Making Hornby platforms look good?

[End2end]

I painted in the brick courses of my Hornby platforms a while ago as can be seen here.

With the recent conversation about platform tops can anyone advise how they changed or modified thier Hornby platform tops from looking so blatently plastic? Including any modification / painting of the drain covers.
Pictures would be ideal to see the contrasts of everyones ideas and I am only looking for advice on Hornby platforms.
Just to add my supposed region is GWR / WR and I work in acrylics ONLY.
Thanks
End2end

[GeraldH]

At my main station, I painted the top of the platforms light matt grey which immediately removed the plasticky effect. I also painted the white edges matt white, but this came out a bit intense and I had to weather it down a bit. I was planning to paint the brick courses as you have, but some of my platforms did not have brick courses moulded on (the ones with the subways) and so I left them as is.

The overall effect is not as good as it could be, but it'll do for now. The main reason I use the Hornby platforms, is that I can use Hornby's nice canopies with their robust metal supports. As these canopies are a clip fit, the canopies can be removed for dusting and track maintance. There's a picture of the painted platforms them on my layout thread.

[Bufferstop]

I have a row of those Hornby platform canopy brackets supporting my island platform roof. They have square pegs on the base which locate in the holes in the Hornby platforms. I took one along to an exhibition and tried everybody's square tube plastic section 'till I found one that was a good fit. Then I cut lengths of it the same length as the baseboard to platform surface height, cut holes in the platform, put a blob of impact adhesive on the end and pushed them into the holes. Once the adhesive had set the pillars fitted into the holes and the rails on the underside of the roof sit across them. The roof can be lifted off and if necessary the pillars can be eased out of the sockets.

[hairyhandedfool]

I haven't used Hornby platform sections for a long time, but when I did I sprayed them black, painted the edging stones individually in a medium/dark grey, painted the white along the very edge and sprayed a yellow line down the length just inside the edging stones. You could probably do better than that though.

[neil 6]

Hi can anyone tel me what paint to use on the Hornby platform are we talking Humbrol enamel paint and do I need a primer first. Thanks for any help.

[thebritfarmer]

I would give a light sanding, prime then use the paint of your choice.

[neil 6]

Thanks for your help.