Home made platform

I've tended to use exterior grade foamboard. Beneath, the support is a lattice of foamboard. Coping stones for edging are PVC angle from DIY store. The board is painted in masonry paint and platform surface is roofing felt, glued on. Mine are free-standing and have lasted many years outside though exposure to direct sun can encourage warping and to counter this I now add some aluminium angle which extends beneath the sleepers of adjacent track, the latter's weight helping to keep the platform flat. If making curved raised platform, check clearance carefully with a wide selection of vehicles as many items have overhanging steps, cylinders etc which will foul. Having rail-level platforms avoids this risk.

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In the link is a log of my initial start, part way through you will see the use of paving slabs:

 
outside .
It depends how long you want/expect it to last. I have made platforms from plywood, covered with roofing felt on the top surface. The first lasted several years, until I changed the track plan. The current one is only a year old, has roofing felt on top and brick-embossed styrene on the vertical faces.
 
I've used cast concrete, jigstones, wood and exterior grade foam board. I'd probably go for foam board now if I was starting from scratch. Here's an overview of techniques I've used over the years - Contents

Rik
 
I model East German Railways in the 1980’s there were no platforms as such but inplaces a hard gravel surface that I have over the years replicated by using concrete or as Martyin (Post #5) with plastic coated Foam Board which is now my preferred method. I have at time coated with cheep nasty sticky black paint with very fine dust on top, that being sprayed when surplus cleaned off matt black. My latest iteration never bothered much just using the foamboard with edges chamfered underneath to join up to the track and lightly sanded to get rid if the shine, shown during construction before the foamboard added between the track.IMG_8816.jpeg
 
IMG_2794.JPGHere is an indoor layout I built in a hurry for the 16mm modular layout. Two layers of 5mm foamboard, the top layer is scribed to represent slabs, roughly painted, and a white line painted around the edge. It looked OK from a distance. I have since finished the building, a jackson's kit, and fitted out with real mahogany skirtings, counter, and back counter shelves. Computer, books, etc. printed out and glued to the counter top. I will look for a photo of some of my outdoor platforms later. David
 
It depended on what I was trying to achieve! I have use wood, covered in roofing felt. That lasted a fair time bit did suffer in the humidity of Northwest Florida. I’ve also used poured concrete (with edging stones made of kitchen tile sections) for the main station. Virtually indestructible. And also thinish garden slabs, again pretty indestructible.

1. Halt. Thin garden slabs.20190604-00072-2.jpeg

2. Halt. Wood covered with roofing felt.
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3. Main station. Full height. Poured concrete with edge tiles.
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I'm with GAP.

For the inside pop-up display, I used lengths of polystyrene. These were covered with A3 paper on which I'd printed a slate pattern. Edging provided by a strip of masking paper.

You may spot that the elephants have been playing as bulldozers!

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