Atkitz expands West Highland line with self-coloured waiting shelter

Atkitz has added a self-coloured version of its small West Highland waiting shelter, giving scenic builders a quicker way to place a recognisably Scottish platform building on everything from a Glenfinnan-inspired stop to a compact branch-line cameo. Priced at £25 plus £2.95 postage and packing, the kit is aimed at modellers who want the look of the prototype without the time sink of painting a plain shell from scratch.

The shelter is based on images of the structure at Glenfinnan Station, but it is generic enough to suit most layouts. The model is moulded as a flatpack in only four parts and is designed to go together in minutes, with the self-coloured plastic handling the finish work that would normally take primer, masking and careful repainting to match across a layout.

The detailing is specific to the prototype and useful for era and route fidelity. The shelter has a three-course brick base, a wooden-panelled upper section in the original green colour scheme and an overhanging corrugated roof. The sliding door can be shown open or closed, which makes it easier to stage a waiting room that looks occupied rather than sealed up. Atkitz says the model footprint is 118mm by 69mm at the base, extending to 124mm by 98mm with the roof overhang, so it should sit comfortably on a small halt or a lightly developed platform scene.

Glenfinnan opened on 1 April 1901 as part of the North British Railway’s Mallaig Extension, and the station has two platforms plus an original timber waiting shelter on the eastbound side. The Glenfinnan Station Museum was established in 1991, and the viaduct, built in 1898, still draws attention from railway fans and visitors alike.

Atkitz is also extending the range around the building. Matching platform facings are 290mm long and can be curved slightly, running-in boards can be made to customer specification, and platform walling is in development.