The Great Model Railway Challenge has taken railway modelling to television screens around the country on Channel 5. FRED GARNER from the 2019 winning team, Railmen of Kent, reveals the layouts they created and what it was like to be involved. Photography, Trevor Jones.
Above: An overview of the three layouts connected together as set up for the GMRC final, Warley show and while on display at AIMREC. Trains leave St Pancras, take a scenic journey through the West Highlands and emerge into the High Speed Green Research Centre.
PARTICIPATING in the second series of the Great Model Railway Challenge was a fantastic experience for all the members of the Railmen of Kent. As a family based team, from youngest (17) to oldest (80) we had a wonderful time together as we have planned, designed, built and operated three model railway layouts that under normal circumstances we would never have had the chance to contemplate.
The competitive element of the programme pushed us to our imaginative, creative and physical limits in order to deliver three layouts over the course of just five weeks and three separate periods of filming. To emerge as winners was a terrific moment that we shall all treasure for a long time, and it is nice, now that …
