September 2021 Next up is the left section. Windows and "glass" installed Walls assembled Installed entrance awning Right section walls assembled Entrance awning added
Very nice! May I ask where you got those corner 'clamps'. All mine are for woodworking so they wouldn't do for such as this.
I got them from Bachmann. Although I don't remember paying that price. Micro-Mark may have them. https://shop.bachmanntrains.com/index.php?main_page=product_info&cPath=264_1028&products_id=6240
September 2021 Front weathered Rear weathered To me the weathering came out too dark. I will need to correct it. In place with platforms. Notice stairs have been cut into the foam.
September 2021 I went back and used a lighter color chalk on the station. Here is the station in place with the platforms
October 2021 Began painting the foam a brown color. This area is where Union Station is going to go and will be the first area where scenery will be added. Track was placed down and tested. It has been outlined. Not sure how well you can see the marker lines.
November 2021 I placed the foam roadbed in the area where I am going to do scenery. I laid the track back over the roadbed to make sure everything fits. Looking the other way. I am using Woodland Scenics foam roadbed. I will eventually cut around the turnouts when I finalize those areas. Where there is no paint the roadbed is temporary, Using Woodland Scenics transition sections I added 2% temporary transitions from the foam board to the foam roadbed. Test trains have been successfully run through the section. I plan on doing one or two run by trains. After that I will glue the roadbed in place in the area where the passenger station will go.
Looks quite close to my choice of brown. I have used this same technique for a long time. Works well for me.
November 2021 Started gluing down the roadbed. Working on the inside track first. Need to run to the hardware store and grab some Liquid Nails or something similar for attaching the track.
November 2021 Using Liquid Nails and a putty knife to spread out the Liquid Nails I attached the inside track. Next I moved on to gluing down the roadbed for the outside track Then attaching the outside track. In progress photos. Finished attached track an some test trains and time to move to next step.
November 2021 The next step is weathering the track. For this I am trying something new. I am using Woodland Scenics Tidy Track Painter Pen. For the side of the rails I am using Rusty Rail and for the ties Weathered Tie. First section I tried with both the rail and ties weathered. Next is a section where just the rails are done alongside an untouched section. Here is a section with both the rails and ties done against an undone section
December 2021 I read an article in a recent Model Railroader that talked about making foundations for structures as a way to make them fit better into the scenry. After thinking about it and knowing I need to raise the passenger platforms I decided to give it a try. The article recommended three materilas to choose from; wood strips, foam board, and plaster with or without a facade. For my purpose I chose the foam board. Using the base of the platforms I traced the outline and cut the foam board. The type of board I chose required two layers as you can see. Since there are four platforms I had to cut a total of eight pieces. I had to cut out for the stairs in two of the platforms. I placed the boards and the platforms and checked the height against a passenger coach. Checked to make sure the cuts for the stairs were done correctly. When the foundations are in place I will use scrap to fill in the gap. The platforms are too far from the rail. The little plastic people would have quite a jump to board. Therefore I have to remove some of the roadbed edge. All the roadbed edge removed for the platforms. Test of the platform location. Next I need to paint the foam board black. I also need to figure out a way to keep the ballast out of the area of the foundations. I don't want to set the foundations until the ballast is in place as I don't want it spiling onto the foundation and creating problems with setting the platforms.
December 2021 I finally got to the ballasting. Here is the inside track. The wood is preventing the ballast from getting into the area where the station platforms will go. Shot taken not longer after the glue mixture was applied. Glue has dried and wood is removed. The outside track track's turn Outside track after the glue dried. Next up is placing the station platform foundations.
Here are the painted foundations. Foundations glued in place. Station Platforms in place temporarily to see how they look. I will attach them permanently once the scenery around them is done. Next is making the station building foundation. I need to figure out the exact location for the station building and the roads around it. For the roads I have the Walther's Asphalt Street kit. Never used it before but I am willing to try.
Thanks @country joe . Unfortunately one of the platforms decided to take several dives to the floor and is now unrepairable. I have started building a replacement.
I’m sorry to hear that, Tom. You did a very nice job on the platform. I guess the good part is that you can make another one but it sucks when something you made is destroyed.
"If at first you don't succeed, dive, dive again?" Or, that old WB cartoon with Daffy Duck as one of Robin Hood's merry men, practicing combat with a staff, comes to mind; "Ha-ha! Guard! Turn! Parry! Dodge! Spin! Ha! Thrust! <splash>."
