Carletta Trains
Suburban Station
I wanted to make sure that the people had someplace to go to rather than getting on and off the trains at the main station so I created a second. I wanted this one to be of a smaller variety like you might find in a quieter suburban town with a quaint looking station and a track level platform. This station was a kit I got from lifelike.
Selecting the Location
By the time I decided to add the station in I had already done a lot of work on the layout so it was time to shuffle things around to find some space. I found an area that had some open space and moved one of my townhouses to further open up the area. The track is curved here which I thought would make for an interesting platform design. In New Jersey there are some stations that don't have platforms long enough to accommodate the entire train so people need to board and exit through certain cars only. It's the same case with this station as I would only be able to line up two passenger cars at the station's platform.
The Kit
This is the station as it came in the kit. I painted the parts while they were still on the sprue because it was easier to hold the sprue instead of trying to paint the smaller parts and not get my fingers. It also helps because it keeps you from getting oils from your fingers on the parts which would affect the paints ability to stick. Overall the kit was fairly simple to build using model cement glue.
Laying the Groundwork
The first thing I needed to do in the area was put something down to get the platform and station up to the level of the tracks. To do this I used some left over cork roadbed. Once that was securely glued in place I used some Woodland Scenics Foam Putty to fill in gaps and smooth out the transition to the surrounding area.
Building the Parking Lot
I mapped out the parking lot and paved it using Woodland Scenics Smooth-It. I painted it black to help identify and holes I needed to fill. Then I used some additional Smooth-It to fill them in and level the surface. After my initial pour I decided to extend the parking lot out to the tracks for additional parking. I kept placing cars on the lot to ensure that the lot had enough space for rational operation. You can also see the platform that I painted Flat Gull Grey. I drilled a hole in it and through the board to accommodate for lighting.
Now that the parking lot was ready to go I needed to paint it and address the scenery around it. I painted it the same color as the platform and used a strip of styrene around the parking lot side of the platform to model a curb. I used a ruler and drew the road lines and then went over the pencil with a white paint pen. I also created a "lane" next to the station where people could wait to pick others up instead of having to park in a space. Finally I laid some "dirt" down, built a fountain out of some Lego parts covered in plaster with Woodland Scenics Water Effects making the water. I also installed a lighted clock and a light for the station. I also put two lights on the platform itself.
End Result
In the end I was left with a nice suburban station scene. I later added a couple of vending machines out front. I also painted the inside of the station black to keep light from bleeding through the thin plastic walls.
