gregh
electronics, computers and scratchbuilding
Since Melaleuca has become a busy crossing station, SaTR Management has decided to convert the platform to an island type, and to extend the length of the existing front platforms for longer trains.
Most branchline station platform facings in Australia were constructed of timber, like this:
Later, in the 20th century, platforms were made from old rails mounted vertically, with precast concrete slabs slotted between – like this
I copied the timber method for my Melaleuca station, using treated pine timber, back in 2002.
Just like the real thing, mine is rotting away, and while it`s prototypical, the time has come to replace it.
The new (rear) platform face will represent the newer concrete type. I drilled holes in the baseboard and fitted pieces of plastic rail at approx 120mm spacing and 50mm high.
I then cut 3mm thick styrene into 15mm wide `slabs` and slid them between the rails
This should be rot-proof!
Next I used 20mm angle (some plastic and some aluminium), glued to the back of the facing, to give some strength to the overhanging capping.
Then 6mm thick plastic (cur from 50mm x 50mm plastic angle), 18mm wide to form the actual capping. This was glued into position after much checking for clearance to my longest wagons.
The glue I use for all this work is Fullers Ultra Clear Sealant. It`s not really a glue, but it`s like a very thick PVA glue – white to start, dries clear and is water washable.
I used styrofoam to fill part of the platform volume, some fibreglass flyscreen for reinforcing, then use concrete to fill up to 1cm of the top, then used a mixture of sand-cement and decomposed granite to fill, giving a rough surface. I `mashed` some moss I had recovered into the surface to hopefully cover the surface with `grass`.
Now the problem is to put some doors in the back of the building.
I also had to extend the front platform … I`ll cover that in a future post.
Most branchline station platform facings in Australia were constructed of timber, like this:
Later, in the 20th century, platforms were made from old rails mounted vertically, with precast concrete slabs slotted between – like this
I copied the timber method for my Melaleuca station, using treated pine timber, back in 2002.
Just like the real thing, mine is rotting away, and while it`s prototypical, the time has come to replace it.
The new (rear) platform face will represent the newer concrete type. I drilled holes in the baseboard and fitted pieces of plastic rail at approx 120mm spacing and 50mm high.
I then cut 3mm thick styrene into 15mm wide `slabs` and slid them between the rails
This should be rot-proof!
Next I used 20mm angle (some plastic and some aluminium), glued to the back of the facing, to give some strength to the overhanging capping.
Then 6mm thick plastic (cur from 50mm x 50mm plastic angle), 18mm wide to form the actual capping. This was glued into position after much checking for clearance to my longest wagons.
The glue I use for all this work is Fullers Ultra Clear Sealant. It`s not really a glue, but it`s like a very thick PVA glue – white to start, dries clear and is water washable.
I used styrofoam to fill part of the platform volume, some fibreglass flyscreen for reinforcing, then use concrete to fill up to 1cm of the top, then used a mixture of sand-cement and decomposed granite to fill, giving a rough surface. I `mashed` some moss I had recovered into the surface to hopefully cover the surface with `grass`.
Now the problem is to put some doors in the back of the building.
I also had to extend the front platform … I`ll cover that in a future post.
