James May's Toy Stories
Encyclopedia
James May's Toy Stories is a television series presented by James May
. The series was commissioned for BBC Two
from Plum Pictures. The first episode, "Airfix", was shown on BBC Two
at 8:00 pm on Tuesday 27 October 2009.
The premise of the 6-part show was to bring favourite toys of the past into the modern era, by using the toys in real life large scale enterprises. In each episode, he also explores the history of each toy.
In Airfix, he builds a full-sized model of a Spitfire
WWII
fighter plane, using the plastic moulding and assembly technique used in the Airfix
self-assembly plastic toy scale model range. In Plasticine, he models a full-sized garden out of the toy modelling clay Plasticine
, as an exhibit in the Chelsea Flower Show
. In Meccano, he builds a full-sized footbridge out of the mechanical construction toy range Meccano
, to cross a canal in Liverpool
. In Scalextric, he reconstructs the Brooklands
racing circuit in full size using the slot-car toy racing track used by the Scalextric
range. In Lego, he builds a full-sized house in Dorking
out of the Lego
toy model brick range. In Hornby, he re-lays a railway track along 10 miles (16.1 km) of a disused full-sized railway, the Tarka Trail
, using the 1:76.2 scale
track used in the Hornby Railways
model train range. Of the six episodes, the Hornby attempt was the only one that failed; May revisited it in 2011 with a follow-up episode, The Great Train Race.
and James May's Big Ideas
. He credits much of the inventiveness of humans to the love of playing with toys and he has credited many technological developments to men playing in sheds. He has shown his passion for toys in programmes he has presented including James May's Top Toys
and James May: My Sisters' Top Toys and he has discussed his desire for children to get away from games consoles and play with real toys preferably with their parents. May was quoted as saying:
s, designers and engineers to help them. However, many more volunteers would be required as a labour force, so appeals for volunteers were distributed in local newspapers.
until November 2009. In October 2010, the Spitfire returned to Cosford's Hanger 1.
for the 2009 Chelsea Flower Show
. He missed out on the official awards but won 'The People's Choice' award and was also awarded a special "Plasticine Gold" Award for his efforts. May refused to take credit for the garden, the largest of its kind, saying that 2,000 volunteers assisted with the venture.
In July 2009, the garden was moved to Sudbury Hall in Derbyshire, and was placed on permanent display in the upper mall of the Octagon Shopping Centre in Burton upon Trent
in February 2010.
by Architecture students John Carroll, Daniel Dobson and Josh Woods, and was then engineered by the design and engineering consultancy Atkins. The bridge comprises two parts; a swing bridge
and a rolling bascule bridge
, which in total weigh about tonne. It took 20 students and technicians more than 10 weeks to build, enlisting help from the University of Liverpool's Engineering Department to manage the project. The bridge's two sides have 14 sections within the swing side and 22 sections within the bascule side. Each section required around 40 hours to build to a sufficient standard. It was situated in the heart of Liverpool
's newly redeveloped Pier Head
. As the home to Meccano for more than 70 years during the running of the Binns Road 'factory of dreams' until 1979, Liverpool is an appropriate location for the bridge. It is also believed to be a new world record
for the biggest Meccano bridge ever built, with over 100,000 individual parts per side — including 28,000 bolts. After the successful completion of the project the student project managers were invited to the Lego House in Episode 5 for a party as a reward for their efforts.
Both sections of the bridge have remained at the University of Liverpool, with one of the two sections on public display within the engineering department.
in Scalextric
track.
The 2.95 miles (4.7 km) long track was assembled by 400 volunteers who used approximately 20,000 Scalextric pieces. The project faced a number of obstacles as James insisted on using the route of the original Brooklands track, most of which has now been demolished and built over. Obstacles including residential housing, commercial buildings, fences, a road, and the most challenging obstacle - a large pond. The track broke the world record for the longest successful Scalextric track, with the previous record measuring 1.59 miles (2.6 km).
The race had two teams. Volunteers (often referred to, in the show, as "Tom's Team"; Tom Ferris being a participant from a nearby company) and residents of Brooklands
against "Scalextric Professionals". The race used multiple drivers in a relay, with each 'driver' racing one part of track as a single power unit could not power the whole track and one person would not be able to run the length of the track. The cars briefly stopped due to crashing off the track, the contacts acquiring dirt and flawed changeovers. Tiff Needell
guested as the race reporter. The volunteers raced a maroon Aston Martin DBS V12
model and the professionals raced a silver Mercedes-Benz SLR McLaren
. The Aston Martin won the race by a few minutes.
Volunteers made standardised hollow blocks each made of 272 standard 8-stud Lego
bricks: 12 bricks long by 6 wide and 8 bricks high. The house was completed on 17 September 2009. Overall, the construction project overran by one month.
The programme makers attempted to sell the house to the Legoland
theme park in Windsor
. However, the cost of dismantling and reassembling the house was estimated at £50,000 which was judged to be too expensive, and the deal did not go through. Having spent one night in the house, May said "I slept in it on Friday and had the best night's sleep for a long time. The bed was a bit hard but I slept like a brick. Knocking it down is just wrong on every level. It's a lovely thing — it will break the hearts of the 1,000 people who worked like dogs to build it. During the construction, James May
noticed that one of the plastic bricks on the outside wall of the house, which was supposed to be entirely red, contained one pink lego piece on the outer rim. James May
sarcastically said on air that he "hated" the volunteer who did this, as it upset the colour and balance of the house.
The house could not remain at Denbies because the space was needed for vines and there was no planning permission
. Despite attempts to save the house, dismantling the house began on Tuesday 22 September 2009. Before the demolition, on Sunday or Tuesday a Lego cat named Fusker, after May's own pet, went missing and is assumed to have been stolen by a member of the public — a few of whom had been allowed to look round the house after filming. The 3.3 million plastic bricks used to build the house will be donated to charity.
– a disused 37 miles (59.5 km) long railway line acquired by the local council in 1990 and which was converted for use as an off-road cycle track. May chose the site because he thought that people wanted to see a line rebuilt there and because of the dramatic scenery. May joined 400 enthusiasts, including students from Petroc, to build the miniature railway stretching 10 miles (16.1 km) from Barnstaple
to Bideford
, in North Devon
.
The attempt was disrupted by vandals and thieves who interfered with the track. Coins were dropped on to the line, causing short circuits and some batteries and parts of the track were taken.
Simon Kohler, marketing manager of Hornby model railways
, said that the train which travels at just 1 miles per hour (1.6 km/h) failed two miles short of Bideford station; but he also told BBC news "Even though the last locomotive gave up the ghost at Instow, we did link the track – in fact I finished it at about 2230 – so we'll just need to wait and see what Guinness make of it.
As shown in the programme, five trains set off on the track. The first, James' own 1970s-vintage Flying Scotsman
model, failed very early (it had been out of use for many years). The other trains were chosen to reflect the original services on the line: a steam-hauled passenger train (a rebuilt SR 'West Country' class locomotive and Pullman
coaches), to represent the Atlantic Coast Express
; a diesel-hauled passenger train (a BR Class 42 Warship
with Mark 1 coaches
), to represent the 'everyday' passenger services; a diesel-hauled goods train (EWS
-liveried Class 37
and hopper wagons), to represent the clay trains that ran to Fremington Quay
; and the prototype of Hornby's Class 395 "Javelin"
model. Passing sections allowed the faster models to overtake the slower ones. The "West Country" locomotive had been carried by Oz Clarke
on trains from London Waterloo to Barnstaple, to replicate the original route of the Atlantic Coast Express. The Javelin was the last train running.
(including one of its founders) who had assisted in the first toy train attempt raced against a team from Britain, again between and in North Devon
. The new challenge was to race three different types of trains from one end of the track and see who could get to the other station first, with each team starting at opposite ends. May asked for help from the local marines to guard the components as last time batteries and track were stolen and coins were placed on the track causing short circuits. A different, sturdier type of track was used from the previous attempt, as was a new battery system to power it; the length of the track was divided in 100 yard insulated sections with two batteries, one would power the section the train was on and the other would power the next section and the first battery would move to the section after the second battery when the train moved into the second battery's section. This time, for most of the route, two parallel tracks were laid to avoid the opposing trains meeting head-on.
The German Team started at Bideford and the British Team at Barnstaple. The race was a best of three rounds. The first round used steam locomotives, the Germans using a model German DR Class 58.30
and the British using James' own childhood model LNER Class A3 4472 Flying Scotsman
– "with realistic chuffing sound" – which had been repaired since the last attempt and was driven by Oz Clarke. The second race involved a German DB Class 403
diesel train, nicknamed the "Donald Duck
", and a British Railways InterCity 125
. The third round featured modified trains driven by any power source the teams could come up with:
The Germans were the first to complete the full journey with the Donald Duck. The British then won the second round with their hydrogen fuel cell train, and the third round was also won by the British with the Flying Scotsman after the German DR58 steam locomotive had problems. James May, after the crushing disappointment from the first attempt, was emotional that his Flying Scotsman model had made it to Bideford, and was delighted that the mechanically generated "realistic chuffing sound" was still working.
Several of the engines that finished had problems which were fixed en-route. The Flying Scotsman had to have a new chassis block, the "Donald Duck" had two breakdowns due to a faulty gearbox, both within view of the finishing point, and the German steam BR58 limped along very slowly with unspecified problems to finish last of all the trains several hours after the others. Both experimental trains that finished had reliable power sources but major issues with top-heavy stability. All six trains eventually arrived at their destination.
The episode aired on BBC 2, 12 June 2011 at 8:00pm.
The British models (and the track) were made by Hornby Railways
, the German models used were made under the Rivarossi brand, which is also owned by Hornby.
, but lost out to the eventual winner, Masterchef: The Professionals.
James released a well-received book in conjunction with the series, through Conway Publishing
(2009).
James May
James Daniel May is an English television presenter, journalist and writer. He is best known for his role as co-presenter of the award-winning motoring programme Top Gear alongside Jeremy Clarkson and Richard Hammond....
. The series was commissioned for BBC Two
BBC Two
BBC Two is the second television channel operated by the British Broadcasting Corporation in the United Kingdom. It covers a wide range of subject matter, but tending towards more 'highbrow' programmes than the more mainstream and popular BBC One. Like the BBC's other domestic TV and radio...
from Plum Pictures. The first episode, "Airfix", was shown on BBC Two
BBC Two
BBC Two is the second television channel operated by the British Broadcasting Corporation in the United Kingdom. It covers a wide range of subject matter, but tending towards more 'highbrow' programmes than the more mainstream and popular BBC One. Like the BBC's other domestic TV and radio...
at 8:00 pm on Tuesday 27 October 2009.
The premise of the 6-part show was to bring favourite toys of the past into the modern era, by using the toys in real life large scale enterprises. In each episode, he also explores the history of each toy.
In Airfix, he builds a full-sized model of a Spitfire
Supermarine Spitfire
The Supermarine Spitfire is a British single-seat fighter aircraft that was used by the Royal Air Force and many other Allied countries throughout the Second World War. The Spitfire continued to be used as a front line fighter and in secondary roles into the 1950s...
WWII
World War II
World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
fighter plane, using the plastic moulding and assembly technique used in the Airfix
Airfix
Airfix is a UK manufacturer of plastic scale model kits of aircraft and other subjects. In Britain, the name Airfix is synonymous with the hobby, a plastic model of this type is often simply referred to as "an airfix kit" even if made by another manufacturer....
self-assembly plastic toy scale model range. In Plasticine, he models a full-sized garden out of the toy modelling clay Plasticine
Plasticine
Plasticine, a brand of modelling clay, is a putty-like modelling material made from calcium salts, petroleum jelly and aliphatic acids. The name is a registered trademark of Flair Leisure Products plc...
, as an exhibit in the Chelsea Flower Show
Chelsea Flower Show
The RHS Chelsea Flower Show, formally known as the Great Spring Show, is a garden show held for five days in May by the Royal Horticultural Society in the grounds of the Royal Hospital Chelsea in Chelsea, London...
. In Meccano, he builds a full-sized footbridge out of the mechanical construction toy range Meccano
Meccano
Meccano is a model construction system comprising re-usable metal strips, plates, angle girders, wheels, axles and gears, with nuts and bolts to connect the pieces. It enables the building of working models and mechanical devices....
, to cross a canal in Liverpool
Liverpool
Liverpool is a city and metropolitan borough of Merseyside, England, along the eastern side of the Mersey Estuary. It was founded as a borough in 1207 and was granted city status in 1880...
. In Scalextric, he reconstructs the Brooklands
Brooklands
Brooklands was a motor racing circuit and aerodrome built near Weybridge in Surrey, England. It opened in 1907, and was the world's first purpose-built motorsport venue, as well as one of Britain's first airfields...
racing circuit in full size using the slot-car toy racing track used by the Scalextric
Scalextric
Scalextric is a toy brand for a range of slot car racing sets which first appeared in the late 1950s, as a creation of British firm Minimodels. The brand is currently owned and distributed by Hornby.-History:...
range. In Lego, he builds a full-sized house in Dorking
Dorking
Dorking is a historic market town at the foot of the North Downs approximately south of London, in Surrey, England.- History and development :...
out of the Lego
Lego
Lego is a line of construction toys manufactured by the Lego Group, a privately held company based in Billund, Denmark. The company's flagship product, Lego, consists of colorful interlocking plastic bricks and an accompanying array of gears, minifigures and various other parts...
toy model brick range. In Hornby, he re-lays a railway track along 10 miles (16.1 km) of a disused full-sized railway, the Tarka Trail
Tarka Trail
The Tarka Trail is a series of footpaths and cyclepaths around north Devon, England that follow the route taken by Tarka the Otter in the book of that name. It is a figure-of-eight route, based on Barnstaple, and covers some of path....
, using the 1:76.2 scale
OO gauge
OO gauge or OO scale model railways are the most popular standard-gauge model railway tracks in the U.K. This track gauge is one of several 4mm-scale standards used, but it is the only one to be served by the major manufacturers...
track used in the Hornby Railways
Hornby Railways
Hornby Railways is the leading brand of model railway in the United Kingdom. Its roots date back to 1901, when founder Frank Hornby received a patent for his Meccano construction toy. The first clockwork train was produced in 1920. In 1938, Hornby launched its first 00 gauge train...
model train range. Of the six episodes, the Hornby attempt was the only one that failed; May revisited it in 2011 with a follow-up episode, The Great Train Race.
Background
May's interest in technology is known from his presentation of such programmes as James May's 20th CenturyJames May's 20th Century
James May's 20th Century is a television series first aired on 10 July 2007 on the British terrestrial channel BBC Two. The series is a co-production by the BBC and the Open University....
and James May's Big Ideas
James May's Big Ideas
James May's Big Ideas is a three-part British television miniseries in which James May, a journalist and self-acknowledged geek travels the globe in search of implementations for concepts widely considered science fiction, or his big ideas...
. He credits much of the inventiveness of humans to the love of playing with toys and he has credited many technological developments to men playing in sheds. He has shown his passion for toys in programmes he has presented including James May's Top Toys
James May's Top Toys
James May's Top Toys is a BBC documentary in which James May explored and celebrated his favourite toys, including Etch-A-Sketch, Airfix model aeroplanes, Lego, Meccano, Top Trumps, Scalextric, model cars, and Hornby model trains....
and James May: My Sisters' Top Toys and he has discussed his desire for children to get away from games consoles and play with real toys preferably with their parents. May was quoted as saying:
Episode list
The ambitious — world record-breaking in many cases — projects included:| Episode | Title | Original airdate | Summary |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | "Airfix Airfix Airfix is a UK manufacturer of plastic scale model kits of aircraft and other subjects. In Britain, the name Airfix is synonymous with the hobby, a plastic model of this type is often simply referred to as "an airfix kit" even if made by another manufacturer.... " |
27 October 2009 | Attempting to build a full-sized model Spitfire from a giant Airfix Airfix Airfix is a UK manufacturer of plastic scale model kits of aircraft and other subjects. In Britain, the name Airfix is synonymous with the hobby, a plastic model of this type is often simply referred to as "an airfix kit" even if made by another manufacturer.... kit. |
| 2 | "Plasticine Plasticine Plasticine, a brand of modelling clay, is a putty-like modelling material made from calcium salts, petroleum jelly and aliphatic acids. The name is a registered trademark of Flair Leisure Products plc... " |
3 November 2009 | Creating a Plasticine Plasticine Plasticine, a brand of modelling clay, is a putty-like modelling material made from calcium salts, petroleum jelly and aliphatic acids. The name is a registered trademark of Flair Leisure Products plc... garden and entering it for the 2009 Chelsea Flower Show Chelsea Flower Show The RHS Chelsea Flower Show, formally known as the Great Spring Show, is a garden show held for five days in May by the Royal Horticultural Society in the grounds of the Royal Hospital Chelsea in Chelsea, London... . |
| 3 | "Meccano Meccano Meccano is a model construction system comprising re-usable metal strips, plates, angle girders, wheels, axles and gears, with nuts and bolts to connect the pieces. It enables the building of working models and mechanical devices.... " |
10 November 2009 | Building a life-sized rolling bascule bridge Bascule bridge A bascule bridge is a moveable bridge with a counterweight that continuously balances the span, or "leaf," throughout the entire upward swing in providing clearance for boat traffic.... made entirely out of Meccano Meccano Meccano is a model construction system comprising re-usable metal strips, plates, angle girders, wheels, axles and gears, with nuts and bolts to connect the pieces. It enables the building of working models and mechanical devices.... . |
| 4 | "Scalextric Scalextric Scalextric is a toy brand for a range of slot car racing sets which first appeared in the late 1950s, as a creation of British firm Minimodels. The brand is currently owned and distributed by Hornby.-History:... " |
17 November 2009 | Racing two Scalextric cars at the site of former grand prix track Brooklands Brooklands Brooklands was a motor racing circuit and aerodrome built near Weybridge in Surrey, England. It opened in 1907, and was the world's first purpose-built motorsport venue, as well as one of Britain's first airfields... in Surrey. |
| 5 | "Lego Lego Lego is a line of construction toys manufactured by the Lego Group, a privately held company based in Billund, Denmark. The company's flagship product, Lego, consists of colorful interlocking plastic bricks and an accompanying array of gears, minifigures and various other parts... " |
20 December 2009 | Attempting to build the world's first full-sized house made entirely out of Lego Lego Lego is a line of construction toys manufactured by the Lego Group, a privately held company based in Billund, Denmark. The company's flagship product, Lego, consists of colorful interlocking plastic bricks and an accompanying array of gears, minifigures and various other parts... bricks. |
| 6 | "Hornby Hornby Railways Hornby Railways is the leading brand of model railway in the United Kingdom. Its roots date back to 1901, when founder Frank Hornby received a patent for his Meccano construction toy. The first clockwork train was produced in 1920. In 1938, Hornby launched its first 00 gauge train... " |
25 December 2009 | Linking Barnstaple Barnstaple Barnstaple is a town and civil parish in the local government district of North Devon in the county of Devon, England, UK. It lies west southwest of Bristol, north of Plymouth and northwest of the county town of Exeter. The old spelling Barnstable is now obsolete.It is the main town of the... to Bideford Bideford Bideford is a small port town on the estuary of the River Torridge in north Devon, south-west England. It is also the main town of the Torridge local government district.-History:... with the world's longest model train set Train set A train set is a set, normally consisting of a model train and a small circle or oval of track. A set of rail tracks of more appropriate size for a train set is a model railroad layout... . |
| (7) | "The Great Train Race" | 12 June 2011 | 2011 Special: Re-attempt of the OO-gauge challenge between Barnstaple and Bideford, racing against a German team from Miniatur Wunderland. |
Original plans
Many of the plans involved significant engineering problems, so the programme makers searched for architectArchitect
An architect is a person trained in the planning, design and oversight of the construction of buildings. To practice architecture means to offer or render services in connection with the design and construction of a building, or group of buildings and the space within the site surrounding the...
s, designers and engineers to help them. However, many more volunteers would be required as a labour force, so appeals for volunteers were distributed in local newspapers.
James May's Airfix Model (Episode 1)
James successfully constructs a model Spitfire, on a scale of 1:1, by having the pieces constructed out of fibreglass by Gateguards in Cornwall. Once the fibreglass pieces have been made, it becomes clear that they cannot support their own weight without internal polystyrene supports. The model was completed and placed on display at the Royal Air Force Museum CosfordRoyal Air Force Museum Cosford
The Royal Air Force Museum Cosford is a museum dedicated to the history of aviation, and the Royal Air Force in particular. The museum is a non-departmental public body sponsored by the Department for Culture, Media and Sport and a registered charity...
until November 2009. In October 2010, the Spitfire returned to Cosford's Hanger 1.
James May's Plasticine Garden (Episode 2)
May designed a garden named "Paradise in Plasticine" made entirely of PlasticinePlasticine
Plasticine, a brand of modelling clay, is a putty-like modelling material made from calcium salts, petroleum jelly and aliphatic acids. The name is a registered trademark of Flair Leisure Products plc...
for the 2009 Chelsea Flower Show
Chelsea Flower Show
The RHS Chelsea Flower Show, formally known as the Great Spring Show, is a garden show held for five days in May by the Royal Horticultural Society in the grounds of the Royal Hospital Chelsea in Chelsea, London...
. He missed out on the official awards but won 'The People's Choice' award and was also awarded a special "Plasticine Gold" Award for his efforts. May refused to take credit for the garden, the largest of its kind, saying that 2,000 volunteers assisted with the venture.
In July 2009, the garden was moved to Sudbury Hall in Derbyshire, and was placed on permanent display in the upper mall of the Octagon Shopping Centre in Burton upon Trent
Burton upon Trent
Burton upon Trent, also known as Burton-on-Trent or simply Burton, is a town straddling the River Trent in the east of Staffordshire, England. Its associated adjective is "Burtonian"....
in February 2010.
James May's Meccano Bridge (Episode 3)
In September 2009, May unveiled a life-sized Meccano bridge 23 metres (75.5 ft) long. The scheme was designed at the University of LiverpoolUniversity of Liverpool
The University of Liverpool is a teaching and research university in the city of Liverpool, England. It is a member of the Russell Group of large research-intensive universities and the N8 Group for research collaboration. Founded in 1881 , it is also one of the six original "red brick" civic...
by Architecture students John Carroll, Daniel Dobson and Josh Woods, and was then engineered by the design and engineering consultancy Atkins. The bridge comprises two parts; a swing bridge
Swing bridge
A swing bridge is a movable bridge that has as its primary structural support a vertical locating pin and support ring, usually at or near to its centre of gravity, about which the turning span can then pivot horizontally as shown in the animated illustration to the right...
and a rolling bascule bridge
Bascule bridge
A bascule bridge is a moveable bridge with a counterweight that continuously balances the span, or "leaf," throughout the entire upward swing in providing clearance for boat traffic....
, which in total weigh about tonne. It took 20 students and technicians more than 10 weeks to build, enlisting help from the University of Liverpool's Engineering Department to manage the project. The bridge's two sides have 14 sections within the swing side and 22 sections within the bascule side. Each section required around 40 hours to build to a sufficient standard. It was situated in the heart of Liverpool
Liverpool
Liverpool is a city and metropolitan borough of Merseyside, England, along the eastern side of the Mersey Estuary. It was founded as a borough in 1207 and was granted city status in 1880...
's newly redeveloped Pier Head
Pier Head
The Pier Head is a riverside location in the city centre of Liverpool, England. It is part of the Liverpool Maritime Mercantile City UNESCO World Heritage Site, which was inscribed in 2004....
. As the home to Meccano for more than 70 years during the running of the Binns Road 'factory of dreams' until 1979, Liverpool is an appropriate location for the bridge. It is also believed to be a new world record
World record
A world record is usually the best global performance ever recorded and verified in a specific skill or sport. The book Guinness World Records collates and publishes notable records of all types, from first and best to worst human achievements, to extremes in the natural world and beyond...
for the biggest Meccano bridge ever built, with over 100,000 individual parts per side — including 28,000 bolts. After the successful completion of the project the student project managers were invited to the Lego House in Episode 5 for a party as a reward for their efforts.
Both sections of the bridge have remained at the University of Liverpool, with one of the two sections on public display within the engineering department.
James May's Scalextric race of Brooklands (Episode 4)
May re-created the banked track at BrooklandsBrooklands
Brooklands was a motor racing circuit and aerodrome built near Weybridge in Surrey, England. It opened in 1907, and was the world's first purpose-built motorsport venue, as well as one of Britain's first airfields...
in Scalextric
Scalextric
Scalextric is a toy brand for a range of slot car racing sets which first appeared in the late 1950s, as a creation of British firm Minimodels. The brand is currently owned and distributed by Hornby.-History:...
track.
The 2.95 miles (4.7 km) long track was assembled by 400 volunteers who used approximately 20,000 Scalextric pieces. The project faced a number of obstacles as James insisted on using the route of the original Brooklands track, most of which has now been demolished and built over. Obstacles including residential housing, commercial buildings, fences, a road, and the most challenging obstacle - a large pond. The track broke the world record for the longest successful Scalextric track, with the previous record measuring 1.59 miles (2.6 km).
The race had two teams. Volunteers (often referred to, in the show, as "Tom's Team"; Tom Ferris being a participant from a nearby company) and residents of Brooklands
Brooklands
Brooklands was a motor racing circuit and aerodrome built near Weybridge in Surrey, England. It opened in 1907, and was the world's first purpose-built motorsport venue, as well as one of Britain's first airfields...
against "Scalextric Professionals". The race used multiple drivers in a relay, with each 'driver' racing one part of track as a single power unit could not power the whole track and one person would not be able to run the length of the track. The cars briefly stopped due to crashing off the track, the contacts acquiring dirt and flawed changeovers. Tiff Needell
Tiff Needell
Timothy "Tiff" Needell isa British racing driver and television presenter. He is best known as a former co-presenter of Top Gear and current co-presenter of Fifth Gear.-Biography:...
guested as the race reporter. The volunteers raced a maroon Aston Martin DBS V12
Aston Martin DBS V12
The modern Aston Martin DBS is a high performance GT sports car from the UK manufacturer Aston Martin. Aston has used the DBS name once before on their 1967–72 grand tourer coupe...
model and the professionals raced a silver Mercedes-Benz SLR McLaren
Mercedes-Benz SLR McLaren
The Mercedes-Benz SLR McLaren is an Anglo-German grand tourer car jointly developed by Mercedes-Benz and McLaren Automotive, built in Portsmouth and the McLaren Technology Centre in Woking, Surrey, England and sold from 2003 to 2009...
. The Aston Martin won the race by a few minutes.
James May's Lego House (Episode 5)
Publicity from the programme makers called for volunteers to help with the building project. The response was overwhelming; on Saturday 1 August 2009 huge queues formed at the construction site, Denbies Wine Estate in Dorking, Surrey. Some people started queuing at 4:30 am. 1,200 were given tickets to work on the project while another 1,500 people had to be turned away.Volunteers made standardised hollow blocks each made of 272 standard 8-stud Lego
Lego
Lego is a line of construction toys manufactured by the Lego Group, a privately held company based in Billund, Denmark. The company's flagship product, Lego, consists of colorful interlocking plastic bricks and an accompanying array of gears, minifigures and various other parts...
bricks: 12 bricks long by 6 wide and 8 bricks high. The house was completed on 17 September 2009. Overall, the construction project overran by one month.
The programme makers attempted to sell the house to the Legoland
Legoland
Legoland is a chain of Lego-themed theme parks. They are not fully owned by Lego Group itself; rather they are owned and operated by the British theme park company Merlin Entertainment.The chain currently consists of:* Legoland Billund...
theme park in Windsor
Windsor, Berkshire
Windsor is an affluent suburban town and unparished area in the Royal Borough of Windsor and Maidenhead in Berkshire, England. It is widely known as the site of Windsor Castle, one of the official residences of the British Royal Family....
. However, the cost of dismantling and reassembling the house was estimated at £50,000 which was judged to be too expensive, and the deal did not go through. Having spent one night in the house, May said "I slept in it on Friday and had the best night's sleep for a long time. The bed was a bit hard but I slept like a brick. Knocking it down is just wrong on every level. It's a lovely thing — it will break the hearts of the 1,000 people who worked like dogs to build it. During the construction, James May
James May
James Daniel May is an English television presenter, journalist and writer. He is best known for his role as co-presenter of the award-winning motoring programme Top Gear alongside Jeremy Clarkson and Richard Hammond....
noticed that one of the plastic bricks on the outside wall of the house, which was supposed to be entirely red, contained one pink lego piece on the outer rim. James May
James May
James Daniel May is an English television presenter, journalist and writer. He is best known for his role as co-presenter of the award-winning motoring programme Top Gear alongside Jeremy Clarkson and Richard Hammond....
sarcastically said on air that he "hated" the volunteer who did this, as it upset the colour and balance of the house.
The house could not remain at Denbies because the space was needed for vines and there was no planning permission
Planning permission
Planning permission or planning consent is the permission required in the United Kingdom in order to be allowed to build on land, or change the use of land or buildings. Within the UK the occupier of any land or building will need title to that land or building , but will also need "planning...
. Despite attempts to save the house, dismantling the house began on Tuesday 22 September 2009. Before the demolition, on Sunday or Tuesday a Lego cat named Fusker, after May's own pet, went missing and is assumed to have been stolen by a member of the public — a few of whom had been allowed to look round the house after filming. The 3.3 million plastic bricks used to build the house will be donated to charity.
James May's Hornby, Barnstaple - Bideford (Episode 6)
May, who had previously identified the train set as his "absolute favourite" attempted to build the world's longest model railway. The team hoped that a train would run successfully along the length of the track, built on the picturesque Tarka TrailTarka Trail
The Tarka Trail is a series of footpaths and cyclepaths around north Devon, England that follow the route taken by Tarka the Otter in the book of that name. It is a figure-of-eight route, based on Barnstaple, and covers some of path....
– a disused 37 miles (59.5 km) long railway line acquired by the local council in 1990 and which was converted for use as an off-road cycle track. May chose the site because he thought that people wanted to see a line rebuilt there and because of the dramatic scenery. May joined 400 enthusiasts, including students from Petroc, to build the miniature railway stretching 10 miles (16.1 km) from Barnstaple
Barnstaple
Barnstaple is a town and civil parish in the local government district of North Devon in the county of Devon, England, UK. It lies west southwest of Bristol, north of Plymouth and northwest of the county town of Exeter. The old spelling Barnstable is now obsolete.It is the main town of the...
to Bideford
Bideford
Bideford is a small port town on the estuary of the River Torridge in north Devon, south-west England. It is also the main town of the Torridge local government district.-History:...
, in North Devon
North Devon
North Devon is the northern part of the English county of Devon. It is also the name of a local government district in Devon. Its council is based in Barnstaple. Other towns and villages in the North Devon District include Braunton, Fremington, Ilfracombe, Instow, South Molton, Lynton and Lynmouth...
.
The attempt was disrupted by vandals and thieves who interfered with the track. Coins were dropped on to the line, causing short circuits and some batteries and parts of the track were taken.
Simon Kohler, marketing manager of Hornby model railways
Hornby Railways
Hornby Railways is the leading brand of model railway in the United Kingdom. Its roots date back to 1901, when founder Frank Hornby received a patent for his Meccano construction toy. The first clockwork train was produced in 1920. In 1938, Hornby launched its first 00 gauge train...
, said that the train which travels at just 1 miles per hour (1.6 km/h) failed two miles short of Bideford station; but he also told BBC news "Even though the last locomotive gave up the ghost at Instow, we did link the track – in fact I finished it at about 2230 – so we'll just need to wait and see what Guinness make of it.
As shown in the programme, five trains set off on the track. The first, James' own 1970s-vintage Flying Scotsman
LNER Class A3 4472 Flying Scotsman
The LNER Class A3 Pacific locomotive No. 4472 Flying Scotsman was built in 1923 for the London and North Eastern Railway at Doncaster Works to a design of H.N. Gresley...
model, failed very early (it had been out of use for many years). The other trains were chosen to reflect the original services on the line: a steam-hauled passenger train (a rebuilt SR 'West Country' class locomotive and Pullman
Pullman (car or coach)
In the United States, Pullman was used to refer to railroad sleeping cars which were built and operated on most U.S. railroads by the Pullman Company from 1867 to December 31, 1968....
coaches), to represent the Atlantic Coast Express
Atlantic Coast Express
The Atlantic Coast Express was an express passenger train in England between Waterloo station, London and seaside resorts in the south-west...
; a diesel-hauled passenger train (a BR Class 42 Warship
British Rail Class 42
British Railways' Type 4 Warship class diesel-hydraulic locomotives were introduced in 1958. It was apparent at that time that the largest centre of expertise on diesel-hydraulic locomotives was in Germany...
with Mark 1 coaches
British Railways Mark 1
British Railways Mark 1 was the family designation for the first standardised designs of railway carriages built by British Railways. Following nationalisation in 1948, BR had continued to build carriages to the designs of the "Big Four" companies , and the Mark 1 was intended to be the...
), to represent the 'everyday' passenger services; a diesel-hauled goods train (EWS
DB Schenker Rail (UK)
DB Schenker Rail , before 2009 known as English, Welsh and Scottish Railway is a British rail freight company. EWS was established by a consortium led by Wisconsin Central Transportation Corporation in 1996 by acquisition of five of the six freight companies created by the privatisation of British...
-liveried Class 37
British Rail Class 37
The British Rail Class 37 is a diesel-electric locomotive. Also known as the English Electric Type 3, the Class was ordered as part of the British Rail modernisation plan....
and hopper wagons), to represent the clay trains that ran to Fremington Quay
Fremington, Devon
Fremington is a village and civil parish in North Devon three miles west of Barnstaple. It was formerly a borough that sent members to Parliament in the reign of Edward III. The parish includes the neighbouring villages of Bickington and Yelland, the latter only asserting its identity as separate...
; and the prototype of Hornby's Class 395 "Javelin"
British Rail Class 395
British Rail Class 395 is a dual-voltage electric multiple unit used by train operating company Southeastern for its services along High Speed 1 and onwards to the Kent coast. The trains were built in Japan by Hitachi and shipped to the United Kingdom to operate new high speed domestic services...
model. Passing sections allowed the faster models to overtake the slower ones. The "West Country" locomotive had been carried by Oz Clarke
Oz Clarke
Robert "Oz" Clarke is a British wine writer, television presenter and broadcaster.-Biography:Clarke’s parents were a chest physician and a nursing sister. He was brought up near Canterbury with a brother and a sister. Clarke became a chorister at Canterbury Cathedral and subsequently won a choral...
on trains from London Waterloo to Barnstaple, to replicate the original route of the Atlantic Coast Express. The Javelin was the last train running.
The Great Train Race
After the failure of the first attempt, a new toy train challenge occurred on 16 April 2011. A team composed of Germans from the Miniatur WunderlandMiniatur Wunderland
Miniatur Wunderland is a model railway attraction in Hamburg, Germany and the largest of its kind in the world. , the railway consists of of track in HO scale, divided into seven sections: Harz, the fictitious city of Knuffingen, the Alps and Austria, Hamburg, America, Scandinavia, and Switzerland...
(including one of its founders) who had assisted in the first toy train attempt raced against a team from Britain, again between and in North Devon
North Devon
North Devon is the northern part of the English county of Devon. It is also the name of a local government district in Devon. Its council is based in Barnstaple. Other towns and villages in the North Devon District include Braunton, Fremington, Ilfracombe, Instow, South Molton, Lynton and Lynmouth...
. The new challenge was to race three different types of trains from one end of the track and see who could get to the other station first, with each team starting at opposite ends. May asked for help from the local marines to guard the components as last time batteries and track were stolen and coins were placed on the track causing short circuits. A different, sturdier type of track was used from the previous attempt, as was a new battery system to power it; the length of the track was divided in 100 yard insulated sections with two batteries, one would power the section the train was on and the other would power the next section and the first battery would move to the section after the second battery when the train moved into the second battery's section. This time, for most of the route, two parallel tracks were laid to avoid the opposing trains meeting head-on.
The German Team started at Bideford and the British Team at Barnstaple. The race was a best of three rounds. The first round used steam locomotives, the Germans using a model German DR Class 58.30
DR Class 58.30
After the Second World War, the Deutsche Reichsbahn in East Germany had a requirement for powerful goods train locomotives with a 15-18 tonne axle load for routes in the Mittelgebirge mountains. As a result the DR Class 58.30 emerged, as part of the so-called 'reconstruction programme', based on...
and the British using James' own childhood model LNER Class A3 4472 Flying Scotsman
LNER Class A3 4472 Flying Scotsman
The LNER Class A3 Pacific locomotive No. 4472 Flying Scotsman was built in 1923 for the London and North Eastern Railway at Doncaster Works to a design of H.N. Gresley...
– "with realistic chuffing sound" – which had been repaired since the last attempt and was driven by Oz Clarke. The second race involved a German DB Class 403
DB Class 403
The DB Class 403 was a series of three electric multiple units commissioned by the Deutsche Bundesbahn in the 1970s, an early predecessor of the Intercity-Express as a high-speed train. The units were mainly used for InterCity services and again by the Lufthansa airline in the 1980s. Due to their...
diesel train, nicknamed the "Donald Duck
Donald Duck
Donald Fauntleroy Duck is a cartoon character created in 1934 at Walt Disney Productions and licensed by The Walt Disney Company. Donald is an anthropomorphic white duck with a yellow-orange bill, legs, and feet. He typically wears a sailor suit with a cap and a black or red bow tie. Donald is most...
", and a British Railways InterCity 125
InterCity 125
The InterCity 125 was the brand name of British Rail's High Speed Train fleet. The InterCity 125 train is made up of two power cars, one at each end of a fixed formation of Mark 3 carriages, and is capable of , making the train the fastest diesel-powered locomotive in regular service in the...
. The third round featured modified trains driven by any power source the teams could come up with:
- The German team originally used fermented SauerkrautSauerkrautSauerkraut , directly translated from German: "sour cabbage", is finely shredded cabbage that has been fermented by various lactic acid bacteria, including Leuconostoc, Lactobacillus, and Pediococcus. It has a long shelf-life and a distinctive sour flavor, both of which result from the lactic acid...
to power a small piston engine motor, which started quickly but then fell off the track and exploded. The backup was a standard EuroSprinterEuroSprinterThe EuroSprinter family of electric locomotives is a modular concept of locomotives for the European market built by Siemens. The internal Siemens product name is ES 64, with ES for EuroSprinter and the number 64 indicating the 6,400 kW power at rail.Additional information is given in the name...
ES 64 P electric locomotive, powered by a bank of lithium-ion cells instead of electricity supplied from the track. - The British team tried a train based on a ducted fanDucted fanA ducted fan is a propulsion arrangement whereby a fan, which is a type of propeller, is mounted within a cylindrical shroud or duct. The duct reduces losses in thrust from the tip vortices of the fan, and varying the cross-section of the duct allows the designer to advantageously affect the...
propelling a British Rail Class 395British Rail Class 395British Rail Class 395 is a dual-voltage electric multiple unit used by train operating company Southeastern for its services along High Speed 1 and onwards to the Kent coast. The trains were built in Japan by Hitachi and shipped to the United Kingdom to operate new high speed domestic services...
, which while extremely fast, proved too unstable and lacked brakes. It quickly derailed, breaking several wheels in the process. The replacement used an electric motor driven by a hydrogen fuel cellFuel cell vehicleA Fuel cell vehicle or Fuel Cell Electric Vehicle is a type of hydrogen vehicle which uses a fuel cell to produce electricity, powering its on-board electric motor...
, the workings of which were disguised by an over-scale Thomas the Tank EngineThomas the Tank EngineThomas the Tank Engine is a fictional steam locomotive in The Railway Series books by the Reverend Wilbert Awdry and his son, Christopher. He became the most popular character in the series, and the accompanying television spin-off series, Thomas and Friends.Thomas is a tank engine, painted blue...
body (although this was removed for much of the route as it made it top heavy).
The Germans were the first to complete the full journey with the Donald Duck. The British then won the second round with their hydrogen fuel cell train, and the third round was also won by the British with the Flying Scotsman after the German DR58 steam locomotive had problems. James May, after the crushing disappointment from the first attempt, was emotional that his Flying Scotsman model had made it to Bideford, and was delighted that the mechanically generated "realistic chuffing sound" was still working.
Several of the engines that finished had problems which were fixed en-route. The Flying Scotsman had to have a new chassis block, the "Donald Duck" had two breakdowns due to a faulty gearbox, both within view of the finishing point, and the German steam BR58 limped along very slowly with unspecified problems to finish last of all the trains several hours after the others. Both experimental trains that finished had reliable power sources but major issues with top-heavy stability. All six trains eventually arrived at their destination.
The episode aired on BBC 2, 12 June 2011 at 8:00pm.
The British models (and the track) were made by Hornby Railways
Hornby Railways
Hornby Railways is the leading brand of model railway in the United Kingdom. Its roots date back to 1901, when founder Frank Hornby received a patent for his Meccano construction toy. The first clockwork train was produced in 1920. In 1938, Hornby launched its first 00 gauge train...
, the German models used were made under the Rivarossi brand, which is also owned by Hornby.
Awards and nominations
The series was nominated in the Features category of the 2010 British Academy Television AwardsBritish Academy Television Awards 2010
The 2010 British Academy Television Awards were held on 6 June 2010. The nominations were announced on 10 May.This year new awards were added including the award for Best Actor/Actress in a Supporting Role. Graham Norton hosted the ceremony...
, but lost out to the eventual winner, Masterchef: The Professionals.
James released a well-received book in conjunction with the series, through Conway Publishing
Conway Publishing
Conway Publishing, formerly known as Conway Maritime Press, is a division of Anova Books, a London-based independent publishing group.- History :Conway Maritime Press was founded independently in 1972...
(2009).