In the Detail Concrete
GOODS JOB
Paul A. Lunn offers ideas for recreating small and medium goods sheds and loading platforms.
Artwork: Paul A. Lunn
This delightfully ramshackle goods shed, at an unknown location, features a simple external timber platform, while the interior sits on a stone foundation. Note the loading gauge, suspended above the opening.
COLOUR RAIL
The use of raised platforms is not limited to getting passengers safely on and off waiting trains, as they’re also a vital element of goods facilities. Goods platforms provide easy access to railway vehicles for loading and unloading, while a covered shed is also an important piece of railway infrastructure, providing dry and secure storage of cargoes during the transshipment process.
Fortunately, recreating these vital elements is easy, providing a simple evening project or, for those with loftier ambitions, a more challenging subject can be tackled. Here, I’ll reveal how I created a typical wayside goods installation for less than £5, while offering ideas and inspiration for a range of modest goods facilities that may suit your own layout.
A good(s) platform
Building a goods yard platform doesn’t have to be expensive. The cost of this structur
was less than £5 and was built from Hornby’s elevated sidewall timbers bought second‐hand, a Dapol wagon body, several sleepers, scrap card and an offcut of MDF board.