Some progress on the station and a steam shovel

 Well I finally decided to do something so I began work on the station and the surrounding area. I used walthers union station. I really dug its art deco lines and its size. Was a fairly straight forward kit. It is well molded and there is little flash. some of the walls needed some extra fiddling however
to fit right, but nothing too serious. It technically comes "pre-colored" as in the plastic has its color molded in, but I decided to just go a head and paint it. I wanted a more marble building look as opposed to the concrete color they provide.

Here it is with the basic paint I applied. I use Tamiya Color acrylics, the roof and window sills are German Field Grey, and the walls are Flat white with a touch of light blue and flat black mixed in to make a cut marble color

 

Trains for scale

I decided to leave a wing off the building to give it the look of being part of the city deck. I also decided to put the pillars(aka, the front) facing the track. Now I know that this is technically not how its normally done, but,since the deck is a good 2 inches off the table, facing the station the 'right way' just doesn't look as good, and the pillars are one of the main points of the building. I want them seen, so I made the new entrance at road level behind the building and made the front the back. 

all aboard!

I then weathered it all with a simple black wash all over and a tiny bit of earth brown dry brushing on the bottom. I've also went ahead and began to build the platforms. they are just basic styrene and balsa wood for now, but I've got the materials to start work on the butterfly roofs as well. access from the station to platforms 2 and 3 the fancy checker board ones will be through underground tunnel so I gotta build that too. platform 1 is where the little switcher is  and just needs some paint.

 Is that a steam shovel?

I've also ballasted a good portion of the layout too, pretty much half actually. not bad for my first time. Though, I think I may have effed up one of my switches...oops

 why yes, yes it is

Also iI made a steam shovel, I've dubbed it Mary Anne and she loves the smell of industry in the morning. (the kit is by REM, and its very nice)