STATION TO LIFE

There’s a knack to creating lifelike stations but, as GEORGE DENT explains, it’s not just about the buildings.

t can be argued that the railway station is primarily a human space. After all, the main purpose of a station is to provide a functioning interface between passengers and trains. The platforms, buildings and surrounding infrastructure will have been designed to cope with people. Therefore, the arrangement of the ticket offices, waiting areas, conveniences and retail facilities is likely to affect where people congregate, as will the signage, seating and information or advertising hoardings. Achieving a realistic re-creation of a railway station demands far more than simply modelling the structures accurately. Creating a sense of

Itime and place is vital if you are to portray your chosen period and location effectively. Along with choosing the most appropriately clothed figures (for passengers and railway staff), how these people are arranged will also be crucial. Is their body language convincing? Are the platforms too crowded? Is it possible to even suggest the day of the week that is being portrayed? Three different stations are portrayed here in model form, depicting the humble country junction, the urban terminus and the modern commuter hub. It’s interesting to see how successful each has been in re-creating a scene from real life, using the figures and other small platform details to great effect. Freight by passenger train lives on… A few weeks ago, while travelling from Giggleswick station, I observed a pair of fellow passengers using a Northern Rail ‘Pacer’ as a means of delivering a keg of locally brewed real ale to the station bar at Carnforth. After half an hour on a ‘ 142’ over jointed track, I bet that beer was pretty lively!