Marble or Concrete stairs?

You need to take .2" styrene sheet and make strips, then just start stacking. Voila, steps.

How about vinyl tile with the marble pattern you like?

Cut, glue, and stack them as you want.

Pattern doesn't translate to scale, it would look strange. Plain plastic, paint it white or gray.

BTW Lima, your math is good.

PLASTRUCT

Plenty of steps, railings and everything else here =

http://www.plastruct.com/Pages...eq'&CCode=STEP-8

Find marble pattern photos on the net, copy - work the size using excel on the PC.

Print it out and glue it on the steps. Spray with clear gloss.

That's how I made the stairs below.  Sometimes when you use styrene, there are tiny gaps that stand out when you paint it light colors, as concrete, etc.  Before painting I use an X-Acto point to dag white glue into the crack - capillary action draws it in and it seals the gap.  The "brass" railings are made from gold-metal paperclips.

Thank you guys, will attempt to make a set this weekend if I can get some plastic. Not sure my final product will look like your work Steve.

Great idea on the railings Lee!

Now that Testors has abandoned us, what is everyone using for a concrete color paint?

Model or custom Ace/Home Depot/Lowes/Menards/etc. mix?

I always thought it was kind of silly for them to make a color called "concrete" since in the real world untinted concrete is a wide range of grays. Tinted concrete gives you even more options to consider.

I'm all in favor of using regular wall paint for scenery and structure applications, reserving model paint for painting actual trains. Some paint stores might even do sample bottles so you don't have to buy a quart. Check around.

I agree that it is hard to go wrong with concrete color. However, I think that the right texture helps a lot to suggest "concreteness". This isn't strictly to scale: I am pretty sure that at 1:48 scale there is little difference between the texture of concrete and that of glass. But a little texture sort of "signals" to the viewer that it is concrete. There are numerous ways to do this. I like to use a light dusting of a textured paint.  My favorite is Rust-Oleum Desert Bisque.

I use these paints for MRR painting and weathering.

LINEN #420 is the concrete color of SIRT’s choice!

Applying a skim coat of spackle first then Linen, will get the real concrete look desired.

The decorated steps are really Plastruct plastic, LOL!

 Most of my modeled structures are dated to 1933. That was a big time for concrete along the railroads to support heavy steam operation.

The overpass and viaduct still stand and provides daily RR operation even today on S.I.

I do what SIRT does (because I learned it from him!)  The loading ramp was made from gator board:

Thanks for the complement John but actually I admire modeling mostly by you and Neal as well!

Your stuff looks GREAT!

Thanks guys, will try and get over there to see about the paint.

I like Rustoleum Camouflage Khaki for aged concrete.

Using a piece of cut foam in the application process works better than spray paint.

The thicker paint adds additional texture over the spackle as well.

I only use camo sprayed through a screened frame for doing engine and freight car dusting. No air brush need.

I only use camo sprayed through a screened frame for doing engine and freight car dusting. No air brush need.

Oh, boy! Another SIRT secret! Perhaps additional detail would be useful to we the unwashed.

"American Accents" has stone textured paint that seems to work well as a base coat for another color. I used it on the concrete bridge and viaduct, though the "Strawflower" overcoat was bit too yellow for the aged concrete look I was after.

I e-mailed Don "Industrial Models" Smith about it and he suggested getting a computer-matched can of exterior latex flat (that's what he used on some of his buildings). I'm going to try that out on the next concrete project.

I use Precision Board (see my post on March 2nd, Precision Board, Scratch Built) you can carve, cut scribe or distress it to any shape you want. Paint it with Rust-oleum Textured spray paint to make it look like cement or brick