Station

I decided my layout needed a station that was going to be on a curve, and I thought this was a good time to try and build my own platform. My first thought was to take some polystyrene and shape it, but then cover it with cardboard that I would paint, or some preprinted card.

As usual, I was enjoying what I was doing so much I was forgetting to take pictures. So my next set of pictures are after I have shaped the polystyrene, applied paint etc. I used a hot knife along the front, but I had an issue. I paused in the cutting and it melted more than expected. So cut some cardboard (I think a 12 pack contain of coke) to shape the platform front. I then filled the gap I created with plumbers putty. You can see the white patch in front of the building, on fig 3. After the hot knife experience, I cut the rest of the shape with a sharp knife. I initial painted the polystyrene black, so if the covering was not 100% the white it would not show through. Because I was wanting a black top finish, after the black was applied, I thought the uneven look, might look better than a smooth finish. I filled in some of the bigger holes in the surface, either been heavy with paint, or using more putty and glue. Figure 4 shows the surface after I dry brushed a few different grays into the surface

Once I was finished I went around the edge with printed brick/stone card stock, fig 5 & 6 show the platform in position, and I have started painting/covering the gound, and once I have finished that I can start puting the finishing details down, and work on the entrance to the station. If my wife has listened to me, I am hoping for some extra details for the platform for my birthday.

The station building is a kit made by Ratio.

by Paul Marsden

Cardboard Models

When I first decided to into building my own model railway, by dad bought me some card kits from a company called Metcalfe. Initially I was not thinking I was not going to use them, and just put them on a shelf. One day I decided to build one. The end result I was very disappointed in, as can be seen below, it I had gaps in the kits, and the white corners, roof edging did not impress me. So back on the shelf they went.

Now that I am on the upteemth redesign of my layout I was trying to work out what to put in a spot on the layout, I remembered my dad had bought me a brewery kit. I had read that using a marker pen, you could cover the white edges etc, so that is what was my new method. I think it looks a lot better, but my problem was the limited colors, and trying to match, and the bleed through, and the mistakes, pens are very unforgiving. In the next set of pictues of incosistent covering, and bleeding.

Next I read somewhere, that using cheap, walmart waterdown paint, espically on the edges works wonderfully. I found I could easier color match, and with the water the coverage was a lot better. I have even started adding details, the Duke of York has people in it, and i have lighting in it. I am trying to decide whether to add lighting to the building under construction.

After my initial experience, I have come to like metcalfe kits. They are inexpensive, easy to put together, with different options, like the brewery, you build each section, and put together in an combination. You get the printed sheets, and then cardboard for bracing. I feel confident handling the kits once built.

My next adventure is taking designs from on line, printing them myself, and making them.

by Paul Marsden