Two film superfans have teamed to build the world’s first full-size replica of a steam train used in the Back to the Future franchise.
And it’s seriously impressive.
Mike Hutchinson – who left a career in the finance industry to begin work in the events sector at the start of last year – joined forces with fellow Yorkshireman Ian Robinson, who works as a props maker at Harrogate Theatre and has sadly seen his day job curtailed by the coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic, on the big build project, which has seen the pair recreate the Time Travel Train from the third instalment of the cult-classic film franchise starring Michael J Fox and Christopher Lloyd.
Despite the fact it only features on screen for a few short minutes, those familiar with the iconic films will recognise that the steam train was made famous by Lloyd’s character, Doc Brown, in the final film of the sci-fi trilogy released in 1990.
The replica also features the character’s initials, ELB, on the side of the cabin.
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The train took the two pals around four months to build, with Ian more or less working on it full time, and Mike lending a hand a couple of days each week.
The incredible attention to detail of the replica has already got people talking on social media.
“Where we were building it was an empty building, apart from me and Ian. It took quite a long time to build it, [around] a good three or four months [and] we only went out of our homes to build it when we were allowed to do so by the government COVID-19 restrictions.
“A lot of the train project was taken up in the research into it on the internet.
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“We had to look at some pictures of the train over and over again, as it only has about three minutes of screen time in the film.
“We have done the rails for the train as well.
“It can all be broken down. It’s like a large prop jigsaw puzzle. It’s takes about 90 minutes to two hours to rebuild it once it is broken down.
“It is quite an achievement to build a steam train replica.”
Mike Hutchinson
As the owner of Back to the 1980s Events & Prop Hire, Mike is “frustrated” that his plans to exhibit the train at conventions or private events have unfortunately been delayed by England’s third national lockdown, but he is looking forward to showing it off when he can in the future.
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And this isn’t the first time Mike has tried his hands at creating iconic replicas either.
“I built Delboy’s front room from Only Fools and Horses [too] and hoped to make my millions, but that never happened.” Mike told us.
In 2015, he also spent about two years and £20,000 turning his car into a replica of the DeLorean used by Marty McFly in the 1985 cult classic, with the conversion work including castings from the original car, which is in Universal Studios in Hollywood.
Mike continued: “As Doc Brown once said, ‘If you’re gonna build a time machine, why not build it with style?’, [and after all], where we’re going, we don’t need roads (or a train track for that matter)”.
He has plans to build a replica of the Kitt car from 1980s TV favourite Knightrider too.
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The Time Travel Train is available to hire for any occasion – including future corporate and comic con events, and education and train enthusiast events – when government COVID-19 guidelines allow.
Molly-Mae Hague has welcomed her first baby… according to boxer Jake Paul
Daisy Jackson
Jake Paul appears to have spilled the beans on Molly-Mae Hague, announcing that she has given birth to her first baby with his rival Tommy Fury.
Super influencer Molly-Mae, 23, has maintained radio silence on Instagram for the last week, leading to many fans speculating that she has welcomed her baby girl and is taking some privacy out of the public eye.
Many assumed that she would bide her time for a huge announcement video, as she did with her pregnancy announcement back in September.
But it appears that Jake Paul has jumped the gone and made the announcement for the young couple, who met on the fifth series of Love Island.
YouTuber-turned-boxer Jake posted on Twitter today, alongside a poster promoting his upcoming fight with Tommy: “Tommy has no excuses now…Baby’s born. Money’s massive. Immigration no issue.
Tommy has no excuses now…Baby’s born. Money’s massive. Immigration no issue.
Tyson promises he & Papa will make Tommy retire from boxing & change his last name if he can’t beat the YouTuber.
Tmw I’m coming to London to look at all 3 Fury’s in the eye & shake on that promise. pic.twitter.com/hMBFCabMoS
Another wrote: “ermmm did Jake Paul just let slip that Molly Mae’s given birth before she announced it or??”
Someone else commented: “Not Jake Paul announcing molly mae having her baby before molly mae what a prick.”
Molly-Mae and Tommy Fury have not yet addressed the message from Jake Paul.
Featured image: Instagram, @mollymae
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Tim Healy surprises fans with performance at The 1975’s Newcastle gig
Danny Jones
The 1975’s tour has seen some seriously memorable moments so far, including several special guest appearances, but seeing Tim Healy give a surprise performance has to be the jewel in the crown.
While the band might have formed in the Wilmslow and plied their trade in Manchester on their way to success, several members of the current lineup — including frontman Matty Healy himself — were born in Newcastle, so the gig at the Utilita Arena on Wednesday was very much a homecoming show.
With that in mind, when British TV royalty, Geordie icon and Matty’s old man, Tim Healy popped up on stage, the crowd understandably went wild.
There were no doubt plenty of confused faces when a trademark Matty monologue and sudden cut to black was followed by the bloke from Benidorm appearing up on stage, but there was also a scream bigger than any response Taylor Swift got.
Whipping out some significantly more dramatic thespian ability than the kind you’d associate with his Auf Wiedersehen, Pet days, albeit still fully aware of bizarre the entire spectacle was, he brought one of his son’s trademark digressions about method acting to a close.
But better than that, the 70-year-old ended up staying on stage to perform his own low-key ‘All I Need to Hear‘ cover as the band played in the background. Surreal.
To be honest, it might just be the wholesomeness of it all, but we think we might prefer the older Healy’s version.
Sing it, Tim!
Tim on stage for ‘All I Need To Hear’ tonight in Newcastle #The1975
Imagine bringing your dad onto the stage only for him to absolutely steal the show. Brilliant stuff.
Both he and Matty’s celebrity mum Denise Welch have been spotted at various shows as the band continue to perform their ‘At Their Very Best’ tour around the country, with various fans interacting with them in the crowd, but very few would have been expecting an impromptu song from one of them.
Both are obviously more closely associated with TV, with Welch known for appearing on the likes of Coronation Street, Hollyoaks, Loose Women and many more, but if we don’t up end up getting both of them on stage before this tour is over we’ll be genuinely fuming.
It also looks like the reaction meant a lot to him:
Thanks for all your kind messages after my surprise performance at Matty’s gig in Newcastle proud proud dad xxx pic.twitter.com/7izemLl9Id
Elsewhere in the show, The 1975’s Newcastle fans were treated to an equally ridiculous surprise appearance from Harry Styles. Well, not really…
In case you haven’t seen it already, the band conspired to prank the crowd by putting the former One Direction star’s name up on the screen, only to bring out Scottish singer Lewis Capaldi instead.
He obviously got just as lovely a reaction and fully leaned into bantering with the crowd — joking, “I know what you’re thinking: ‘Harry Styles‘ looks a bit different.'” — before performing a cover of ‘Antichrist’.