The first of these was the construction of new platforms. Ever since the railway was built, it has always been an aspiration to construct permanent platforms, but as I had no experience of working with mortar or cement it seemed a daunting prospect. Fortunately, our friend JP of the Vale of White Horse Railway once again came to our rescue, kindly offering to demonstrate a technique which he has used very successfully on his own line. His method was to create platform edges by laying strips of mosaic tiling (designed for use in bathrooms, and available from all good DIY stores) using tile cement, then filling up the centre with mortar.
My only reservation about this plan was that the tiles were quite expensive; as ever, my financial circumstances compelled me to keep the cost of the project as low as possible. Racking my brains for cheaper alternatives, I hit upon the idea of using Teifoc bricks. These miniature bricks are made in Germany for a range of children's construction sets; they are designed to be used with water-soluble mortar so that buildings can be dismantled and the bricks re-used. Long-term followers of the MVR may remember that I used these bricks to build the original Box End station building back in 2004 (as shown in the archive photo). That building did not last long because it could not be left outside permanently, but equally it was too heavy and delicate for regular handling. However, it occurred to me that, if used with permanent mortar, the bricks ought to be robust enough for outdoor use. I therefore decided to use the bricks for the bottom course of the platform edge, with a course of tiles on the top to give a neater finish.
First, I prepared the site by scraping off moss and using a stiff brush to remove dirt. I then undertook a dry run of the platform edging, which allowed me to check clearances and confirm the quantity of materials needed. JP and I then completed the bricklaying on a single day; the mortaring was tackled gradually over the course of the following week.