Vandals ruin world's longest model railway attempt

[John Ashworth]

James May's model railway record bid derailed by vandal attack

By Daily Mail Reporter
Last updated at 5:11 PM on 26th August 2009

An attempt by Top Gear's James May to break the world's longest model railway record has failed amid claims that vandals and thieves tampered with the track.

The long-haired presenter joined 400 enthusiasts to build the miniature railway stretching 10 miles from Barnstaple to Bideford, in North Devon.

He was recording the attempt yesterday for his new show James May's Toy Stories.

The team hoped that a train would run successfully along the length of the track, built on the picturesque Tarka Trail.

But their hard work was hampered as parts of the track were taken and coins dropped on the line, blowing the battery. Even the battery was stolen.

Simon Kohler, marketing manager of Hornby model railways, said the 1mph train faltered two miles short of Bideford station.

But he said the bid might still break the world record for the longest point-to-point section of track.

Rod Garner, secretary of the Tarka Valley Railway Group said: 'It was frustrating and disappointing. One of the major problems was some kids putting coins on the rails.

'It shorts everything out and blows the circuit so you have to start all over again.

'It's a community effort. Everyone is doing it for free, and to have some idiots come along and ruin it really annoys everyone involved.

'It's just sad that they have nothing better to do. I think James was disappointed.'

Some 60 different community groups took part in the attempt which included making replica of the Scout headquarters to adorn the trackside.

The council acquired the disused line in 1990 and created an off-road cycle track which runs more than 37 miles.

Launching the record earlier this week, May said he had chosen the site because people wanted to see a line rebuilt there and because of the dramatic scenery.

The attempt will be shown later this year on James May's Toy Stories on BBC Two.

The series of challenges will involve building a full-size Lego house, a garden made from Plasticine and a life-size Meccano bridge.

[Tom Macrery]

Stealing wooden ties or metal track or copper cable at least pays; but there must be some sort of psychological reward for pure vandalization and destruction!

[Luca Lategan]

Would this be a HO layout or what?

[Derek Walker]

I think vandals use the same logic as mountaineers....
Mountaineers climb mountains "because it's there"
Vandals vandalise things "because it's there"

[Tom Macrery]

Good question - Must be Hornby, but what gauge? Or does Hornby only make one gauge?

[John Ashworth]

If I remember rightly Hornby was always OO (they used to call themselves Hornby Dublo at one time, I think). But I have a vague memory that they also sometimes called themselves OO/HO, as they produced models which were not exactly to either scale but fitted in with both (which both run on the same gauge, 16.5 mm). Whether modern Hornby has branched out into other scales I don't know.