The Cornish china clay industry and holidays in the area were the inspiration for BRIAN TAMPLIN to build this multi-level ‘OO’ gauge layout.
Gauge: 'OO', 16.5mm, Scale: 4mm:1ft, Size: 12ft x 1ft 6in, Region: Western, Period: 1980-1995, Control: DCC, NCE Powercab
Above: An inspection saloon is propelled up from the low-level storage yard while a Class 37 prepares to draw a rake of wagons out of the yard above.
During family holidays in Cornwall as a young lad I paid little interest in any real aspect of the China Clay industry, with its large quarries complete with associated layers of white/grey powder that covered virtually everything in sight.
On those numerous rail and car journeys, completely oblivious of the infrastructure and rail networks that were used to transport the clay in its various forms to be part of the pottery, paper and toothpaste industry, my mind was diverted to traditional pasties, ice cream and clotted cream teas.
After a more recent holiday in the St Austell area in the early 1990s I began to take a little more interest in the subject of this then declining industry and after viewing several similar layouts started to get a few ideas together as to what I could build.
I can't recall the exact reason, but a…
