BRIEF ENCOUNTER MONOCHROME

Brief Encounter is my 11 foot by 2 foot OO gauge end to end monochrome layout based on the David Lean film and designed for the exhibition circuit. 

The concept behind the layout was to recreate the evocative atmosphere of the black and white era of film, with a railway station and, of course, steam trains at the heart of it.

Located Tonbridge area, 2 operators and transported in 1 car

Needs 2 x 6ft tables

email modelrailwayquest@gmail.com

The inspiration came from watching Brief Encounter for the very first time and realising that the train station and train was as much a character of the film as the lead actors.

It also presented an exciting challenge I haven’t seen in any other layout  – to create a layout completely in monochrome.

The layout has four lines and is laid out in four sections.

To the left of the layout is a raised area which holds the RAF base. Although the film makes no mention of the war, it was filmed during 1944 and 1945 towards the end of World War 2. This in itself presented various logistic issues for Lean, and I wanted to reflect that in this layout.

This section also holds the fiddle yard underneath. The tracks are DC shuttle controlled with SS2A BLOCKsignalling controllers with a manual Gaugemaster controller override.

The second section includes a street scene with shops, a cinema and a church. The cinema is an integral part of the layout – it’s where the main characters Laura and Alex met for their clandestine dates. All the structures along this section are modified kits, and I’ve had some fun recreating signage that nods to the 1940s era but also includes a little humour.