Restore a Dublo station
Chris Leigh shows you how to restore a childhood favourite.
At last! It may have taken me 60 years but I’ve finally got my hands on the Hornby-dublo plastic suburban station kit. It’s tempted me ever since I saw the 1959 Dublo catalogue, but now they’re rather rare and a mint one can change hands for £300 and upwards. I found mine for £50 but, as you might imagine, it’s less than mint! All the Dublo plastic models suffer from the fact that, as screw-together kits, the doors and windows were separate parts and they tend to be missing from second-hand examples. Replacements are easy enough to make from styrene sheet and strip, so the odd missing component need not be a deterrent. Mine had a hairline crack (about an inch long) in the roof but it was easily fixed with some EMA Plastic Weld. It was also lacking a couple of windows and one door. Any missing nuts and bolts can be replaced with suitably sized alternatives from a DIY store such as B&Q. For £50, I’ve got a station that’s comparable in price to a contemporary resin model. Finishing touches include posters and signs from Scalescenes S07 BR corporate image era (Scalescenes.com) but the buildings would suit the earlier post-war period, too.
STEP BY STEP
1 The station is screwed together. Loosening the screws enables the walls to be removed, making spray-painting easier. The walls are also attached to the platform with screws. Set all screws, nuts and washers aside for re-use.
2 It is likely that the model will have been stored for a long time and will need a wash to remove dirt and finger marks. I scrubbed all the larger parts, rinsed them and left them to dry.
3 I also had an island platform, which is of a clip-fit construction. I started by spraying the roof of the island platform shelter and the main building with dark grey primer.
4 I sprayed the platform sections with white primer. When it was dry I masked a 3mm wide strip along the platform edge. This strip should not extend more than a few millimetres down the slopes.
5 With the platform edge and the fence panels masked off, I sprayed the platform surface with grey primer and then misted it with white primer and matt black to create an asphalt effect.
6 I used Railmatch acrylic concrete colour for all the vertical surfaces, the platform front and walls, applying it with a broad, flat brush and keeping the brush strokes vertical. Two coats were needed over the white primer.
7 I used Blue Stuff (www.greenstuffworld.com) to help make a new window frame. Heat the Blue Stuff in a mug of water for 3½ minutes in a microwave and press the window into it.
8 Sadly, my cast windows were too fragile. However, I used the mould as a jig in which to build window frames out of styrene strip. I simplified the glazing bars, which I think improves the realism.