The Great Train Race
James May sets supersize challenges for traditional toys. James tries once again to build the longest-ever model railway track - and has a race along it!
In 2009, James May went on a quest to show what was possible to achieve with old-fashioned toys by using them on a scale never seen before. Five toys were successful, but one failed - model trains. James and his team revisit the doomed challenge and make another attempt at building the longest ever model railway track - nearly ten miles long.
Linking two Devon towns, Barnstaple and Bideford, the last attempt saw no trains reach their destination and James's cherished childhood toy, the Flying Scotsman, fail to even make it out of the carpark. This time the feat is bigger than ever before, as James challenges the two German proprietors of the world's largest toy railway museum to a race along the track.
The locals of both towns are galvanised once again and James's old friend and railway enthusiast Oz Clarke turns up to lend a hand. Will the people of Devon ensure that for the first time in a generation, a train - however small - makes the journey between the two towns?
Last on
Clip
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Testing the sauerkraut-powered toy train
Duration: 01:25
Credits
Role | Contributor |
---|---|
Presenter | James May |
Presenter | James May |
Executive Producer | Will Daws |
Executive Producer | Will Daws |
Producer | Tom Whitter |
Producer | Tom Whitter |
Broadcasts
- Sun 12 Jun 2011 20:00
- Sun 12 Jun 2011 21:00Βι¶ΉΤΌΕΔ Two Northern Ireland
- Mon 13 Jun 2011 19:00
- Tue 14 Jun 2011 23:20Βι¶ΉΤΌΕΔ Two England
- Tue 14 Jun 2011 23:50Βι¶ΉΤΌΕΔ Two Wales
- Wed 15 Jun 2011 00:20Βι¶ΉΤΌΕΔ Two Northern Ireland & Scotland only
- Mon 18 Jul 2011 02:25Βι¶ΉΤΌΕΔ One except Scotland
- Sun 9 Dec 2012 18:00Βι¶ΉΤΌΕΔ HD
James May talks about toys
James describes the first toy he received at Christmas and the ones he wishes he'd owned.