I guess the big controversy here is that "Railway Modeller" is showing something 'foreign' (*)
iirc, the layout in his English house is based on the ECML?
(*) Dare I admit that I bought a 3-rail O BNSF GP38-2 last week and matching caboose. They're for the Christmas layout - after some prompting my son requested a diesel like we see on the mainline here. A GP38 is smaller (a modern mainline engine would look silly and cost an arm and a leg) but this should still look the part. He's currently really into the Polar Express - much more than Thomas. The Christmas layout will have two loops this year - the Polar Express and a BNSF freight!
One of the pictures also made it into the Guardian Weekly.
Back in the 60s, until the Continental Modeller was launched, there was always the odd USA or European layout in the Modeller. I guess they just couldn't resist the opportunity of featuring Rod Stewart on the front page, it being their 70th birthday. Back to the roots, you might say.
Here in America, we're quite used to seeing large layouts - though I will say, Stewart's is quite large, even by our standards! I find it interesting how very few layouts in the UK approach the sizes that are quite common here in the US and elsewhere.
(*)