BBC - James May's Big Trouble in Model Britain

[Noel]

Watched both episodes of this online last night on Amazon Prime Video. Fascinating insight into how the UK model industry operates. Simon Kohler returned to Hornby's senior management seems is a man not to be messed with. The friction between Hornby and Hattons, and especially Rails of Sheffields was fascinating. I suspect Mr Kohler was apoplectic when Accurascale launched their Deltics and Class 37s on the UK market after a hail of successful wagon releases and being so well received in the UK modelling press, would love to have seen a fly on the wall camera capturing the moment it dawned that an Irish startup company was daring to enter his patch. On video he even asked the CEO of Rails if they had good fire insurance, in jest I'm sure, but it made a point, that he wasn't going to take Rails Terrier model lying down. Hornby is an iconic part probably of most of our childhoods in this part of the world.

I had some sympathy for the modeller Jim commissioned to build their production prototype of the Airfix Hell Cat, who was under phenomenal pressure to finish in time for the launch. Lots of industrial espionage cloak and daggers, made for good TV entertainment. It looks like Simon Kohler's strategy had help Hornby improve their fortunes but then Covid came along. Wonder shall we see future fly on the wall episodes with Bachmann and Hornby board rooms throwing rattles out of prams because of Accurascale's spectacular arrival into the UK market?

The series is available on Amazon Prime video app.

 

 

[Lambeg man]

Thanks for posting Noel. I fully concur with your analysis as to the programme content. One bit you missed to mention was Kohler's reaction on discovering that during his absence from the company all the old Hornby moulds had been thrown in a skip! The programmes were put out originally on BBC 4 some time back and not available via I-Player.

[Warbonnet]

56 minutes ago, Noel said:

 I suspect Mr Kohler was apoplectic when Accurascale launched their Deltics and Class 37s on the UK market after a hail of successful wagon releases and being so well received in the UK modelling press, would love to have seen a fly on the wall camera capturing the moment it dawned that an Irish startup company was daring to enter his patch. 

Actually he came over, shook my hand and congratulated us on the Deltic that weekend (Warley 2018). It was cut out though, but I always said I have a face for radio!

Cheers,

Fran

[BosKonay]

... and in a recent interview with Jenny Kirk, he said that Hornby wouldn't do a '37 for example' when there was a super one on the way from another party. 

[Noel]

39 minutes ago, BosKonay said:

... and in a recent interview with Jenny Kirk, he said that Hornby wouldn't do a '37 for example' when there was a super one on the way from another party. 

Wonder could Simon ever be head hunted 'by another party'?     

[jhb171achill]

Yes, maybe IRM could hire him to do the brexit paperwork in England!

[DJ Dangerous]

So, when will Hornby be launching their Irish Mk3 coaches?