Piazzale lato binari

Station forecourt – May 2012

After having tuned the layout electronic system, a topic to discuss in a specific article, we have now time for the landscape. In a layout construction there are some mandatory steps determining which phase must be carried out before another. The current phase had to be the station track ballasting, an operation that cannot ignore the construction of the platforms. Due to a difference in height between the street level compared to the rails level, the platform housing the station building has to be a single body with the forecourt and we have decided to out-work assembly it all.

The station forecourt
The station forecourt

The project originally involved the construction of a building, a parking lot, a small playground and a bus stop.
For a deeper realism we decide to photograph an existing building and CAD designing it. The resulting drawing is subsequently upload to the numerical control milling machine to obtain the preformed parts.
Having enough room, we decide to create a small garden housing the the restaurant tables of the aforementioned building.
Canopy, tables and photovoltaic panels are built from scratch to obtain the right thicknesses, never present in commercial productions, as well as are bottle, glass, cutlery, plate and food (typical regional bread, sausages and beat meal)

The restaurant
The restaurant

Benches, toilets, Italian railway fence and foliage (Silhouette) are commercial products, as is the garden fence (Linea Model). The balcony balustrade is a home-made photoengraving. Brick wall and roof of the building are from Redutex selection.

Details
Details

After peering at Noauillier’s superb work on TTM magazine, we try to emulate his ability and create what seemed best suited to the setting of the scene.
Hollow bricks and wooden door at the back of the building are clearly an inspiration to the aforementioned works, the first engraved on forex, the second on a plastic sheet. The stacked wood is covered by a cloth, the realization of which we do not want to reveal at this time.

Details
Details

Having added so many details for the building is forcing us to add more and more nearby it.
The garbage bags reproduction uses the same material as for the cloth.

Details
Details

Let’s spend a few more words on trees. These are made with the classic method of braided copper, welded for greater strength. Trunk and larger branches are then wrapped with tissue paper and vinyl glue. Depending on the type of plant, then the paper is coated with fine sawdust or fine sea sand.
After a gray primer coat we airbrush trunks with acrylic colors.
We then apply Silhouette foliage , of great impact and realism. On the other hand, it is not easily applicable and has a considerable price. The final effect, however, rewards both patience and economic efforts.

The forecourt seen from the platform
The forecourt seen from the platform

The small playground perimeter is surrounded by an engraved forex wall. We are using an electromechanical engraver, a tool with a negligible cost, but of great use. This wall will be equipped with a special fence and photo-etched gate to be built soon.

Playground
Playground

The playground equipment is plastic made. Remarkable is the Mediterranean pine foliage as it mimics the conifer quite well.

Playground
Playground

The forex (closed-cell polystirene) is pretty good for the construction of road surfaces, both new and disconnected. The airbrushing allowed us to create different shades in a harmonious way. The road markings are painted using Tamiya masking tape. The final weathering coating make it all quite real.

Road details
Road details

And this is the final effect of the model shooted in our garden waiting for its setting on the layout.

Forecourt
Forecourt

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