Incomplete, faded and bent out of shape is how this station came to me. For years, it just sat around, waiting to be brought back to life. There were several false starts, but not until now has it been completed.

The station was in pieces the last time it was picked up. After straightening the panels, the roof especially, the delicate printed surfaces were protected with a spray of varnish. Years of exposure to the sun had separated the colour from the substrate and it faked off very easily.

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The next task was to make a new chimney. Based on the one surviving original,it was cut from a piece of tin can folded into the correct shape. It took a paper mock-up and one failed attempt to get it right. Just goes to show, it pays to follow the measure twice, cut once rule. The chimney pots were made from a rolled up strip bond together with solder to give the impression of die-cast parts.


The next step was to repair the platform base. It was quite badly bent and it refused to give up its propeller shape. Some supporting beams were soldered beneath the building to provide support and stability. As a side effect, it was noted that the heat brought back faded colour…


The feature that distinguished a Railway station from a simple Wayside station was its picket fence and the chimneys, not found on the ‘economy versions’. The original fence was long gone, so a replacement was made to suit…


The finished station has been named ‘Launceston’, in honour of the town I live in, which in turn is named after the town in Cornwall.

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Copyright © 2021 Rudolf Ramseyer