New layout - platform length

Started by gosmegane, July 11, 2018, 06:37:01 PM

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gosmegane

After having an n gauge trainset for years, I've finally got a mancave so I can have an n gauge model railway.

I have a book of LMS stations and there's a plan of each station.  It seems to me that platform length is around 700ft on the one that I want to model.  Does that really equate to a model length of 1.4m.  It seems long to me. 

I want to do an L shaped layout in the corner, each leg about 2 to 2.5m from the corner giving an overall length of 4 to 5m, (maybe making it triangular so I can run a loop as long as I can remove the base length when not in use.)

My question is about platform length.  1.4m seem very long.  What length rake of coaches is that and does that seem reasonable to people.  Ideally I wanted 2 stations, but at that length each it would take too much space I think.

Any advice on platform length would be very gratefully received.


kirky

Hi @gosmegane
Welcome to the friendly forum.
So you are looking at platform length. A mk 1 is about 5 and half inches over the buffers. Add in the coupling length and you are looking at about a foot for two coaches. 1.4m equates to about 4 and half feet so a scale 700 foot length platform gives you a train length of 8 coaches plus a loco...just. Thats about right for a smallish station.
Hope this helps.

Kirky
Northallerton will make its next public appearance will be at Perth model railway show https://smet.org.uk/show/layouts/
June 24/25 2023.

Layout: Northallerton: http://www.ngaugeforum.co.uk/SMFN/index.php?topic=1671.msg16930#msg16930

www.northallertonngauge.co.uk

Cleveland Model Railway club website: www.clevelandmrc.club

Train Waiting

Hello and welcome to the Forum.

Platforms tend to be long, particularly in main-line stations.

700 feet is about 4'8" in 'N' gauge.  If you allow just under six inches for a main line carriage, that's about a 10 carriage formation.

Which station are you looking at?

For a model railway, things are always more realistic if your trains do not always completely fill the platform length, so it's nice to have platforms a bit longer than you normally need.

We railway modellers often use a thing called 'selective compression'.  If you keep the station buildings the same size as your prototype, you can normally reduce the platform length a bit.  How much could be the subject of much debate, but, say 1/3 for starters.  that's about a 460' platform or seven carriages.  This will look good with four, five or six carriage trains.  Will the rest of your layout be able to cope with trains of that length?

Just some random thoughts.

Best wishes.

John
Please visit us at www.poppingham.com

'Why does the Disney Castle work so well?  Because it borrows from reality without ever slipping into it.'

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The Table-Top Railway is an attempt to create, in British 'N' gauge,  a 'semi-scenic' railway in the old-fashioned style, reminiscent of the layouts of the 1930s to the 1950s.

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PLD

Quote from: gosmegane on July 11, 2018, 06:37:01 PM
I have a book of LMS stations and there's a plan of each station.  It seems to me that platform length is around 700ft on the one that I want to model.  Does that really equate to a model length of 1.4m.  It seems long to me.

My question is about platform length.  1.4m seem very long.  What length rake of coaches is that and does that seem reasonable to people.  Ideally I wanted 2 stations, but at that length each it would take too much space I think.
Your maths is correct, but 700 ft is not excessively long.

A BR MK1 is 63ft 5in over head stocks (64ft 8in over buffers) 700ft is only 10 coaches + a medium sized loco.

That is longer than typical for a small country station, but short for a major main-line station, which could commonly hold 14-16 coaches. The longest  ever in the UK was at the old Manchester Exchange at over 2000 ft and there are plenty of other examples exceeding 1000 ft

Intercity

Gloucester is/was a hair under 2000ft, and Colchester a hair over 2000ft.

Newportnobby

Hello gosmegane, and welcome to the forum :wave:
What folks have said above is quite correct but also I think a train that occupies more than about 1/3rd of your scenic area will look too long really, apart from freight trains which can be extremely long :D I seem to recall the majority of us also prefer an odd number of coaches in a train but don't ask me why :no:

kirky

Quote from: Newportnobby on July 11, 2018, 10:15:25 PM
I seem to recall the majority of us also prefer an odd number of coaches in a train but don't ask me why :no:
Numerosity.

Cheers
Kirky
Northallerton will make its next public appearance will be at Perth model railway show https://smet.org.uk/show/layouts/
June 24/25 2023.

Layout: Northallerton: http://www.ngaugeforum.co.uk/SMFN/index.php?topic=1671.msg16930#msg16930

www.northallertonngauge.co.uk

Cleveland Model Railway club website: www.clevelandmrc.club

kiwi1941

QuoteI have a book of LMS stations and there's a plan of each station.
What is the book? TIA, Brian
Eternal vigilance is the price of liberty." Wendell Phillips.

Eternal paranoia is the price of liberty: vigilance is not enough. Len Deighton.

Bealman

G'day from Australia, gosmegane, and welcome to the NGF!  :thumbsup:

What folk have said is correct - platforms are surprisingly long things. I have a terminus station on my layout which I must admit I've never measured, but I'd estimate around 1.2m.

You've got me curious now.... I'll put a tape measure to it when I get home!  :thumbsup:
Vision over visibility. Bono, U2.

Bealman

#10
OK, just did. 1.3m on a slight reverse curve. It will hold eight Mk1 coaches and a tender locomotive or a large diesel.

Sorry for the dilapidation, but old layout currently undergoing restoration.



Vision over visibility. Bono, U2.

The Q

One of the stations I'm modelling,  (in EM gauge) was built with 2 305ft platforms, in 1905 the station was rebuilt with, 1 200ft platform, one about 500ft, 1 platforms in excess of 700 ft, one in excess of 800ft, and two of about 1000 ft.

In other words:
If you are not modelling a particular place rule number 1 applies..
If it's a real place , How much compression can you tolerate..

njee20

If short on space consider half a station? With the remainder hidden under a scenic break. Allows you to park long trains in the platform without it taking up the entire scenic area.

Newportnobby

Quote from: njee20 on July 12, 2018, 01:58:31 PM
If short on space consider half a station? With the remainder hidden under a scenic break. Allows you to park long trains in the platform without it taking up the entire scenic area.

See the 'Tanners Hill' pics as an example of what njee20 refers to in this post................

http://www.ngaugeforum.co.uk/SMFN/index.php?topic=34393.msg409410#msg409410

njee20

I recall Horseley Fields was set up that way in its original guise too.

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