Hornby: A Model World Steams into Yesterday
Hornby: A Model World starts on Yesterday on Monday 11th October at 9pm
In a new UKTV Original series on Yesterday, we have opened our doors to reveal how our dedicated team of designers and engineers go to enormous lengths in scaling down locomotives, cars, aircraft and the like so that we can produce replica models as near perfect as possible.
There’s a chance to marvel at Britain’s best model layout builders, creating miniature masterpieces in lofts and sheds across the land. These dedicated enthusiasts spend hundreds of hours building perfect replicas of towns, villages and landscapes for their locos to travel through and nothing but perfect authenticity will do in their model world.
From century old steam engines to cutting edge racing cars. Each programme follows the process from drawing board to perfect mini replica. The series observes the ups and downs of the design process as the teams attempt to get the all-important detail spot on, whether it’s perfecting the sound of a 1930’s steam loco or the stitching on a First World War fighter plane.
Episode 1:
The Hornby team go back to their illustrious past when they decide to launch a metal diecast replica of a 1940s steam locomotive, the Merchant Navy, General Steam Navigation. The limited edition Dublo model harks back to the early metal Hornby models of the 1930s, before they started to be fitted with plastic bodies in the 60s. The high price and limited production run means that it’s more important than ever to get every detail right. It’s a passion project for Development Director Simon Kohler who fondly remembers his brother getting one for Christmas as a child. It’s a bittersweet moment as his Mum could only afford one set for the children since their father died.
Engineer Chris Reilly fulfils a dream and spends the day recording every sound produced by a Light Pacific locomotive at the heritage railway in Swanage. Authenticity is key and it’s vital that the company’s latest venture, adding sound to their locos, is carried out with the precision and accuracy that their customers demand. Can Chris get what he needs? Model Railway enthusiast Callum Willcox recreates in perfect miniature, part of the now defunct Somerset and Dorset railway line, using loft insulation and a lot of patience.
Episode 2:
In Episode 2 experienced Corgi (and Hornby!) designer Carl, has a challenge on his hands attempting to recreate a World War One biplane as a 1:48 scale Corgi model.
In Bexhill-on-Sea a team are working hard to shrink the seaside town into a huge 10 metre square model in time for Christmas. They’re building the Bexhill of the winter of 1940, when there was so much snow it was thrown into the sea. Behind the scenes the whole project is the brainchild of their celebrity benefactor.
After years of working at the company, Hornby’s Head of Development finally builds his first ever layout. He’s hoping it’ll make a great present for his grandson.
Head of Facilities, Dave, oversees a major operation to swap two full sized railway carriages in the 1:1 Collection, which in planned to be opened as a tourist attraction in the future. In the meantime, one 35 tonne coach has to get onto a low loader, and another brought in.
Episode 3:
Fresh faced designer Sam has a challenge on his hands, designing a model of Sir Winston Churchill’s Funeral Hearse. Straight from university this is a big test for Sam, who’ll need to make sure that every rivet is present, and there’s almost a thousand! Hornby customers demand perfect detail and Sam’s boss Simon will be watching him like a hawk. Fortunately, Sam gets to see the full sized original version of the coach up close and in person.
In contrast, modeller Laurie never has to replicate real world detail, that’s because he’s building a science fiction steampunk themed layout called Cato Pass. He works by adapting Hornby locomotives and turning them into completely different models.
First time modeller Simon George is building Britain’s biggest model railway layout, based on his childhood memories of Heaton Lodge Junction in Wakefield in 1983, but when it comes to pouring a river made out of resin, Simon soon becomes unstuck.
Hornby’s headquarters are under attack from the skies, not by foreign invaders, but by seagulls! Facilities Manager Dave has a job on his hands when their nests block drains, and the factory gets flooded.
Episode 4:
Head of development, Simon, has a challenge on his hands to push Hornby’s replica of the West Coast Main Line train, the APT to top speed. The 155-mph tilting train was scrapped after only a few years of service, but Hornby hope the 80s icon, a forerunner of today’s Pendolino, will prove popular. Researcher James, takes a visit to one of the last surviving APTs to check the colour of the model matches the train and to see its legendary tilt.
Record Producer, Pete Waterman, has been commissioned by Chester Cathedral to construct a monster layout in tribute to the unsung 19th century railway builder Thomas Brassey. At 74 feet, the replica of the West Coast Mainline is the longest track he’s ever built, so long he won’t be able to test it until it’s installed in the Cathedral.
Hornby’s Video Content Producer, Mike Day is making a promotional video for Hornby’s Railroad Range. Mike hopes his new macro lens will give him new and exciting angles and a rocking soundtrack will draw in the younger fans.
Episode 5:
Young designer, Paramjit takes on the challenge of building a new version of the iconic RAF fighter of World War 2, the Spitfire. This version is aimed at the next generation of Airfix customers aged 8 and over and so is made of far fewer components but must still have the all-important detail and quality that the company demands.
Development Director Simon ushers in an original Hawker Hunter jet which once stood outside Airfix’s factory in Humberside. He hopes the Cold War fighter can be placed on the roof of the Hornby building and will become a local landmark.
A 17-year-old enthusiast attempts to emulate his hero by building every part of his first layout from scratch, which results in some messy modelling using plaster of paris and some curiously named seafoam.
A Youtuber tries to see how fast he can make a model train run and fuses his entire house in the process and the Hornby team run into problems fixing a customer’s loco, can they sort the problem out and return the model to its concerned owner? Finally, a Hampshire-based railway modeller creates a brand new layout in a giant barn fit for his childhood 1960s Hornby clockwork trains.
Episode 6:
Young Airfix designer Paramjit, takes on his biggest project to date as he uses twenty first century technology to turn a World War two fighter-bomber aircraft into a model kit that will fit in the palm of your hand. After visiting an original Mosquito at the de Havilland aircraft museum, Paramjit attempts to shrink the wooden wonder to 1:72 scale, whilst keeping every detail as accurate as possible. But can he get it right, or will he have to compromise on the landing gear if his model is to stand firm?
A vintage car restorer and railway layout builder adds to his gritty Eighties themed model complete with car scrapyard and graffiti and reveals the secret of how he ages his railway locos and carriages to give them an authentic looking layer of dirt. He even uses a 3D printer to create vintage looking scrap washing machines to pile up in a corner of the yard - all to remind him of the Watford of his youth!
And Hornby’s finest minds try to fix a broken train returned by a customer. Is it the mechanics or the decoder that’s at fault?
Episode 7:
The team at Hornby get wind of a plan by a rival company to produce a competitor to one of their best-selling models, the HST or Intercity 125. Launched in the 1970s the train holds a special place in the hearts of many, so the pressure is on to overhaul the current miniature model to make it more accurate and therefore more desirable to discerning enthusiasts. Can Steve, Carl and Don solve the problem of the tricky coupling mechanism that has dogged earlier incarnations? Sound engineer Ken is passing on his forty years of experience to trainee Chris in the idyllic surrounding of the Kent and East Sussex Railway where steam trains still run and the sounds of yesteryear can be captured for Hornby’s audio library. The Airfix team have their work cut out getting models of the iconic Ford Mustang to market.
They’re aimed at children, so need to be eye-catching and robust and must be ready in time for the lucrative summer holiday market. Layout builder and influencer Jenny Kirk tries to inspire her followers to take things to the extreme by attempting her most ambitious build to date, a surreal track that runs trains upside down.
Episode 8:
Head of Brand, Montana hopes to persuade boss Simon to invest in a new product designed to attract the next generation of customers with Playtrains!
Young designer Tom has his work cut out creating a new model of the record-breaking British jet, the 'Vampire' with its unusual space age look. Other models have not been as stable as he would like, so he comes up with a unique way of building the kit to overcome the problem. Selling a kit relies not just on what’s in the box, but also what’s on the box, so illustrator Adam has been brought in to create an iconic image which will really excite potential buyers.
Two railway enthusiasts work together to extend a steam locomotive layout who are passionate about the detail, so every brick and blade of grass needs to look just right!
Episode 9:
The Hornby team race to complete a model of a brand new steam locomotive being made by a band of dedicated enthusiasts in Darlington.
The giant LNER P2007, The Prince of Wales, is only the seventh of these enormous locos ever to be built. Hornby’s Development Director Simon Kohler is determined that they will be the first company to bring a model of this giant to market. There are problems along the way replicating tiny details and reducing the height of the cab, before the model can be given the green light and Simon is able to announce it to the discerning buyers.
Near Hull, one of Britain’s most accomplished layout builders is putting the finishing touches to his latest venture. He’s spent five years painstakingly recreating the Staffordshire breweries of the nineteenth century, making sure every brick and chimney is scaled down accurately and every detail is correct. He’s cast, customised and painted two hundred individual figures to populate the set and now all that remains is to put the final pieces in place and run the first trains along the track.
Finally, enthusiast Sam Turner puts Hornby trains to the test in his Nottinghamshire loft and attempts to discover the steepest gradient he can persuade a locomotive to climb.
