Former tube driver creates miniature underground station

Welwyn Garden City - There may not be any strikes interrupting the running of John Polley’s trains but an insect on the track could cause a derailment.

John Polley, 50, of Welwyn Garden City, Hertfordshire has spent more than two years on the creation of his Abbey Road underground station. "I started building it during the day in my garage because I worked night shifts,” the former tube train driver told The Metro. “The hardest part was getting the correct details. "It does need regular maintenance like clearing grease, dusting off the rails and cleaning the electrical contacts.” The model is built to a scale where 4mm equals 30cm (1ft), and measures 6m (20ft) long by 45cm (18in) deep. The Telegraph reported that directional head and tail lamps are fitted to the trains and some even have video cameras to provide a driver's eye view. There are even announcements reminding people to “mind the gap” and letting them know that "this is Abbey Road." It includes a Tesco, Marks & Spencer and McDonald’s, as well as The Beatles, led by John Lennon, walking across the street. Polley only drove trains for a couple of years, but said the job helped him with his models, as he was able to measure things in the depot which he probably could not have done otherwise. He gave up driving for a desk job at network control and said that he does miss it in a way, but the small trains are much less trouble. He hopes to extend his model in the future. More information, photos and videos can be found on the Metromodels website.