,520
I know some people have had layouts
in their university rooms,
674
00:36:52,520 --> 00:36:54,480
but that's going a bit far, I think.
675
00:36:55,800 --> 00:36:59,560
Gerard didn't waste his time
at university with trains,
676
00:36:59,560 --> 00:37:03,320
but luckily for the OO Gauge
Association, he has spent many hours
677
00:37:03,320 --> 00:37:08,000
since preparing for just this
sort of model train emergency.
678
00:37:08,000 --> 00:37:12,120
I'm just attaching solder,
which is the process of attaching
679
00:37:12,120 --> 00:37:15,480
metal to metal to create an
electrical or other sort of joint.
680
00:37:15,480 --> 00:37:18,880
I believe it's a kind of mixture
of tin and lead,
681
00:37:18,880 --> 00:37:21,040
and sort of things like that.
682
00:37:23,320 --> 00:37:24,560
Right.
683
00:37:24,560 --> 00:37:26,760
Gerard has saved the day.
684
00:37:36,480 --> 00:37:40,120
Happy. At least we're not unhappy.
No, we're not unhappy.
685
00:37:40,120 --> 00:37:43,760
I'm in a state of considerable
contentment, actually, once this..
686
00:37:43,760 --> 00:37:45,280
..this has been finished.
687
00:37:45,280 --> 00:37:47,640
All they need now are the buildings.
688
00:37:47,640 --> 00:37:49,720
Once the owner of the layout...
689
00:37:49,720 --> 00:37:53,200
..the owner of the layout decides
to bring the buildings back...
690
00:37:53,200 --> 00:37:57,960
It's a 70-mile trip.
Then we'll be even happier.
691
00:37:59,040 --> 00:38:03,080
The struggles of the OO Gauge
Association are nothing, though,
692
00:38:03,080 --> 00:38:06,680
compared with the stresses
faced by Jim.
693
00:38:09,320 --> 00:38:11,920
He's now on day 52 of his attempt
694
00:38:11,920 --> 00:38:17,320
to assemble the much anticipated
Hellcat 1:24 scale model,
695
00:38:17,320 --> 00:38:20,240
and he's fallen way behind schedule.
696
00:38:22,480 --> 00:38:28,440
The engine as a whole has taken me
way longer than I had thought
697
00:38:28,440 --> 00:38:30,280
it was going to, or planned for,
698
00:38:30,280 --> 00:38:32,800
so I'm kind of a bit behind
on the rest of the thing now.
699
00:38:41,720 --> 00:38:43,680
I've got a personal stake
in this now.
700
00:38:43,680 --> 00:38:45,680
You know, it's become my baby.
701
00:38:45,680 --> 00:38:49,080
These things do, they...
They become part of your...
702
00:38:49,080 --> 00:38:50,800
You know, part of your life.
703
00:38:50,800 --> 00:38:52,560
You live with them
for several weeks.
704
00:38:52,560 --> 00:38:55,120
I've lived with this
for two months now, you know.
705
00:38:55,120 --> 00:38:59,160
This is a bit of me, the way I built
it, the way I've finished it.
706
00:39:08,000 --> 00:39:12,280
Jim desperately needs a break
from constant modelling.
707
00:39:14,880 --> 00:39:18,840
So, he jumps in his car and heads
off to the weekly meeting
708
00:39:18,840 --> 00:39:21,840
of the Hailsham and District
Scale Model Club.
709
00:39:23,400 --> 00:39:25,960
I think the general population
are just a bit confused
710
00:39:25,960 --> 00:39:29,440
about what you get up to,
and what it's all about, really.
711
00:39:31,120 --> 00:39:33,400
But there's nothing sinister
about it,
712
00:39:33,400 --> 00:39:35,720
it's just like-minded guys, really.
713
00:39:35,720 --> 00:39:39,080
Getting together
to exchange tips and ideas,
714
00:39:39,080 --> 00:39:41,720
you know, and have a cup of tea
and a gossip.
715
00:39:41,720 --> 00:39:43,440
They may like to gossip,
716
00:39:43,440 --> 00:39:47,520
but Jim knows the Hellcat
is a Category A industrial secret.
717
00:39:47,520 --> 00:39:50,800
Some of them have an idea
that I'm working on something
718
00:39:50,800 --> 00:39:53,040
which is going to be revealed
at Telford.
719
00:39:53,040 --> 00:39:54,960
Yeah, they'll be curious.
720
00:39:54,960 --> 00:39:56,400
Evening, all.
721
00:39:58,920 --> 00:40:02,360
Right. Can I come
and crouch next to you?
722
00:40:02,360 --> 00:40:03,680
For some reason,
723
00:40:03,680 --> 00:40:06,600
our cameraman missed the other table
full of young women.
724
00:40:06,600 --> 00:40:09,880
THEY LAUGH AND CHAT
725
00:40:14,600 --> 00:40:18,160
I brought some gingerbread
for everybody. Help yourselves.
726
00:40:18,160 --> 00:40:20,040
There you go. That's all good.
727
00:40:20,040 --> 00:40:21,680
All home produced.
728
00:40:21,680 --> 00:40:23,080
There you go.
729
00:40:23,080 --> 00:40:25,480
Did you make it? Yeah, course I did.
730
00:40:25,480 --> 00:40:27,560
LAUGHTER
731
00:40:37,800 --> 00:40:41,120
The topic of conversation, after
much prompting from our director,
732
00:40:41,120 --> 00:40:43,160
turns to the future of Hornby.
733
00:40:43,160 --> 00:40:46,040
I was brought up on Airfix,
like a lot of kids.
734
00:40:46,040 --> 00:40:48,360
They were just churning out
all the old kits,
735
00:40:48,360 --> 00:40:50,800
originally from the '60s, '70s,
even the '50s, some of them.
736
00:40:50,800 --> 00:40:54,640
Compared to their competitors,
they weren't cutting the mustard.
737
00:40:54,640 --> 00:40:58,840
In the last 10, 15 years,
you've got probably 50 or 60
738
00:40:58,840 --> 00:41:01,000
different kit manufacturers
come on the market.
739
00:41:01,000 --> 00:41:05,440
Your top has got to be something
like Hasegawa, Japanese companies.
740
00:41:05,440 --> 00:41:08,840
Well, if Hornby and Airfix
went under,
741
00:41:08,840 --> 00:41:11,680
that would be a tragedy, really,
742
00:41:11,680 --> 00:41:16,000
because they're all the things that
we used to play with as kids.
743
00:41:16,000 --> 00:41:17,960
Unbeknownst to the members
744
00:41:17,960 --> 00:41:20,760
of the Hailsham and District
Scale Model Club,
745
00:41:20,760 --> 00:41:22,960
one of their very own
could be responsible
746
00:41:22,960 --> 00:41:26,640
for the revitalisation
of the company they love.
747
00:41:26,640 --> 00:41:28,280
Distribute the ginger cake.
748
00:41:28,280 --> 00:41:29,840
Shame he can't tell anyone!
749
00:41:29,840 --> 00:41:33,320
So, what are you making
at the moment? I can't tell you.
750
00:41:34,720 --> 00:41:36,800
It's all secret. You've got a feast.
751
00:41:38,080 --> 00:41:40,600
Well, I could tell you,
but I'd have to kill you.
752
00:41:48,160 --> 00:41:52,440
Ladies and gentlemen, well, maybe
gentlemen, the wait is over.
753
00:41:52,440 --> 00:41:56,240
The Great Electric Train Show
at Milton Keynes is open.
754
00:42:11,720 --> 00:42:14,840
The halls quickly fill up,
and at the Hornby stand,
755
00:42:14,840 --> 00:42:16,720
there is one obvious attraction.
756
00:42:16,720 --> 00:42:19,800
Simon is a legend in the industry...
Legend!
757
00:42:19,800 --> 00:42:22,360
LAUGHTER
758
00:42:22,360 --> 00:42:24,520
Well, that's very nice of you
to say.
759
00:42:24,520 --> 00:42:27,520
Simon Koehler, back for
his first modelling show
760
00:42:27,520 --> 00:42:30,160
since being re-employed
by the company.
761
00:42:30,160 --> 00:42:32,120
Hello! How are you?
762
00:42:32,120 --> 00:42:35,240
That's right, Yarmouth!
763
00:42:35,240 --> 00:42:38,440
Good to see you. How are you? John.
Yes, I know! How are you doing?
764
00:42:38,440 --> 00:42:41,120
I'm fine, yes, thank you.
Back on the circuit! Yeah, I know!
765
00:42:41,120 --> 00:42:42,760
I'm pleased for you.
766
00:42:42,760 --> 00:42:44,840
Yeah. It's nice to be back.
767
00:42:44,840 --> 00:42:48,120
Nice to see you.
I'll can't believe you're with us!
768
00:42:48,120 --> 00:42:50,080
Yes! I'm really pleased. Are you?
769
00:42:50,080 --> 00:42:51,320
Oh, good!
770
00:42:51,320 --> 00:42:53,080
Well, it's nice to see you again.
771
00:42:53,080 --> 00:42:54,960
Thanks for remembering me!
772
00:42:54,960 --> 00:42:59,520
This business is to do with
people's enjoyment,
773
00:42:59,520 --> 00:43:03,080
and part of that is being
friendly with people,
774
00:43:03,080 --> 00:43:05,640
talking, they're our friends.
775
00:43:05,640 --> 00:43:08,200
At the end of the day,
they're very good friends
776
00:43:08,200 --> 00:43:10,680
because they buy a lot of products
and they pay the rent,
777
00:43:10,680 --> 00:43:14,040
they put food on my table,
so I think they're wonderful.
778
00:43:22,360 --> 00:43:25,680
Also marking out their territory
in Milton Keynes
779
00:43:25,680 --> 00:43:27,560
are the Batcombe boys,
780
00:43:27,560 --> 00:43:32,360
representing the OO Gauge
Association, or DOGA for short.
781
00:43:41,520 --> 00:43:44,280
We are quite pleased with
the way it's all happening.
782
00:43:44,280 --> 00:43:46,800
A lot of people are interested
in seeing the layout as well,
783
00:43:46,800 --> 00:43:48,960
which is what we're here for.
784
00:43:48,960 --> 00:43:51,200
Paul, like fellow DOGA Gerard,
785
00:43:51,200 --> 00:43:53,480
is a big fan of plausibility,
786
00:43:53,480 --> 00:43:56,560
and that applies to the trains
coming in and out of Batcombe.
787
00:43:56,560 --> 00:43:58,840
So, what we've got
at the moment is,
788
00:43:58,840 --> 00:44:03,440
we've got a push-pull train
that's arrived from Bournemouth.
789
00:44:04,680 --> 00:44:09,120
And soon I am due, I believe,
I'm due to receive
790
00:44:09,120 --> 00:44:12,080
the Royal Wessex. You are indeed.
It's coming from London.
791
00:44:12,080 --> 00:44:15,120
Its due to arrive at 19:52.
It is on time, I believe.
792
00:44:15,120 --> 00:44:17,920
I've been told further down the line
it is on time, is that correct?
793
00:44:17,920 --> 00:44:21,040
Yes. It is on time. I've got
to check that the signals are
794
00:44:21,040 --> 00:44:25,000
in favour of the loco, so the train
can actually run through,
795
00:44:25,000 --> 00:44:29,600
and I've just looked and apparently,
the signals are against us,
796
00:44:29,600 --> 00:44:32,520
so the train will have to stop
on the bridge...
797
00:44:33,640 --> 00:44:36,280
..until the signalman
decides the coast is clear.
798
00:44:37,480 --> 00:44:40,800
I'm just looking at... Yes, the
signalman has actually given us
799
00:44:40,800 --> 00:44:44,760
the signal to pursue into the
station, so it's going to happen.
800
00:44:46,200 --> 00:44:49,040
And the Royal Wessex from London...
801
00:44:50,080 --> 00:44:54,080
..is now making its approach
into Batcombe Station.
802
00:44:58,440 --> 00:44:59,840
Yeah, OK. Lovely.
803
00:44:59,840 --> 00:45:01,520
We're on, so, we're running to time.
804
00:45:03,280 --> 00:45:07,120
The show is a big success
for the OO Gauge Association,
805
00:45:07,120 --> 00:45:11,240
as it has been for Simon Kohler,
back where he belongs.
806
00:45:11,240 --> 00:45:15,960
What wagon hasn't been done,
and what wagon should we do?
807
00:45:15,960 --> 00:45:19,280
That is the thing, that's
one of the reasons we're here.
808
00:45:19,280 --> 00:45:23,200
We're here to help,
and to listen, to advise,
809
00:45:23,200 --> 00:45:27,720
to pick up what we're doing wrong
so we can put it right.
810
00:45:27,720 --> 00:45:29,920
It just wants a washer under it.
811
00:45:29,920 --> 00:45:31,920
Yeah, it does.
Well, not your washer.
812
00:45:31,920 --> 00:45:33,840
We've designed a special washer...
813
00:45:33,840 --> 00:45:36,920
That costs 50 quid?
No, that doesn't cost you anything!
814
00:45:36,920 --> 00:45:39,440
No, I promise you,
it won't cost you anything.
815
00:45:39,440 --> 00:45:43,720
All companies need somebody
who stands out
816
00:45:43,720 --> 00:45:46,920
as the maitre d',
like when you go into a restaurant,
817
00:45:46,920 --> 00:45:48,680
that's who you meet first.
818
00:45:48,680 --> 00:45:50,680
Simon's that person.
819
00:45:50,680 --> 00:45:52,680
You go to Simon,
820
00:45:52,680 --> 00:45:53,920
he smiles at you.
821
00:45:53,920 --> 00:45:55,440
He gives you the information,
822
00:45:55,440 --> 00:45:57,760
you're always
going to buy Hornby products.
823
00:45:59,000 --> 00:46:01,600
But a reminder of how tough a job
Simon faces
824
00:46:01,600 --> 00:46:05,160
turning the company round
soon presents itself...
825
00:46:05,160 --> 00:46:07,480
See you later, guys. See you later.
826
00:46:08,760 --> 00:46:11,840
..as two of the DOGA team pop
down to check out the latest models
827
00:46:11,840 --> 00:46:13,880
from one of Hornby's rivals.
828
00:46:13,880 --> 00:46:15,120
This is what I want to see.
829
00:46:15,120 --> 00:46:19,560
Some Class 66s made and sold
by Hattons in Liverpool.
830
00:46:19,560 --> 00:46:21,280
All right? Yeah, yeah.
831
00:46:21,280 --> 00:46:23,880
Just looking at your prototype
of your 66.
832
00:46:23,880 --> 00:46:25,160
Yeah, yeah.
833
00:46:25,160 --> 00:46:27,360
When's that due? March. March, OK.
834
00:46:27,360 --> 00:46:29,640
Runs well? Very, very well. Yeah?
835
00:46:29,640 --> 00:46:32,760
You've got just over 700g of
loco there... Yeah.
836
00:46:32,760 --> 00:46:34,240
All wheel drive...
837
00:46:34,240 --> 00:46:37,760
Hattons are Britain's biggest model
retailers, with a turnover
838
00:46:37,760 --> 00:46:40,480
of over £15 million last year.
839
00:46:40,480 --> 00:46:43,520
But the fact that they're now
making their own trains as well
840
00:46:43,520 --> 00:46:48,440
makes them both a customer of
Simon's, but also a competitor.
841
00:46:48,440 --> 00:46:51,440
Really nice, really nice.
That is gorgeous.
842
00:46:52,840 --> 00:46:55,320
It's going to be good.
Looking forward to that.
843
00:46:55,320 --> 00:46:58,400
Simon is watching on with interest.
844
00:46:58,400 --> 00:47:01,880
I have to keep my eye on anybody
845
00:47:01,880 --> 00:47:05,760
who makes model railway models,
846
00:47:05,760 --> 00:47:08,280
locomotives, coaches or wagons.
847
00:47:08,280 --> 00:47:09,440
Anybody.
848
00:47:09,440 --> 00:47:11,120
Remember this moment, viewers,
849
00:47:11,120 --> 00:47:14,440
as it leads to a rather dramatic
denouement in episode two,
850
00:47:14,440 --> 00:47:17,160
where Simon takes on two key rivals.
851
00:47:17,160 --> 00:47:20,760
They're all competition,
at the end of the day.
852
00:47:20,760 --> 00:47:23,320
But we're not finished
with this episode yet,
853
00:47:23,320 --> 00:47:27,440
and neither is Jim,
still finishing the F6F Hellcat.
854
00:47:36,800 --> 00:47:38,640
Right. Test.
855
00:47:39,800 --> 00:47:43,480
This part of the engine has got
to fit onto those three intakes
856
00:47:43,480 --> 00:47:46,720
there, and it's also got
to clip into all of these...
857
00:47:48,120 --> 00:47:50,280
..little locating brackets.
858
00:48:06,560 --> 00:48:09,720
Well, the thing that's going
to cause me difficulties,
859
00:48:09,720 --> 00:48:11,840
these bits here.
860
00:48:11,840 --> 00:48:15,120
I might have to get my file out
and take a bit off that.
861
00:48:15,120 --> 00:48:16,640
That millimetre is huge.
862
00:48:16,640 --> 00:48:19,320
If you've got to sand a millimetre,
it'll take you five minutes,
863
00:48:19,320 --> 00:48:22,640
people think a millimetre is, you
know, tiny, tiny, tiny. It's not.
864
00:48:22,640 --> 00:48:25,400
A millimetre of plastic takes
you a long time to grind through.
865
00:48:25,400 --> 00:48:28,000
We're talking a tenth of
a millimetre,
866
00:48:28,000 --> 00:48:30,360
that can be enough
to screw your tolerances.
867
00:48:34,360 --> 00:48:37,320
On Sunday, I was completely
at my wits' end with this,
868
00:48:37,320 --> 00:48:40,000
I was on the point of,
on Monday morning, saying,
869
00:48:40,000 --> 00:48:42,160
"Sorry, you won't be getting it".
870
00:48:42,160 --> 00:48:46,680
But I'm not a quitter.
871
00:48:49,080 --> 00:48:51,000
So, I decided to stick with it.
872
00:48:53,800 --> 00:48:56,840
I think all modellers are a bit
obsessive about detailing.
873
00:48:56,840 --> 00:48:59,800
They're just desperate
to have it right, really.
874
00:49:06,560 --> 00:49:09,880
How do I like my sandwich?
Like this!
875
00:49:09,880 --> 00:49:12,920
That's not something you obsess
about, making a sandwich.
876
00:49:12,920 --> 00:49:15,760
There isn't a right way
or a wrong way, really,
877
00:49:15,760 --> 00:49:18,760
about that - a sandwich
is a sandwich is a sandwich.
878
00:49:18,760 --> 00:49:21,320
You've seen one,
you've seen them all, so...
879
00:49:21,320 --> 00:49:23,200
You could say the same about planes.
880
00:49:23,200 --> 00:49:25,440
You could say the same about planes,
but you'd be wrong.
881
00:49:25,440 --> 00:49:27,520
Tomorrow I'm going to finish it.
882
00:49:27,520 --> 00:49:29,680
It can't go on any longer than that.
883
00:49:29,680 --> 00:49:33,400
All the time it's not finished,
it's just a weight on your mind.
884
00:49:39,440 --> 00:49:42,160
Probably the most common reaction
is "Why do you do it?
885
00:49:42,160 --> 00:49:43,800
"What's the motivation?"
886
00:49:45,360 --> 00:49:47,040
I just find it satisfying.
887
00:49:47,040 --> 00:49:50,320
And it's completely absorbing,
so when you're doing it,
888
00:49:50,320 --> 00:49:53,840
your mind hasn't got time
for any other cares or worries.
889
00:49:53,840 --> 00:49:56,760
You're just completely focused
on what you're doing.
890
00:50:18,760 --> 00:50:20,280
Time to get back to it.
891
00:50:23,760 --> 00:50:27,600
Jim isn't the only person struggling
with the fast approaching deadline
892
00:50:27,600 --> 00:50:29,840
for the Hellcat unveiling.
893
00:50:29,840 --> 00:50:33,440
Back at company HQ, the model
plane team are about to test
894
00:50:33,440 --> 00:50:37,840
their new £100 banner,
designed for the big event.
895
00:50:37,840 --> 00:50:41,680
What we're going to do, we'll
let it drop off that balcony,
896
00:50:41,680 --> 00:50:43,440
just outside the door. Oh, wow.
897
00:50:43,440 --> 00:50:46,400
The banner, and
the Hellcat model itself,
898
00:50:46,400 --> 00:50:49,440
are the responsibility
of head of brand Darrell.
899
00:50:49,440 --> 00:50:52,720
You want to just make sure
that it's right, and also
900
00:50:52,720 --> 00:50:55,320
that we can do what we're going
to do at the show,
901
00:50:55,320 --> 00:50:59,960
which is roll it, and let it fall
over the top of our stand.
902
00:50:59,960 --> 00:51:02,720
Under previous management, Darrell
was moved to the role of
903
00:51:02,720 --> 00:51:06,280
subsidiary and events manager,
whatever that means.
904
00:51:06,280 --> 00:51:07,480
But now he's back,
905
00:51:07,480 --> 00:51:09,920
and ready to put his stamp
on the future of the company.
906
00:51:09,920 --> 00:51:11,920
Once he's secured the banner.
907
00:51:11,920 --> 00:51:14,280
You've got to tie it onto this.
And then that...?
908
00:51:14,280 --> 00:51:17,880
No, no, no. I've got to try to
work it out as we go along!
909
00:51:17,880 --> 00:51:20,680
I don't have a degree in this,
you see. Oh, crikey!
910
00:51:20,680 --> 00:51:24,120
That one? We want it to be tight,
so... Yeah.
911
00:51:24,120 --> 00:51:26,280
We'll never get it off again!
912
00:51:28,280 --> 00:51:32,440
Luckily enough, the barrier at
Telford isn't quite such a thick...
913
00:51:34,080 --> 00:51:37,240
..bar on it, so we shouldn't
have such a problem there.
914
00:51:37,240 --> 00:51:40,280
Shall we get the team
to do the grand countdown?
915
00:51:40,280 --> 00:51:42,880
Three, two, one!
916
00:51:45,280 --> 00:51:47,240
Hurray!
917
00:51:47,240 --> 00:51:49,800
That isn't bad, is it?
I love it, that's brilliant!
918
00:51:49,800 --> 00:51:53,360
It's going to make a statement
above the stand, isn't it? Yeah!
919
00:51:53,360 --> 00:51:55,640
We've got to get it off!
920
00:52:04,960 --> 00:52:08,920
This is the 19th Telford
Scale ModelWorld Exhibition,
921
00:52:08,920 --> 00:52:12,440
the Mecca for manufacturers,
modellers, and collectors
922
00:52:12,440 --> 00:52:14,240
from all over the world.
923
00:52:14,240 --> 00:52:17,840
It is here that Jim's
painstakingly assembled Hellcat
924
00:52:17,840 --> 00:52:20,080
will be revealed to the masses.
925
00:52:21,600 --> 00:52:23,200
Yeah, it's huge, this.
926
00:52:23,200 --> 00:52:26,040
If you haven't been before, you
don't realise how big modelling is.
927
00:52:26,040 --> 00:52:28,960
You think it's a little cult thing,
and then you see all of this,
928
00:52:28,960 --> 00:52:31,320
and then you realise
that it's enormous.
929
00:52:33,840 --> 00:52:37,280
With the venue filling up,
and hundreds more queuing to get in,
930
00:52:37,280 --> 00:52:41,160
there are lots of curious collectors
desperate for a sneak preview
931
00:52:41,160 --> 00:52:43,320
of what is about to be unveiled.
932
00:52:43,320 --> 00:52:47,280
So, Darrell and his team
have to keep a low profile.
933
00:52:51,040 --> 00:52:54,280
The red uniforms
are actually a ruse
934
00:52:54,280 --> 00:52:56,040
to detract from Martin,
935
00:52:56,040 --> 00:52:59,280
tasked with sneaking the Hellcat
in unnoticed.
936
00:53:00,560 --> 00:53:03,840
The plan is to get it onto the stand
without anybody seeing it,
937
00:53:03,840 --> 00:53:06,600
which is going to be fun!
938
00:53:06,600 --> 00:53:09,120
But, between the lobby
and the stand,
939
00:53:09,120 --> 00:53:13,440
lie thousands of prying eyes, all
desperate to see the mystery model.
940
00:53:13,440 --> 00:53:17,560
So, Darrell has deployed a squadron
of decoy cardboard box operatives
941
00:53:17,560 --> 00:53:20,600
to keep any potential snoopers
off the scent.
942
00:53:21,800 --> 00:53:25,320
People will ask us, and try
to wheedle some kind of
943
00:53:25,320 --> 00:53:27,320
information out of us.
944
00:53:27,320 --> 00:53:29,760
But we're trying
not to give anything away.
945
00:53:29,760 --> 00:53:31,720
Yeah, which box is it in?!
946
00:53:31,720 --> 00:53:36,680
Spoiler alert. It's in the box being
followed by our camera crew.
947
00:53:39,280 --> 00:53:42,560
Time for the final phase
in Darrell's plan.
948
00:53:42,560 --> 00:53:45,800
Get the Hellcat out of the box
without being noticed.
949
00:53:50,080 --> 00:53:52,200
Listen, guys,
there's going to have to be
950
00:53:52,200 --> 00:53:55,320
at least one person standing
here from now on, all the time.
951
00:53:58,720 --> 00:54:01,960
As the time of the scheduled
announcement approaches,
952
00:54:01,960 --> 00:54:06,640
the air inside the exhibition hall
is crackling with anticipation.
953
00:54:06,640 --> 00:54:10,120
There are literally hundreds
of suggestions about what this model
954
00:54:10,120 --> 00:54:13,400
might be, or suggestions
about what people would
955
00:54:13,400 --> 00:54:14,760
like this model to be.
956
00:54:14,760 --> 00:54:18,560
Within the modelling world,
a new Airfix kit is always
957
00:54:18,560 --> 00:54:22,440
an opportunity for celebration.
958
00:54:22,440 --> 00:54:24,760
I'm hoping for a Vulcan. Hoping.
959
00:54:24,760 --> 00:54:27,880
But, yeah, we'll see.
I'm quite excited.
960
00:54:27,880 --> 00:54:31,160
I think we're all hoping
for 1:48 Vulcan,
961
00:54:31,160 --> 00:54:32,880
but I don't expect it.
962
00:54:32,880 --> 00:54:35,160
Hope is one thing,
expecting is another.
963
00:54:36,320 --> 00:54:39,840
Well, as the old saying goes,
who needs a 1:48 scale Vulcan
964
00:54:39,840 --> 00:54:42,680
when you can have a 1:24 scale
Hellcat instead?
965
00:54:42,680 --> 00:54:44,560
No-one ever said that.
966
00:54:47,760 --> 00:54:51,280
And it's all thanks, in part,
to this man, Jim.
967
00:54:51,280 --> 00:54:54,000
Happy to stay anonymously
in the queue
968
00:54:54,000 --> 00:54:57,440
before his imminent date with
plastic destiny.
969
00:54:57,440 --> 00:54:59,480
Bit nervous, you know.
970
00:54:59,480 --> 00:55:02,600
Just a bit of natural trepidation
about how people might react
971
00:55:02,600 --> 00:55:05,160
to this thing,
whether they'll like it or not,
972
00:55:05,160 --> 00:55:08,160
I've not done anything like this
at a show like this, no.
973
00:55:08,160 --> 00:55:11,080
This is the biggest thing
I've been involved with,
974
00:55:11,080 --> 00:55:15,000
in terms of a, you know,
big pizzazz announcement.
975
00:55:15,000 --> 00:55:16,720
Here we go.
976
00:55:18,640 --> 00:55:22,200
With minutes to go, Jim just has
time to change into his
977
00:55:22,200 --> 00:55:24,560
Hailsham and District
Modellers Club T-shirt,
978
00:55:24,560 --> 00:55:27,040
before miraculously appearing
at the front of the crowd
979
00:55:27,040 --> 00:55:29,160
in time for the big unveiling.
980
00:55:30,760 --> 00:55:33,480
We've blurred the teenagers
in the front row
981
00:55:33,480 --> 00:55:36,560
to give them a fighting chance
of one day meeting a woman.
982
00:55:36,560 --> 00:55:40,080
Will it be something that grabs
them, or will they go, "Ohh?"
983
00:55:40,080 --> 00:55:41,440
I don't know.
984
00:55:41,440 --> 00:55:44,440
They're probably not going to pump
the air, because they're modellers!
985
00:55:44,440 --> 00:55:46,360
You know, they're reserved people.
986
00:55:47,600 --> 00:55:49,600
Oh, my God.
987
00:55:49,600 --> 00:55:52,600
This is also a big
moment for Darrell.
988
00:55:53,720 --> 00:55:55,120
Is it working?
989
00:55:55,120 --> 00:55:57,600
OK, we're just getting ready here
to do
990
00:55:57,600 --> 00:56:03,160
a major Airfix announcement
for 2019.
991
00:56:03,160 --> 00:56:05,720
So, we hope this is the start
of something
992
00:56:05,720 --> 00:56:08,160
really exciting for yourselves.
993
00:56:08,160 --> 00:56:11,080
Buying it and taking it home
and enjoying building it.
994
00:56:11,080 --> 00:56:13,840
If we do the countdown,
995
00:56:13,840 --> 00:56:18,120
my glamorous assistant at the other
end here, and I, will let go.
996
00:56:18,120 --> 00:56:20,440
And then you can see what it is.
997
00:56:20,440 --> 00:56:24,080
Three, two, one...!
998
00:56:29,240 --> 00:56:33,160
Finally, after more than two years
of design and development,
999
00:56:33,160 --> 00:56:35,400
hundreds of hours of Jim's time
1000
00:56:35,400 --> 00:56:38,080
assembling over 600
intricate pieces,
1001
00:56:38,080 --> 00:56:44,400
the 1:24 scale F6F Hellcat
is a secret no more.
1002
00:56:48,560 --> 00:56:50,960
I think it looks
absolutely spectacular.
1003
00:56:50,960 --> 00:56:52,640
Absolutely spectacular.
1004
00:56:52,640 --> 00:56:54,160
Beautiful kit, beautiful kit.
1005
00:56:54,160 --> 00:56:55,800
Detail's very good.
1006
00:56:55,800 --> 00:56:58,280
Exceptional, really.
1007
00:56:58,280 --> 00:57:00,320
He's right. He's right.
1008
00:57:00,320 --> 00:57:02,240
Not that I'm biased, or anything!
1009
00:57:05,920 --> 00:57:08,480
That's a compliment.
I'll take that one.
1010
00:57:10,880 --> 00:57:15,280
The Hellcat's first run of 5,000
models sold out within a month.
1011
00:57:15,280 --> 00:57:19,840
The fastest selling
new release in five years.
1012
00:57:19,840 --> 00:57:24,400
The public acknowledge
that Airfix is back in business.
1013
00:57:24,400 --> 00:57:29,520
Airfix is rediscovering
some of its past.
1014
00:57:29,520 --> 00:57:34,280
And also, I want the public
excited for the future.
1015
00:57:40,040 --> 00:57:44,000
But, for Jim, this was never
really about business.
1016
00:57:44,000 --> 00:57:46,080
This was a model plane assembler,
1017
00:57:46,080 --> 00:57:49,280
tasked with the biggest job
in his modelling life.
1018
00:57:49,280 --> 00:57:53,040
He's right - there were no fist
pumps to accompany his Hellcat,
1019
00:57:53,040 --> 00:57:55,760
but there were enough looks
of grudging respect
1020
00:57:55,760 --> 00:57:59,800
to make all the weeks of toil
worthwhile.
1021
00:57:59,800 --> 00:58:01,200
See you later.
1022
00:58:05,360 --> 00:58:08,480
Art is its own reward.
1023
00:58:13,560 --> 00:58:15,160
Whoa!
1024
00:58:15,160 --> 00:58:19,560
Well, that hour flew by like
a 462 Princess Class locomotive
1025
00:58:19,560 --> 00:58:22,120
with the transformer
cranked up to 11!
1026
00:58:22,120 --> 00:58:23,920
Wait until you see part two!
1027
00:58:23,920 --> 00:58:25,440
There's a fight in that.
1028
00:58:25,440 --> 00:58:26,680
Goodnight.
134279
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