Station Building Pt2………….

The last time the station building appeared in these pages it had received a base coat of paint and was ready for a little weathering. That job is now complete with several sheets of corrugated iron having been dry brushed with mixes of Precision paints dirty black, weathered wood and Humbrol matt leather and dark earth enamels. Sap green acrylic was dry brushed where water stains might have formed around drain pipes, and along the bottom of the building. I worked the various weathering process up gently, doing a little at a time and then taking a step back to look at things again before proceeding. I’m not one for heavy weathering, preferring a more subtle approach which I feel looks far more realistic. Rainwater goods were painted in Humbrol chocolate enamel, and then given a dusting of talcum powder to create a weatherworn, faded appearance.

A stove pipe chimney was added above the waiting room, and a simpler one above the ticket office and store. Door frames were made from basswood strip, and painted with a mix of Precision weathered wood and Humbrol matt white enamel, most of the latter being rubbed away to create a weatherworn neglected appearance. As an experiment I made the window frames from styrene, rather than the self adhesive labels as used for the goods yard huts. I felt that something with a better defined relief detail was needed for a building that would take centre stage on the layout. I did take a look at various cast resin, and lasercut window frames but couldn’t find anything of the correct size. Three different sizes of frame were needed, two identical 4 pane frames for the front of the building, a slightly smaller one for the end elevation and an even small one of a completely different style for the WC.

The frames are rather flimsy until they are built up with the various overlays, but once the solvent has set they are strong enough to be cleaned up with files. Glazing was from clear PTEC sheet, glued in place with Canopy Glue.

With the window frames installed I took a selection of photos to see how the building looked prior to adding poster boards, and continuing with the weathering.

The S&T department has been busy preparing the building for a connection to the rest of the railway system. Once the scenery has been completed then the lines and wiring will be connected, to do so at this stage of the build would only result in them being damaged.

The corrugated sheeting has been deliberately distressed in hope of creating an air of neglect. Poster boards were constructed from styrene sheet to match the size of the Tiny Signs posters. The WC glazing was sprayed with ‘Testors Dull Coat’ to make it appear opaque. More grass and weeds are needed on the platform surface, I mentioned in a previous post how I see an unkempt hedgerow spilling over, and through the fence onto the platform. A couple of enamel advertising signs will appear on the fencing, along with some fire buckets which are currently being painted. Though I suspect the powers that be would be more than happy to see the building burn to the ground. Etched drain covers from MSE have been let into the platform surface below each downpipe, not that you can easily see them.

Both the doors and their frames have hardly any paint left on them. To be honest two dodgy tins of enamel paint was the cause of that. For despite plenty of stirring both doors ended up in a horrid, tacky, gloss mess, which still hadn’t dried after a week! Normally a light dusting of talcum powder would have acted as a matting agent, and salvaged the situation, but on this occasion the dodge didn’t work. So there was nothing I could do other than strip the doors back to plain styrene, and start all over again with a different type and shade of paint.

I did plan to return to working on the scenery next, but will be turning my attention to painting and weathering some goods wagons, and completing the platelayers hut.

The first train to call………………….

A quiet spell at an all but deserted Bleddfa Road.

Geoff

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