Icing Platform/Dock Kit

As I do, if you model transition era SP you need to have a cab forward of most any AC class, some Daylight equipment and some PFE reefers. And if you have some PFE ice bunker reefers you need an icing facility. If you are going to model an ice deck this is the kit to do it with. I fashioned mine after the one in Roseville, disused but still standing when I hired out in 1972. I started with a Walthers Cornerstone WRR3020 ice and storage building that I kind of kit bashed and then added two of these Tichy icing platforms, which are actually based on the ones in Roseville, one on each side of the ice house in the middle. I built mine as a single track facility with doors on one side and railing in the rear, but they can be built as an island facility with doors on both sides. But for the simulated tarpaper it is grey plastic and will definitely need to be painted. A really big job to do by hand so you may want to upgrade to an air brush before starting and in fact, the instructions say that air brushing is a must. They are easy to use and very fast. It takes more time to clean the air brush than to do the painting. PFE used a medium grey on the platforms themselves and the upper end of the truss posts, and I painted the underside in creosoted timbers. The bases were painted in concrete and aged concrete colors. The models are not overly complicated but somewhat repetitive, however once into the swing of things they go together pretty quickly. There is much trimming to do to make things just right but by removing parts from sprues carefully the trimming can be minimized. The instructions are fairly straight forward. Any number of the kits can be expanded being basically modular in construction and in assembly as the floors for each unit slot into each other. The instructions suggest that you build the model as a diorama, with track, ballast and ground cover all in place before installing this into your layout. Although modeled on PFE design it can be used for SFRD or others and doesn't have to be a part of a yard, as there were spots for topping off out on line, usually owned by a Co-op of one sort or another as well as initial icing at the shipper's packing facility. The only problem I had was in applying the tarpaper roofing and getting it to lay straight and flat. So, frustrated, I turned the job over to my 11 year old granddaughter and she finished the model off, but with a price (she'll go far in life). Detailing, such as wood grain, bolt heads, conveyors etc is also very well done. And ice blocks are included. Bottom line you will have a very versatile model at a very reasonable price. The biggest mistake I made was in not buying the two models here so I paid full dealer's price, plus state and local sales tax, plus a 120 mile round trip drive to the dealer and back. Live and learn...