gregh
electronics, computers and scratchbuilding

Recently in this topic..
https://www.gscalecentral.net/g-scale-pictures/spring-sunshine-on-the-sandstone-and-termite/
...a couple of guys asked how I build my timber faced platforms. These were the usual platforms in most of rural Australia and I think they add atmosphere to my ‘outback’ line.
Here’s a real one.

I don’t have any pictures of building them but here is a sketch.

I use my good-old-standby - treated pine lattice wood. I buy it from the local lattice maker for about $1 a metre, and it is 38x8mm.
The platform face is just scribed with the horizontal lines. I usually use pieces about 200mm long so that they join at every 2nd vertical to give amore uneven look.
Then a piece is cut in half lengthwise to give about 18x8mm. These form the platform capping pieces (100mm long) and the verticals.
It’s best to assemble all this before installing. The platform itself is just concrete. To hold the face tightly against the concrete, I use aluminium bar either screwed to the baseboard or bent and embedded in the concrete.
Here’s a couple of pics of mine when new:


Now there are problems. The wood does rot and the timber comes away from the concrete.
This pic of Ironbark shows how it has parted after 20 years.

And these show the rot at Melaleuca after 10 years.


https://www.gscalecentral.net/g-scale-pictures/spring-sunshine-on-the-sandstone-and-termite/
...a couple of guys asked how I build my timber faced platforms. These were the usual platforms in most of rural Australia and I think they add atmosphere to my ‘outback’ line.
Here’s a real one.

I don’t have any pictures of building them but here is a sketch.

I use my good-old-standby - treated pine lattice wood. I buy it from the local lattice maker for about $1 a metre, and it is 38x8mm.
The platform face is just scribed with the horizontal lines. I usually use pieces about 200mm long so that they join at every 2nd vertical to give amore uneven look.
Then a piece is cut in half lengthwise to give about 18x8mm. These form the platform capping pieces (100mm long) and the verticals.
It’s best to assemble all this before installing. The platform itself is just concrete. To hold the face tightly against the concrete, I use aluminium bar either screwed to the baseboard or bent and embedded in the concrete.
Here’s a couple of pics of mine when new:


Now there are problems. The wood does rot and the timber comes away from the concrete.
This pic of Ironbark shows how it has parted after 20 years.

And these show the rot at Melaleuca after 10 years.

