Swanage Station Buildings

[jazzer]

I am building a layout based on Swanage (with certain compromises for space) and I have just come to realise that the station buildings are not exactly the easiest project for ones first attempt at scratchbuilding !

I know there have been a fair number of layouts built (or rather started) based on Swanage  but I have never seen one actually completed. I wonder if anyone has any finished models of the station area in general but especially the station buildings and could maybe post a few pictues to give me a bit of inspiration and some advice on how the Dorset stone effect was achieved, as I am not quite sure how close it is possible to get. I am not worried about achieving 100% accuracy as long as I can get it to "look right".

 

Thanks in advance.

[Dorsetmike]

I'm a bit frustrated by trying to print Purbeck stone in correct colours, so you are not alone, I've downloaded Scalescene buildings and texture papers in stone that on their site looks close, but when printed it has a decided brown cast, same goes for other downloaded papers etc. I've tried fiddling with the printer colour calibration, (a right PITA), what annoys me most is that photos print fine, so I have to save any settings I make. Trying to edit in a photo processing app can get things a bit closer, but not perfect.

 

I'm contemplating going over to Corfe and Swanage ((only about 18 miles from here) and photographing a few buildings and walls then try making my own A4 sheets of "stone" paper, if that prints OK then I'll try copy/paste  of windows and doors etc onto the stone. Alternatively print out sheets of stone and stick them to plain card with building outlines printed and then cut out from downloaded kits.

 

A handy little book I can recommend is the Oakwood press Railways of Purbeck by R.W.Kidner, gives the history and track diagrams for various places on the branch, including the narrow gauge lines for the clay workings, plenty of pictures,  black and white though, except for 2 on the back cover!.

[jazzer]

Thanks. I have done an experiment with some Slaters plasticard flemish bond brick which of course is not accurate but doesn't look to bad when painted, especially when viewed from 3ft away, except I made the colour too dark. Its just question of getting the colour right which I am sure I can do by the right mix or black and white as no manufacturers produce the right shade of off-white. I have a book Railway Modeller book called "The Swanage Branch" by Andrew P. M, Wright which has some excellent colour pictures of the building that give the right shade of the stone, so that side of it is not a problem. The problem is that  it is not an easy building to scratch-build (especially as my only scratch-building experience is a very simple cottage) and the canopy arrangement is not easy and I would be interested to see how others have tackled it. It seems a lot start this project but few finish it ! !  Any advice on tackling the building would be much appreciated !

Quite often I see impressive models spoilt by station buildings that are un-prototypical representations from card kits, and which never seem quite right to my eyes so this is the big challenge for me !