STEP BY STEP

1

A few minutes’ work with the end of a flat steel rule was all that was needed to strip the platform. The resin buildings came away undamaged and will be sold on.

2

Now is the time to check for damage. The platform is slightly curved and access is not very easy but even so, this mess should never have been acceptable. It will need to be rebuilt.

3

I started with a good clean-up using the domestic vacuum cleaner, which has a lot more suction than the layout’s Dustbuster. Initially I intended to re-use the platform.

4

A trial fit of the Oxford building started to throw up some problems. It did not fit well into the existing scenery and there was a problem in getting it to stand level.

5

A chisel-shaped blade in the craft knife was used to remove the last traces of scenic plaster from the platform. By now, the printed platform surface was starting to suffer scrapes and tears.

6

The more I looked, the less happy I was with my previous efforts. A small hand mirror is a good way to check the less accessible areas. You can bet that these are the places that will show up in photographs!

7

When I thought I had unearthed enough problems, I placed a spirit level on the platform with this result. No wonder the Oxford building did not stand level. The whole platform sloped!

8

As the printed surface was damaged I decided to replace the whole platform surface with more substantial card. The old surface was removed to expose the ‘egg-box’ underneath.

9

By packing the underside and adding some deeper strips towards the back of the ‘egg-box’ I succeeded in levelling the platform, which I then resurfaced with 2mm mount card.

10

The GWR used paving slabs on platforms along the length of the building and where side doors needed to be accessed, and at the platform edge throughout its length.

11

Another check with the spirit level and this time the platform surface is within acceptable limits. Platform areas that were not paved were usually surfaced with ¼in gravel.

12

Many stations had a pub on or close to the forecourt. In order to maintain access to the Moonacre Valley Inn, which is not being moved, the platform surface would need to slope down to meet existing scenery.

13

Here, the platform surface needs to fit around existing scenery and to accommodate the curved track. It will be best to mark it out and cut it before attempting to fit it in place.

14

Having marked the ends of the platform edge and cut a straight edge, I was able to temporarily fit the card in place and use a long coach as a guide to mark the curve with a pencil. This was then trimmed back.

15

With the curved platform edge now cut and the card fitted tight against the preceding piece, I cut it to fit around the existing scenery and along the back of the platform to allow for the slope.

16

The platform area in front of the building and the access to any side doors (usually the gents’ toilet) was normally paved with standard slabs. I used a Slater’s embossed styrene sheet.

17

I needed to blend the new work with the existing scenery so some minor repairs were made with plaster cloth and Polyfilla. The road and the station approach were surfaced with Woodland Scenics Smooth-it.

18

The Smooth-it is specially formulated to be easy to spread over large flat areas but it also stays in place on modest slopes, like the station entrance road. Once dry, after 24 hours, any minor lumps and bumps can be sanded away.

19

To colour the surface I used water-based paints working much as I had done on my Wisbech module (MR261, June 2019) to ensure that the colouring remained light in tone. Edges were blended with earth brown colour.

20

Before painting scenery, particularly ‘paved’ areas, I dampen the plaster by spraying with water containing a few drops of washing-up liquid. This helps to ensure that the paint goes on evenly, without dark patches.

21

A GWR station can have either iron railings or a wooden paling fence, or a mixture. Ratio produces both types. The GWR usually painted iron railings in dark stone but they could be cream or black in BR days.

22

I detailed and repainted the Oxford Structures station in MR249 (July 2018). Now is the last chance to add any further signs or posters from the Scalescenes sheet before the building is glued in place on the platform.

23

Nameboards, correctly called running-in boards, were distinctive to each railway company. Springside models makes the GWR type, though I used some old castings of my own. I used Slater’s letters.

24

The screen for the gents’ toilet door was made up from thin card, and with card trim added top and bottom. GWR used a cast nameboard post to support these screens so I used a spare from a Springside nameboard pack.

25

A strip of Tamiya masking tape was laid 3mm from the platform edge so that the white edging could be painted. After 24 hours the tape was peeled off to leave a nice straight edge.

26

The areas of platform away from the building were usually surfaced with loose gravel. I applied a coat of cheap, slightly diluted PVA glue and then sprinkled on fine sand. Excess sand was vacuumed off after 24 hours.

27

I dislike visible gaps under model buildings so I applied a liberal ‘bead’ of Velo-set PVA along the bottom of the walls and positioned it on the marked area of the platform. Glue needs to be visible all round the base of the building.

28

The glue around the base of the walls will dry clear and can be touched up with paint if needed. The porch needed a little filler and a doorstep to bring the level up sufficiently.