The Joy of Train Sets - History of Model Railway - Part 4 Nostalgia 

thomas was what got me into model trains

Thomas and friends is what awakened by love of trains and railway’s in the first place. I still remember watching cranky bugs for the first time and how charming the early episodes of the show were.

When Thomas theme came on, I was like.....hell yeah.

I was waiting for Thomas! :) I knew they had to mention Thomas.

Thomas was also how I got into trains, and how I got into model railways

6:34 - Bob Symes - everyones Grandad

glad they mentioned thomas, in fact my layout is based on sodor's north western railway

...that Maggie is Amazing talk about attention to details....I hope all that work has been set aside for generations to come...

Wonderful documentary thanks for the upload. It brought back a whole host of very happy memories and I thought it was a comprehensive and well balanced view. It just about encapsulated all my own experience having started with Hornby O gauge clockwork, then Trix Twin which was a really good system albeit cruder than Hornby Dublo but technically advanced, then I went to Hornby and then Triang and finally Lionel as O gauge always seemed more realistically hefty. As for scale versus toy trains I'm in the latter camp. All those working accessories and other gimmicks just add to the fun. Lionel is too expensive in the UK just as over here in the States Hornby is a bit too pricey for me now though I'd like to have another Hornby layout.

That's a great layout of King's Cross you see towards the end.

I always love watching someone using live steam and live diesel as well as electric trains, mainly because it felt SO REAL!..

This documentary was suprisingly fascinating even though I've never been captivated by model railways myself.

Thanks for reminding me why I'm sad I never saw or experienced this, as a teen in 2019.

In the sum a really great documentary.

Ian was a great modeller and wrote many great books on the subject, sadly he died in 2022

And after Thomas, there was Harry Potter with the Hogworts Express ...

Those Mike Sharman models are amazing

A good summary of how we got to where we are today in the hobby, but omits the resurgence of early tinplate models by manufacturers like Ace, Darstaed and ETS. The North American experience would take another series altogether.

I was reading Railway Magazine for 1936 today and there is an article saying that fun is made of adults 'playing' trains even though they are scratch built. This is different when model ships are referred to. I have scratch-built my models since the 1980s, working to EM gauge (18mm) and working in metal, soldering and doing my own casting. I still get referred to as playing with toys from a grown-up son. I built two 1/16 full size (9cmm gauge) from scratch but I do not tell anyone what my hobby is.

Great series thanks for uploading it for the rest of the world to see.

Lol Thomas the tank engine... I'm guilty, I was one of those 5 or 6 year olds...

12:20 Spot on. As a member of Gen Z, I would very much like to create a futuristic maglev freighter layout someday.

Great documentary! What sort of idiot would have given this a Thumbs Down rating?

Our Hornby Triang from the 60s is very limited but still works. But the issue for me and my lad is how to add to it in a digital age.....

10:17 Thomas the Tank Engine!

wonderful

7:43 Why hello Dr. Strange

Thomas the Tank Engine & Friends was in 1984 not 1985

10:18 - What do you call a train that dont stop at the station? Thomas the bastard

Thomas theme in a non Thomas related documentary be like:

Anyone know which music artist played on the closing credits of episode 7

Where is Part 3 of this video?

2:21 Woah there, just a minute Mr. Waterman, you put oil in the water for lubrication do you? I see, think you've hit some knowledge buffers there squire.

Oh my ! must show the trains,instead sop box orator !

Wait. BBC does MODEL RAILROAD STUFF!?!??!?!?!??!?!?!??!! BBC IS THE ONLY CHANNEL I WILL EVER WATCHFOR EVREYTHING OF IT LIKE DR WHO, AND THE TRAINS! I LOVE BBC

I am 15 and I still love Thomas the Tank engine. But still I hate the miller era.

Very nice series of videos...very Anglo-centric tho I don't see how you can make a documentary on the history, influence, beauty, and detail of model trains without once uttering the name Lionel

bt66

Tear them up, turn them into roads!

Odd beliefs, I’ve always modeled about a half Century or more before my time. I’ve never liked the railways I grew up in nor live in. I’ve always modeled early 1900s and cheat and add motive power from the 1940s as the newest. All heavyweight coaches from the era. British trains are the same about 1910- 1940 that I model. BR never even exists yet on my railway.

To what extent is this a displacement activity; recreating a 'nicer' Britain than we currently have instead of making this present world better? Have these blokes withdrawn from what they _should_ be doing, or is it at least something? Retreating from the problem into a fantasy world?

DORKS!

I love the hobby. However I think this hobby is dangerous if used incorrectly. I see many people go beyond using these trains as a means of entertainment. I see these people using the miniatures to remain stuck in the past. It keeps their mind, mentality stuck in the past, like a coping mechanism. Guys who model a specific year and refuse to run anything but prototypical equipment worry me.