Just been searching building station platforms as I’m about to embark on that project. Absolute revelation to use plasterboard. What a brilliant idea. 👍👍👍
wondeful! It takes you 7 minutes to start with "how to build station platforms"?!? Had to sit through that, finally it got interesting! Thank you for the later 11 minutes!
I just ran across this video and it is timely for me. I am going to be building platforms soon for my expansion 2. The use of plasterboard is a great idea. Not sure if i can get 3/8 board here in the US, but will look. Great video. I know it is a year old, but still super.
Excellent, i like the way your getting all your preperation done in the house so atleast you will have stuff to move into the shed straight away. You really need to get on with that shed though! Jason
i di tend to spread a thin layer of filler over the plasterboard before I paint it so I can rub it down foa a rough finish. Also when your painting the platforms you can sprinkle sand into the paint as you go along while its wet and that will give you a rough surface and it soaks in the paint.I have used this method lots of times and looks very good.
Excellent video mate very informative them platforms will look the biz when finished,look forward to your next update this layout will look the bees knees when finished mate something to be proud of.All the best Kev.
after watching your video it has helped me decide to build my platforms just using filler! I'm hoping it will give that slighty uneven concrete effect! and possible cheaper!
i live an hour down the a1 in hertfordshire.I too love leamside layout even now its 20 years old its still much better than more recent layouts. I have just looked at your videos of your layout and its looking good.
well once you have drawn the lines for cutting i just use a sharp stanley knife and score the lines two or three times and then it should just snap off easily.once cut rub the knife up and down to smooth down the edges. its very simple to do mate.dont worry if the edges are uneven and rough to much as once you add the platform sides you will fill all gaps with plaster then paint it. hope this helps mate.
Shame to hear about Glebe Road. But I'm liking the ideas of the new layout, particularly what you're doing with the station. It's all looking good so far, keep up the good work!
lol I did recognize the voice. Plus I had watched this video before coming. I must admit that I hadn't thought of doing platforms with plasterboard either. I like it.
i use copper screws so that i can solder the track to them to stop the track from moving.if you dont fix them in place they will expand and move resulting in derailments.you can also use copper clad sleeper and solder the rail heads to them but you will need to make a cut in the center of the copper clad so that you do not get an electrical short.
yes it needs to close.best thing to do is tape a pen or pencil to the corner of a coach so the pen touches the baseboard then run the coach up and down the track and that will give you a rough idea of how close the platform edge needs to be.
hi andy thanks for the comment.yes i have found this method the easiest and cheapest way of building the platforms. i have just completed converting the loft as my layout room now and will carry on building the layout next week end.
great video mate it really helped , will it be a good idea to place in the peco sections and fill up the space with woodland scenic smooth it plaster to get an even curve or would it be better to cut plaster bored in to the shape of the radios ??
Have you considered putting a LRT system on your layout. Some great models from Leopold Halling. Just a suggestion. Keep up the great work. Thanks for the video. Look forward to future updates.
Another well made video. I like the idea of the plaster board, I was going to use mdf, but opted for peco platform sides with card top, and mdf supports between the platform sides. So far after 2 years in the shed it has held up quite well. Bet you can't wait to get your sheds finished. My layout is in a 12' x 10' shed with a 10' x 8' hand built extension. although the layout actual size is 15' x 7'. I have still got room to expand? ;-) All the best Mark
Plasterboard edges can be sanded smooth to reduce gaps and use polyfiller for any gaps seal the tops with pva glue watered down a bit great surface to be painted
Its 2 inches from the center of one track to the center of the other track that runs along side it.this way you wont have any issues connecting the track to the points.and yes i used foam to form the ramps at the end of the platforms and used filler to smooth it off and so far i have had no issues with the two working together.
hi mark Thanks for the comment and yes cannot wait to get the shed completed so i can finally get some trains running. Sadly I think that's going to be a long way off.
Hey Bloodmarine. This'll sound weird but I'm pretty sure I was stood next to you at the Trains4u open day in Peterborough today. You are looking at Runswick Leamside wearing a yellow shirt. I was the guy in the grey shirt next to you. It was only when I got in the car to come home that I realized who you were. If I had realised sooner I would have said hi.
Only about half an hour actually, what about you? I'm currently building my own modern image layout in my garage and I'm on the hunt for ideas. I love Runswick Leamside. Plus I also liked the shopping center on Shopliegh, the layout in the entrance.
Hello, I think that you are doing a great job on your station platform. I am a complete beginner in this wonderful hobby, so I hope my question is not too stupid. can you tell me how you paint such straight yellow lines. Happy modeling , Allan.
Painted straight lines is a hard task in this hobby. You could use masking tape to get straight lines but that would take ages to complete. Or just paint them by hand with a thin brush like I did but you will a steady hand for this. There are also felt tip paint pens on the market which will be easier. There is also rolls of adhesive colour strips which you buy and just stick them down to represent the yellow lines but this is only good for straight lines and will come stuck around corners. So hand painting the lines would be the best option in my opinion.
I'm following your steps on how to make the platforms, I've just finished the peco sides and I'm onto the plasterboard. What tool did you use to cut the plasterboard because I really don't want to mess it up!
Maybe Peco recommend 2 inch centers for adjacent tracks but this is much more than British Rail track centers work out to be in 4mm / ft modelling. Prototype track is normally set at 6 feet from outside of rail on one track to the outside of rail on the next track for straight track. this is widened as required on bends. 6 feet plus two rail head widths = 6 ft 5.5 inches. plus track gauge of 4 ft 8.5 inches gives a track centers total of 11 ft 2 inches. If you round this dimension to 11 ft 3 inches, it becomes 45 mm track centers in 4mm scale.and will look very much more realistic. Another feature of prototype track is that the distance between a running track and a siding is close to 15 feet. This is 60 mm in 4mm scale. The Peco recommendation of 2 inch track centers is way out for this situation. You have put a lot of effort into building platforms and retaining walls but have allowed Peco's recommendation to ruin the overall appearance of your modelling. Trevor LL
When you said the the measurement between the track was 2", was that rail one side to other rail side (other track) or one slepper side to the other sleeper side(other track)? I hope you know what I mean. If you used packaging foam for the station and used sidings and filler (Poly filler I think you use) over the space/screws and over the top, would that affect the foam in any way or will the foam affect the filler in any way? Thanks, KingJack1999.
cannot remember of the top of my head. the best thing to do is tape a pencil to the corner of a coach and run the coach along the platform and the pen will draw the line for the edge of the platform. hope this makes sense.
I tried this on an n-gauge layout where the platforms were not on a straight line and it just didn't work for me. It didn't help that I had 9.5 mill board but shaping it was not easy. Also the peco sides I bought had a grip on them which I assume you'd cut off in your example? I'll definitely try again with a straight edge platform though so I'm not dismissing the technique just sharing my experience.
Hi, I'm currently building my own layout, and I'm using separate baseboards as well, but I still can't understand how to join the tracks on the ends of the baseboards. Could you please explain to me why you are using the screws underneath your tracks?
Good Thanks Glebe.. :-) I'm contemplating on making 3m x 80cm diorama of same sort of layout as Your platform section here on youtube.. Not sure if i will have as many tracks between the platforms but most likely max 3 and then a single freight on one side.. and then frogs on one side .. Any tips? Did you wire each of Your track sections or did you solder them.? Thanks..
no i added droppers to each cut section of track to ensure power at all times.its a pain and long winded but well worth it as i have no issues with stalling locos.
hi mate merry xmas to you too...the next update wont be until the new year now as i have not worked on the layout much of late. but it is exciting times in the loft right now as i have made a start on the other side of the layout and are building a large tmd and have already started to build a very big dmu shed which measures 50 inches long. so there should be a fair amount for you all to see in the next update early next year. terry
the plaster sheets i use are 9mm thick.so once you have doubled them up you will get a height of 18mm which is roughly the correct height for the coaches etc.
no I have not considered let as im not that into teams to be honest.and the layout is set in London somewhere and i have never come across any real teams in London,lol.
the plaster board works really well.its a shame you didn't realize it was me when u was standing next to me as we could of had a good chat.do you live far from trans4u?
Just been searching building station platforms as I’m about to embark on that project. Absolute revelation to use plasterboard. What a brilliant idea. 👍👍👍
Loved this video so much information and great tips. Thank-you
wondeful! It takes you 7 minutes to start with "how to build station platforms"?!? Had to sit through that, finally it got interesting! Thank you for the later 11 minutes!
Great layout well done if its ok I would like to use some of your ideas thanks keep up the great work ...Alan
Fantastic way of doing it! Will have a go myself when I get back to detailing my station.
Very nice terry to dee you made a start on the stations looking forward to more soon. Joel.
I just ran across this video and it is timely for me. I am going to be building platforms soon for my expansion 2. The use of plasterboard is a great idea. Not sure if i can get 3/8 board here in the US, but will look. Great video. I know it is a year old, but still super.
Excellent, i like the way your getting all your preperation done in the house so atleast you will have stuff to move into the shed straight away. You really need to get on with that shed though! Jason
i di tend to spread a thin layer of filler over the plasterboard before I paint it so I can rub it down foa a rough finish.
Also when your painting the platforms you can sprinkle sand into the paint as you go along while its wet and that will give you a rough surface and it soaks in the paint.I have used this method lots of times and looks very good.
I like your idea of the pillars covered in that stone chip it looks very realistic
Excellent video mate very informative them platforms will look the biz when finished,look forward to your next update this layout will look the bees knees when finished mate something to be proud of.All the best Kev.
after watching your video it has helped me decide to build my platforms just using filler! I'm hoping it will give that slighty uneven concrete effect! and possible cheaper!
i live an hour down the a1 in hertfordshire.I too love leamside layout even now its 20 years old its still much better than more recent layouts.
I have just looked at your videos of your layout and its looking good.
Ah just wonder with the track joins excellent work as aways keep up the good work I enjoy your layout and videos as do loads of others
thanks, best way of making platforms ive seen
Looking good so far,Keep up the good work. well done
Hi mate thats a great idea using plasterboard and its so easy to cut aswell , great stuff cheers Andy.
Great tutorial.
Great video mate thanks for sharing that.. I only did my platforms thursday out off wood otherwise i would definitley try this method! Andy
the videos are great and you making great progress good idea's mate never thought of plaster board
well once you have drawn the lines for cutting i just use a sharp stanley knife and score the lines two or three times and then it should just snap off easily.once cut rub the knife up and down to smooth down the edges.
its very simple to do mate.dont worry if the edges are uneven and rough to much as once you add the platform sides you will fill all gaps with plaster then paint it.
hope this helps mate.
A very well presented instructional video! Well done! On my next layout I will use that technique, the Hornby platform doesn't look that good
Shame to hear about Glebe Road. But I'm liking the ideas of the new layout, particularly what you're doing with the station. It's all looking good so far, keep up the good work!
lol I did recognize the voice. Plus I had watched this video before coming. I must admit that I hadn't thought of doing platforms with plasterboard either. I like it.
hi terry well done mate looking s o very good keep up the great work mate .
give it a go mate.the end result is very pleasing.
i use copper screws so that i can solder the track to them to stop the track from moving.if you dont fix them in place they will expand and move resulting in derailments.you can also use copper clad sleeper and solder the rail heads to them but you will need to make a cut in the center of the copper clad so that you do not get an electrical short.
Looking really good. Thanks for showing how to do the Platforms, think i will give that a go rather than the Metclaf stuff i have.
thanks mate.I have started to lay the ballast and do the scenery including the retaining wall.
Just started a layout from inspiration of watching you make yours, used your peco sides method too for the station :)
Great video! Very helpful
yes it needs to close.best thing to do is tape a pen or pencil to the corner of a coach so the pen touches the baseboard then run the coach up and down the track and that will give you a rough idea of how close the platform edge needs to be.
When building ours I used 17mil MDF came out great.............Brian
hi andy
thanks for the comment.yes i have found this method the easiest and cheapest way of building the platforms.
i have just completed converting the loft as my layout room now and will carry on building the layout next week end.
great video mate it really helped , will it be a good idea to place in the peco sections and fill up the space with woodland scenic smooth it plaster to get an even curve or would it be better to cut plaster bored in to the shape of the radios ??
Nice demo, very well explained
Have you considered putting a LRT system on your layout. Some great models from Leopold Halling. Just a suggestion.
Keep up the great work. Thanks for the video. Look forward to future updates.
Another well made video. I like the idea of the plaster board, I was going to use mdf, but opted for peco platform sides with card top, and mdf supports between the platform sides. So far after 2 years in the shed it has held up quite well. Bet you can't wait to get your sheds finished. My layout is in a 12' x 10' shed with a 10' x 8' hand built extension. although the layout actual size is 15' x 7'. I have still got room to expand? ;-)
All the best Mark
thanks derek.the plaster board works very well indeed.
Plasterboard edges can be sanded smooth to reduce gaps and use polyfiller for any gaps seal the tops with pva glue watered down a bit great surface to be painted
Um ótimo vídeo, está de parabéns!
Uma dúvida.
Qual é a marca deste trilho que você usou?
Saudações!
Its 2 inches from the center of one track to the center of the other track that runs along side it.this way you wont have any issues connecting the track to the points.and yes i used foam to form the ramps at the end of the platforms and used filler to smooth it off and so far i have had no issues with the two working together.
Thanks alot :-) Your layout is looking fantastic as seen in your last update, keep up the good work!
very helpful vid, thanyou.
Great video... thank you for sharing your tips....quick ?...what depth are you using for your low relief town scene
cheers Phil.next video will be about building a retaining wall.
hi mark
Thanks for the comment and yes cannot wait to get the shed completed so i can finally get some trains running.
Sadly I think that's going to be a long way off.
ok thanks mate great help looking folword to more uploads
Great idea can you go into more detail on the end parts maybe video it please and do you have the peco number for the sides ..Thanks Alan
A long and sharp blade and steel ruler.just score the line three times and it should just snap apart then cut the last piece of paper from behind.
Hey Bloodmarine. This'll sound weird but I'm pretty sure I was stood next to you at the Trains4u open day in Peterborough today. You are looking at Runswick Leamside wearing a yellow shirt. I was the guy in the grey shirt next to you. It was only when I got in the car to come home that I realized who you were. If I had realised sooner I would have said hi.
thanks rob.im sure you can find 9mm or 18mm plaster board in the states.
Only about half an hour actually, what about you? I'm currently building my own modern image layout in my garage and I'm on the hunt for ideas. I love Runswick Leamside. Plus I also liked the shopping center on Shopliegh, the layout in the entrance.
Hello, I think that you are doing a great job on your station platform. I am a complete beginner in this wonderful hobby, so I hope my question is not too stupid. can you tell me how you paint such straight yellow lines.
Happy modeling , Allan.
Painted straight lines is a hard task in this hobby. You could use masking tape to get straight lines but that would take ages to complete. Or just paint them by hand with a thin brush like I did but you will a steady hand for this. There are also felt tip paint pens on the market which will be easier. There is also rolls of adhesive colour strips which you buy and just stick them down to represent the yellow lines but this is only good for straight lines and will come stuck around corners. So hand painting the lines would be the best option in my opinion.
Looking good :) is the new shed built ?
I'm following your steps on how to make the platforms, I've just finished the peco sides and I'm onto the plasterboard. What tool did you use to cut the plasterboard because I really don't want to mess it up!
Great way of doing platforms. Are you building an exhibition layout?
Very good
glad it worked out fine.i chose not to cut it in wood as cutting plaster board is a lot easier and cheaper.
You can use card platforms, just ballast first
yeah you can get them cheap from most hardware stores.but its wise to buy a good one for around £30 like mine.
hi great video for the peco platform sides could i use plastic card and match sticks cut down ?
Maybe Peco recommend 2 inch centers for adjacent tracks but this is much more than British Rail track centers work out to be in 4mm / ft modelling. Prototype track is normally set at 6 feet from outside of rail on one track to the outside of rail on the next track for straight track. this is widened as required on bends.
6 feet plus two rail head widths = 6 ft 5.5 inches. plus track gauge of 4 ft 8.5 inches gives a track centers total of 11 ft 2 inches.
If you round this dimension to 11 ft 3 inches, it becomes 45 mm track centers in 4mm scale.and will look very much more realistic.
Another feature of prototype track is that the distance between a running track and a siding is close to 15 feet. This is 60 mm in 4mm scale. The Peco recommendation of 2 inch track centers is way out for this situation.
You have put a lot of effort into building platforms and retaining walls but have allowed Peco's recommendation to ruin the overall appearance of your modelling.
Trevor LL
thanks for the vote of confidence kev.my next video will be on building and painting the retaining wall.
good ideas!
When you said the the measurement between the track was 2", was that rail one side to other rail side (other track) or one slepper side to the other sleeper side(other track)? I hope you know what I mean. If you used packaging foam for the station and used sidings and filler (Poly filler I think you use) over the space/screws and over the top, would that affect the foam in any way or will the foam affect the filler in any way?
Thanks,
KingJack1999.
cannot remember of the top of my head. the best thing to do is tape a pencil to the corner of a coach and run the coach along the platform and the pen will draw the line for the edge of the platform.
hope this makes sense.
What thinkness does the plasterboard need to be. (i am refering to before cutting and double layering etc)
thanks joel.keep an eye out for more videos coming very soon.
hi awesome video 1 question where can you get 9mm plaster board i can find 9.5mm do they do 9mm plasterboard ?
they do look good once complete.
you said in your video peco sides are they the plate girder bridge sides or another side please can you give a part number regards dave
great video mate.....one question tho,whats the gap between the platform and track
I tried this on an n-gauge layout where the platforms were not on a straight line and it just didn't work for me. It didn't help that I had 9.5 mill board but shaping it was not easy. Also the peco sides I bought had a grip on them which I assume you'd cut off in your example?
I'll definitely try again with a straight edge platform though so I'm not dismissing the technique just sharing my experience.
Hi, I'm currently building my own layout, and I'm using separate baseboards as well, but I still can't understand how to join the tracks on the ends of the baseboards. Could you please explain to me why you are using the screws underneath your tracks?
cheers.no its for my personal use.I may do one for the cercuit one day tho.
Nice video.
Just wanted to ask which brand of track is used in this video and what code is it?
Thanks
...Amit
where do you get the platform edges from as i cant seem to find them on hattons ?
Steve
I hope you don't mind but I'm going to have a go at copying your platforms with the plasterboard and the peco sides
like it
hi andy.i hope the platforms worked out well for you mate.
Nicely done :-) though is this just a diorama,? Or is the whole settup part of a whole layout? Thanks. Pleased to hear
hi thanks for the comment. yes this is part of a much larger layout which you can see if you check out my latest video updates.
Good Thanks Glebe.. :-) I'm contemplating on making 3m x 80cm diorama of same sort of layout as Your platform section here on youtube.. Not sure if i will have as many tracks between the platforms but most likely max 3 and then a single freight on one side.. and then frogs on one side .. Any tips? Did you wire each of Your track sections or did you solder them.? Thanks..
no i added droppers to each cut section of track to ensure power at all times.its a pain and long winded but well worth it as i have no issues with stalling locos.
you only need long woodebn baton cut shaped and painted even can cut platform overhang with a router costs no more than a few quid
Do you know a place to get a soldering iron cheaply?
sounds good if you can make it bigger.
Hi. Terry hope all is well with you ...Happy Xmas to you and your family...When will we see the next update
hi mate
merry xmas to you too...the next update wont be until the new year now as i have not worked on the layout much of late.
but it is exciting times in the loft right now as i have made a start on the other side of the layout and are building a large tmd and have already started to build a very big dmu shed which measures 50 inches long.
so there should be a fair amount for you all to see in the next update early next year.
terry
no not yet.im so far behind with the shed.but it all costs so time and money.
thanks.hope it helps you in any way.
Trams. there are some cracking modern trams about.
the plaster sheets i use are 9mm thick.so once you have doubled them up you will get a height of 18mm which is roughly the correct height for the coaches etc.
thanks for the info buddy.
not sure never built one before.i assume its not much different to normal platforms.
SOUNDS GREAT GETTING PLASTERED FOR A HOBBY,LOL,CHEERS TONY.
no I have not considered let as im not that into teams to be honest.and the layout is set in London somewhere and i have never come across any real teams in London,lol.
hi can you tel me.what is the distance from the track to the edge of the platform?
Its peco code 100 in either concrete or wooden sleeper.
the plaster board works really well.its a shame you didn't realize it was me when u was standing next to me as we could of had a good chat.do you live far from trans4u?
i will do once i have wired up more of the layout.
i could just screw the bottom one down but glue don't last forever.
My misses is ok with my hobby and she thinks the hobby makes me old.
yes i use peco code 100.i will post another video this week as i have nearly finished scratch building my new station.