In heat one, three teams offer their interpretations of James Bond, Jurassic Park, WWII flick The Longest Day, and a tour through Ealing Studios. But one team wilfully breaks the rules of the competition on day one.
Judges tune in to model layouts inspired by beloved TV shows.
Teams create miniatures inspired by locations of the world.
The Diesel Dynamos, The Fawley Flyers and The Railway Children arrive at Fawley Hill in Henley-on-Thames, and are tasked with building railway layouts on the creatively taxing theme of `fire and ice'.
The theme for the final heat is layouts based on water.
The final theme for the modellers is A Journey Through Time.
Talented teams are tasked to build awe-inspiring miniature wonderlands against the clock, loaded with stunning scenery and spectacular animations, all to a different weekly theme and designed to impress expert judges Steve Flint and Kathy Millatt. Here, the first of eight gruelling, themed rounds sees `The Restless Earth' brought to life. Three teams of enthusiasts set about manufacturing a deluge of volcanoes, earthquakes and other small-scale natural disasters.
Three teams of modellers are given three days to create masterpieces based on the theme of best-selling book. The Seven Pillars of Wisdom by TE Lawrence (aka Lawrence of Arabia) is the inspiration for the Scarborough Flyers, sci-fi fans the Rail Riders choose HG Wells' classic War of the Worlds as their muse, while Team Phoenix's layout is inspired by various tomes by the queen of crime, Agatha Christie. As usual presenters James Richardson and Tim Shaw are joined by expert judges Kathy Millat and Steve Flint.
Three teams must create a landscape on the theme of the Best of British. Family team the Railmen of Kent recreate the 1951 Festival of Britain, including iconic trains and replicas of famous stations. The Loco Ladies draw inspiration from the countryside, complete with crocheted trees, while the Cambrian Coasters celebrate British food with a huge Yorkshire pudding and a cunning haggis delivery system. As usual presenters James Richardson and Tim Shaw are joined by expert judges Kathy Millat and Steve Flint.
Three more teams of the UK's most talented railway modellers compete for a place in the semi-finals. A combo dubbed Who's Counting Rivets hopes to impress the judges with a layout featuring gadgets galore, pyrotechnics and a multitude of mini-animations. Retired traditionalists the Three Millers plan to re-enact a dramatic railway scene from 1950s Holland, while the Titfield Thunderbolts attempt to stage an action adventure in the jungle involving a plane crash and a volcano.
The fifth and concluding heat sees three more teams of the UK's most talented railway modellers compete for a place in the semi-finals, with judges Kathy Millat and Steve Flint challenge them to incorporate miniature aerial acrobatics, towering peaks and space travel into their miniature model railway builds.
Three teams compete in the first semi-final, where they have to make designs inspired by myths, monsters, legends and fables - with two spots in the grand final up for grabs. James Richardson and Tim Shaw oversee proceedings, with the creations including the Loch Ness monster being transported by train for a rendezvous with Godzilla and King Kong, a theatrical interpretation of King Arthur's Knights of the Round Table, and a spooky child's bedroom with an enormous devil tree bursting through the floor.
The three teams in the second semi-final are challenged to build a track based on a blockbuster movie in just three days. The Railmen of Kent recreate the wizarding world of Harry Potter, complete with broomsticks, giant spiders and enchanted cars. Wild card entry Muddle and Go Nowhere base their track on James Bond, while Who's Counting Rivets pay homage to Jurassic Park with a dinosaur-infested creation.
In an extended edition, four finalists have three days to create miniature railway layouts that must amaze, confound and delight, before the winner is announced. Judges Steve Flint and Kathy Millat cast an expert eye over designs that include an homage to Hamburg's Miniatur Wunderland, an eco research centre, and an Austin Powers-themed layout.
