Platforms

[Peter Richardson]

Some more images..

The slabs for platform edge were cut and glued into place individually before I put the ballast on. Rather time consuming for 70 odd tiles  but it gave an opportunity to use files to take square edges off each one.

[Peter Richardson]

Thought paving slabs a bit too dark so lightened them with a dove grey, black and brown mix.
When painting stonework and times I found it helpful to put a small amount of paint at various points and use my fingers to smear it in to joints. It gave a slight difference in the colouring across the stonework too.

[paul ludlow]

That now looks much better. Very atmospheric. I'm now tempted to dig out my alpha graphics colonel Stephen's station building kit & have a go too. Very appropriate as a building as the colonel had a hand in several narrow gauge lines as well as standard gauge light railways.

[Graeme Dunbar]

Wow, the transformation is remarkable! I like it a lot.

[Peter Richardson]

Thanks for the kind comments.

I hadn't got this platform slope in at first but decided it would look better than a straight edge.
Bit of a challenge as I had already finished painting main platform and had to try and get the blend of acrylic paint to match. Thankfully I got lucky and got it to match...to adapt Eric Morecambe's line...I used all the right paints but not necessarily in the right order!

The Col Stephens kit is a good fit but I made a few adjustments:
1. The flat card roof (to look like corrugated) was replaced with Wills plastic corrugated sheets cut to shape.
2. The kit came with white window inserts, slightly greyed which I didn't think looked very realistic and meant you couldn't see into the building so I glazed all the windows.
3. Final addition was to under an internal wall with one room having a fireplace and orange micro led installed...building doesn't have chimney yet! I also put a warm micro LED in the canopy.  When running in the dark it does create an atmospheric scene with the darkness hiding the rest of the barren board!

[Peter Richardson]

Platform slopes end

[berryr99]

Thanks for the kind comments.

I hadn't got this platform slope in at first but decided it would look better than a straight edge.
Bit of a challenge as I had already finished painting main platform and had to try and get the blend of acrylic paint to match. Thankfully I got lucky and got it to match...to adapt Eric Morecambe's line...I used all the right paints but not necessarily in the right order!

The Col Stephens kit is a good fit but I made a few adjustments:
1. The flat card roof (to look like corrugated) was replaced with Wills plastic corrugated sheets cut to shape.
2. The kit came with white window inserts, slightly greyed which I didn't think looked very realistic and meant you couldn't see into the building so I glazed all the windows.
3. Final addition was to under an internal wall with one room having a fireplace and orange micro led installed...building doesn't have chimney yet! I also put a warm micro LED in the canopy.  When running in the dark it does create an atmospheric scene with the darkness hiding the rest of the barren board!

Sorry I'm very late to this post. I am struggling with platform edging and platform surface, please could you explain what you have used for these, looks very good indeed. Thanks

Robert Berry

[Peter Richardson]

Hi Robert

I used Wills kit random stone for platform walls and Victoria stone paving for platform edging.
These were attached to 5mm foam board out of The Range.  Getting the right paint effect was trial and error using a mix of Acrylic greys and browns And black.

The gravel on platforms is ballast I got from Hattons.

Platforms are far from perfect but they are good enough for me!

Please post again if I need to clarify any of these details.  Best wishes, Peter

[Peter Richardson]

Over the summer, I added an island platform. Probably OTT for size of station and scene but the gap between the two sides of the loop looked rather two big so it was a case of relating track or installing platform and I went for the latter!

Layout a bit of a mess at the moment as I am trying to get landscaping underway...

[berryr99]

Peter, thank you for the information, its very helpful. Just one more question : did you put the ballast on with PVA, like for normal rail ballast ?

Thanks

Robert

[Peter Richardson]

This compressed images may show platforms more clearly...

[Peter Richardson]

My previous posts describe my errors with diluted pva on a card base.... :(

When I did it again, I spread undiluted pva and sprinkled gravel over to get a first coat. A few days later I spread more on for the finished layer. I used a fine mist spray of water to keep it in place and then used a diluted pva mix (put on with pipette) to glue it in place.

On main platform I spread some diluted grey paint on the gravel but haven't done this on island platform yet.

Good luck with your platforms!

[berryr99]

Many thanks Peter.

My current platform is in mdf with ballast on top and edging done in mountboard. It doesn't look right as the board expanded when I put the ballast on top of the platform, I think some of the moisture moved across into it. Going to try your method with the paving and possibly use Woodland Scenics fine ash for the platform surface and airbrush it to lighten it up a little

Robert

[clayliner]

The station certainly has some fine platforms now!

The gravel on the platforms doesn't look very different from track ballast which - as you will probably know from doing it - isn't very comfortable to walk on. I'd be tempted to try a fine wash with something like much diluted plaster of Paris to fill in some of the gaps in between stones so that the finish is a bit smoother, like to one in the photo on p1. It will still have a rough surface but in real life everything would get bedded down as soil, ash and general grot was trodden into and washed onto the platform. But it's certainly looking good as it is.

David.

[Peter Richardson]

Thanks David, never thought of this approach. Will try experimenting with this.