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How to fold an origami train station

A real project. Pleat, slit and cut a brick station into a tall arched hall with wings, add a green roof and a clock, then a train, platform, lamp, bench, signal and traveller. It stands up.

You need: 18 pieces: green, brick red, white, greys, red, black, yellow, dark green, skin, purple, brown, blue, light blue A4 (sizes in steps). Scissors, glue.. Challenge, 50 steps, about 75 minutes.

Steps

  1. Roof: fold in half. Start with the arched roof: a 10 × 6.6 cm copper-green piece, green side up. Fold the left half over onto the right.
  2. Roof: cut the arch. Cut a smooth curve in small snips through both layers, from the top of the fold down to the open edge, 1.2 cm above the bottom.
  3. Roof: open it. Open it out. A green arch.
  4. Station: new sheet. Set the roof aside. For the station, take a 16.8 × 15.4 cm brick-red piece, red side up.
  5. Station: pleat a ledge. Fold the bottom 5.1 cm up in front.
  6. Station: pleat back down. Fold that flap back down, 5 mm above its fold. The step it leaves is a stone ledge across the front.
  7. Station: fold in half. Fold the left half over onto the right half.
  8. Station: mark the wing. Fold the right part over to the left, 4.2 cm from the middle fold.
  9. Station: open the wing. Open it out again. The crease is where the tall hall meets the lower wing.
  10. Station: cut the arch. Cut down the crease 6.6 cm. Snip the wing's top off 6 cm down. Round the hall's top into an arch, 4.6 cm deep.
  11. Station: open it. Open the left half back out: a tall arched hall with a lower wing on each side.
  12. Station: stone trim. Fold the top 6 mm of each wing down in front. White stone trim runs along the roofs.
  13. Clock: new sheet. Set the station aside. For the clock, take a 2.6 cm white square, coloured side up.
  14. Clock: corners behind. Fold each corner behind, 0.8 cm along both edges. You get an octagon.
  15. Clock: round it. Fold the eight new corners behind, 2.9 mm along both edges, so it is round.
  16. Signal post: new sheet. Set the clock aside. For the signal post, take a 1.6 × 12.3 cm grey strip, standing tall.
  17. Post: fold in half. Fold the left half behind, the long way.
  18. Post: and again. Fold the left half behind again, so it is thin and stiff.
  19. Signal arm: new sheet. Set the post aside. For the signal arm, take a 3.2 × 1.2 cm red strip, red side up, lying long.
  20. Arm: neat edges. Fold the top and bottom edges behind 1.5 mm, so the arm is slim and straight.
  21. Platform: new sheet. Set the arm aside. For the platform, take a 29.7 × 2.7 cm stone-grey strip, lying long.
  22. Platform: neat edge. Fold the top edge behind 3 mm, for a straight edge.
  23. Lamp post: new sheet. Set the platform aside. For the lamp post, take a 1.6 × 10.2 cm black strip, standing tall.
  24. Lamp post: fold in half. Fold the left half behind, the long way.
  25. Lamp post: and again. Fold the left half behind again, so it is thin and stiff.
  26. Lantern: new sheet. Set the post aside. For the lantern, take a 1.8 × 2 cm yellow piece, yellow side up.
  27. Lantern: taper it. Fold both long sides behind on slants, 4 mm in at the bottom. It narrows like an old lamp.
  28. Lantern: round the top. Fold the two top corners behind, 3 mm along each edge.
  29. Bench: new sheet. Set the lantern aside. For the bench, take a 3.8 × 2.1 cm dark green piece, green side up, lying long.
  30. Bench: the seat. Fold the bottom 5 mm up in front: the pale band is the seat. Then fold the two top corners behind 4 mm.
  31. Traveller: new sheet. Set the bench aside. For the traveller's coat, take a 2.2 × 3.5 cm yellow piece, yellow side up, standing tall.
  32. Coat: flare it. Fold both long sides behind on slants, 4 mm in at the top, so the coat flares out at the bottom.
  33. Coat: shoulders. Fold the two top corners behind, 3 mm along each edge, for round shoulders.
  34. Head: new sheet. Set the coat aside. For the head, take a 1.5 cm skin-coloured square, coloured side up.
  35. Head: corners behind. Fold each corner behind, 0.4 cm along both edges. You get an octagon.
  36. Head: round it. Fold the eight new corners behind, 1.7 mm along both edges, so it is round.
  37. Suitcase: new sheet. Set the head aside. For the suitcase, take a 1.4 × 1.7 cm purple piece, purple side up.
  38. Suitcase: round corners. Fold all four corners behind, 2.5 mm along each edge.
  39. Track: new sheet. Set the suitcase aside. For the track, take a 29.7 × 4.4 cm brown strip, lying long.
  40. Track: neat edge. Fold the top edge behind 3 mm, for a straight edge.
  41. Undercarriage: new sheet. Set the track aside. Now the train. For its undercarriage, take a 13.7 × 0.8 cm black strip, lying long.
  42. Train: new sheet. Set it aside. For the train, take a 14.3 × 6.2 cm blue piece, blue side up, lying long.
  43. Train: window band. Fold the top 1.6 cm down in front. The white band is where the windows go.
  44. Train: slope the nose. Fold the top-left corner behind on a slant, 2.4 cm along each edge. The front slopes like a fast train's.
  45. Train: round the nose. Round the bottom-left corner in small snips.
  46. Train roof: new sheet. Set the train aside. For its roof, take a 11.8 × 0.9 cm grey strip, lying long.
  47. Roof: round the end. Round the top-left corner in small snips.
  48. Sky: new sheet. Set the roof aside. Last, the sky: a light blue A4 sheet, blue side up, lying long. The whole station is glued on it.
  49. Build the station. On the sky glue the roof, the hall on it and the clock, then signal, platform, lamp, bench, traveller and track. The train goes on top at the platform.
  50. Stand it up. Bend the sky gently towards you just in front of the train's nose and stand the whole station up on the table.

All aboard!

Draw the clock hands, white windows, the doorway, the train's windows, doors and wheels, the rails, the bench slats and the traveller's face.

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