Foreign inspiration

I'm not an overly big fan of non-UK outline model railways - largely I guess because I don't have a great deal of experience of the prototype. However, occasionally something stands out which bucks the trend and there are a few that have caught my eye recently - not so much for the railway interest it has to be said but simply for the quality of modelling per se.

Gordon and Maggie Gravett are well-known names in the hobby but I've never seen any of their stuff apart from a couple of rather nice photos in a recent MRJ showing static grass on one of their layouts. I didn't attend the recent St.Albans show but maybe I should have, because they exhibited their most recent masterpiece, Pempoul, based on a French prototype. There is a thread on RMWeb with a number of excellent photos here.

Then today while surfing the web I stumbled across a small industrial layout by Lance Mindheim based on a prototype in modern day Miami. The subject matter doesn't really interest me too much but the scenic modelling is just superb. You can visit the website here. (Go to 'The Model Railroad' section and click on the links for the photos.)

Also, see my last blog post for a link to the Terrapin Narrow Gauge Society with their superb collection of super-realistic dioramas and small layouts.

All fantastic inspiration.