How big is too big for a station?

[simonprelude]

I'm looking at building a scale model of a station I've spent a lot of time at and struggling to find enough detail. I've got aerial photo's / maps from the late 60's and have tried google maps etc and it's not really helping.

The biggest thing that concerns me is that the platforms themselves will be almost 8 foot using a rough calculation of 1:150 (for ease), also what scale would people use for standard modelmaking. I always thought N gauge was 1:144 / 1:148 but it looks like 1:160 is more commonly used.

[EtchedPixels]

1:148 is correct, and 2mm/foot is good for estimating off maps etc. 8-9 foot sounds not unreasonable for a middling/large station platform

(The longest railway platform in the world is about 28feet in N 1:160 but I digress)

With a scale model remember that you need much bigger gaps between trains and platforms for the model. It may be necessary to 'bend' the scale a bit across the platforms to avoid them looking over-narrow.

Alan

[macwales]

Hi

I have found that before designing any station I have to consider the following:-

Is it a continual running layout or a shunting one?
Do I want to have realistically long trains?
(Will I be content with - say 2 or 4 car DMU type trains or do I want 8 x coaches + loco  standing in my station.)
Do I want straight or curved platforms?
Do I want to store trains on the layout by parking them complete at the station?

I think slightly curving platforms look great, particularly for a main station and I always want running long trains for that realistic effect. I know always try to put the main station on an angle to the viewer and not parallel with any side of the layout. I make them out of balsa wood as its easy to cut to shape and  trim if locos foul the platform side.

So the station will nearly always for me take up a great deal of room on the layout and I try to make the a platform in each direction as long as the longest train plus loco I want to run. This allows for parking. I also try to have at least 4 x ways through the station so two trains can run and two be parked.

Once you decide on the maximum train length required, make up the train on the kitchen table and measure it with your longest loco connected. I find I can get away with a slightly shorter overall platform as the loco can stick out the end provided there is room to the next turnout and neither end of the parked train fouls another train on the other track of an island platform.

Even so I always wish I had made the station bigger.

Cheers

Mac

[Buzzard]

I'm looking at building a scale model of a station I've spent a lot of time at and struggling to find enough detail. I've got aerial photo's / maps from the late 60's and have tried google maps etc and it's not really helping.

The biggest thing that concerns me is that the platforms themselves will be almost 8 foot using a rough calculation of 1:150 (for ease), also what scale would people use for standard modelmaking. I always thought N gauge was 1:144 / 1:148 but it looks like 1:160 is more commonly used.

I appreciate your problem and to be truthful you're not the first to want to emulate the real thing as closely as possible.  However if you're prepared to compromise a bit I could offer you this option, only model half the station.

If you look at Wandsworth Common station in Google maps satellite view you'll see the footbridge about halfway along the platforms.  So if that's the scenic break when trains are stopped you'll have the front of some and the rear of the others on show.  If you zoom in enough in Google maps you'll see what I'm trying to explain as there's a train in the station.

OK so it's a fudge, well isn't everything, but you'd still be able to run scale length trains whilst in your mind imagining the whole station.

Your prototype might not have a footbridge but is there another station near to your chosen location that does?  If not could you invoke Rule 1 and pretend that the barrow crossing or subway were never there but a footbridge was, after all it's your layout.

Apologies in advance for possibly adding to your current dilemma.

Nigel.

[mr bachmann]

forget about 1.148 or 1.160 or other 1 points whatever , best to use modelers licence , model the local station - and if a third party recognize it you've got it right 

if it looks right , it is right !

[PostModN66]

I would try and avoid the situation where the station takes up about 90% of the baseboard length, at each end the track swinging dramatically by a perfect tight 90deg curve to return to the fiddle yard.  I would prefer a compressed station and a bit of breathing space either end!

Cheers  Jon

[Jack]

If the station you have in mind is one that is covered, you could always model half of the station with the hidden other half in effect leading into the fiddle yard. Perhaps the said station has a large footbridge that could be used in a similar way.

Either way you would be able to model at least one of the station throats.

[simonprelude]

One end of the station goes off into tunnels so not too bad, I'll have to use artistic licence for the other end though.

[joe cassidy]

The station half-hidden by tunnels is tempting, but should be avoided it you want to contemplate a whole train at rest, rather than the loco and the first one or two coaches peeking out from the overall roof.

If you want to maximise platform length, and minimum curve radius, the best option is to go for a station with an island platform, in between the up and down lines.

Best regards,


Joe

[EtchedPixels]

I went for the one end of the station approach for Snow Hill because I realised two things

1. While it would be awesome to model the fantastic roof and supports of the old station (not the current concrete turd), it is an order of magnitude beyond my skills
2. If I did model it nobody would be able to see it from outside
3. It would be a right pain to clean and deal with derailments and the like

Also the end is quite complicated and interesting

The previous layout had part of the station being the corner, which means you can model the ends and hide the sharp curvy silly looking bit under a big removable tower block or shopping centre and you don't lose a lot of space to station.

Lots of ways to do it and many depend upon what you like.

Alan

[GWR-Kris]

Im currently designing my layout for the extension. As i will be using full length trains I still want a station, but as modelling a full length station would take up the majority of the layout I have decided to model it based on Birmingham New Street, meaning that the station will be approx 4foot, maxwith only 2foot showing the other 2 will be underneath the town.

[mr bachmann]

One end of the station goes off into tunnels so not too bad, I'll have to use artistic licence for the other end though.

try Whitehaven , double track into tunnel going into single track 25 yards in (Corkicle tunnel ) with Corkicle station at other end , Whitehaven (Bransty ) 3 through tracks 1 bay , as well as freight and passenger it also sees traffic for Selafield , and you could also model the harbour ( sorry - been there modeled it and a few other stations close by  )

[simonprelude]

This is the station, as you can see the bottom end disappears off into tunnels.


Station by simonprelude, on Flickr