In my previous post I mentioned that my layout was going to be based around mining. What I didn’t say is where the idea came from…
They say inspiration pops up when you least expect it. And for my new N-Gauge model railway layout, the inspiration came in the unexpected form of BBC’s new drama, Poldark.
I had no idea what Poldark was about but happened to be watching it with my wife the other evening when I noticed something magnificent filling the screen. No, not Aidan Turner aka Ross Poldark although I’m reliably assured he is magnificent 🙂 but the wonderful 18th Century buildings and, in particular, mines that feature so prominently in it. There it was, a barrow cart of the inspiration for my new layout.
I would base my layout around mines.
I’ve seen Cornish mines before and they’re wonderful, atmospheric, erections. Dirty, grimy, weather worn buildings that would will be just perfect to base a layout on.
Minutes later and I was hooked. Both to the series and the idea for my layout. The terrain of the layout would be hilly and I’d have mines on the hills and an industry area for loading and processing the ore.
And, Poldark with it’s plenitude of footage around mines will provides loads of reference material too, there’s even one in the trailer which you can watch below.
Fantastic! Thank you BBC.
> A final, personal, note: I spend a huge amount of time testing, photographing, writing and researching techniques for these articles and pay for all the running costs of MRE out of my own pocket. If you found this article useful you can support me by making a donation on my fund-raising page. Thanks and happy modelling, Andy.
Andy is a lifelong modeler, writer, and founder of modelrailwayengineer.com. He has been building model railways, dioramas, and miniatures for over 20 years. His passion for model making and railways began when he was a child, building his first layout at the age of seven.
Andy’s particular passion is making scenery and structures in 4mm scale, which he sells commercially. He is particularly interested in modelling the railways of South West England during the late Victorian/early Edwardian era, although he also enjoys making sci-fi and fantasy figures and dioramas. His website has won several awards, and he is a member of MERG (Model Railway Electronics Group) and the 009 Society.
When not making models, Andy lives in Surrey with his wife and teenage son. Other interests include history, science fiction, photography, and programming. Read more about Andy.