New layout - platform length

Portpatrick · July 12, 2018, 03:53:07 PM

Welcome aboard. Ask all you need. There are plenty here with good experience. I still learn things and I have been in N gauge for over 40 years! You have received good advice on platform length. Much depends on what sort of effect you want to create. In practice I would be very happy if I had space for 8 coaches on a major express. Though in steam days up to 12 or more was quite common - if your locos will pull them! Others will feel differently. Our club layout will handle 8 (9 in one fiddle yard road). But the half station idea is very worth consideration. I have seen it done on some exhibition layouts and it has looked most effective - sorry I cannot remember which layouts).

Caz · July 12, 2018, 07:59:05 PM

Welcome to our friendly forum gosmegane, great to have another new member on board and as you've already experienced, they're a very helpful bunch on here.

Bealman · July 13, 2018, 01:18:46 AM

The half station is an excellent solution and has been done effectively on many layouts. Should my own layout ever reach completion, that is exactly what I will be doing for the major station.

daversmth · July 13, 2018, 10:18:00 AM

As a relative newbie myself, just to say the problem I have had with platform design in general is that my efforts to minimise the gap between the rail and the platform edge have resulted in some of my stock catching the platform edge.

This can happen anywhere you have a platform near a curve or points crossover. I set my platforms as close to the rail as I could based on the rolling stock I had at the time, but some later rolling stock purchased has detailed parts that protrude out further and strike the platform edge where it is near a curve. Diesel loco and dmu cab steps are the worst offenders.

I would be interested to know if there are any guidelines that can be applied at the planning stage to prevent this from occuring and also to flag this up in the hope that it helps to prevent others from making the same mistake.

Bealman · July 13, 2018, 10:35:53 AM

Clearances are definitely important, as in my infamous (at least on this forum) gronk pic.... not faked, it really did that!

http://www.ngaugeforum.co.uk/SMFN/index.php?topic=18359.msg187920#msg187920

Portpatrick · July 13, 2018, 12:10:38 PM

Yes the latest gronews and I hear the class 3 262T are the wide ones

crewearpley40 · July 13, 2018, 01:54:49 PM

hi

Use what works for you. When i built my platforms I considered : using the longest piece of stock along the track with a pencil held against a corner, the line will show minimum distance to platform edge and repeated with a pencil in middle of a coach if planning curved platforms.

With the club I model with we found that engineers hoppers and cargo waggons which have narrow straight-sided bodies also have protruding handbrake wheels which can foul line side structures. The Dapol "silver bullet" tankers which are superb wagons have moulded ladders which are definitely out of gauge and struck anyy carefully positioned platforms every time until the bottom of each ladder was carefully bent inwards by 1mm.

Any locomotive with coupling rods, from the humble diesel shunter to the largest main line steam locomotive, should be tested in a "worst case" scenario as the amount of play (side-to-side movement, "slop" or "waddle") as they move along the track can mean the rods hit the platforms.

Beware also of the overhang of platform edge coping stones as trains run past platform end ramps. Remember these overhangs can increase you platform width by a millimetre or so which can make all the difference to a train clearing or striking the ramp.
good luck

Caz · July 13, 2018, 01:58:19 PM

Quote from: daversmth on July 13, 2018, 10:18:00 AM
As a relative newbie myself, just to say the problem I have had with platform design in general is that my efforts to minimise the gap between the rail and the platform edge have resulted in some of my stock catching the platform edge.

This can happen anywhere you have a platform near a curve or points crossover. I set my platforms as close to the rail as I could based on the rolling stock I had at the time, but some later rolling stock purchased has detailed parts that protrude out further and strike the platform edge where it is near a curve. Diesel loco and dmu cab steps are the worst offenders.

I would be interested to know if there are any guidelines that can be applied at the planning stage to prevent this from occuring and also to flag this up in the hope that it helps to prevent others from making the same mistake.

I have found that the Peco re-railer is very good for setting the "gap" between rail and platform. The blunt (high) end of the railer clips over the rails and the sides of it can set how close you can sent the platford edge. Other makes of re-railers are available but don't set the clearance correctly.

If you lift the front of the re-railer off of the track you can just use the blunt end to go around curved track to set the distance.

crewearpley40 · July 13, 2018, 02:10:24 PM

i did toy with the idea of a point in the station but decided not to and left the points at the station ramps of the platforms to avoid stock clashing with platform edges

i have travelled on a lot of trains. platform 17 clapham junction the worst, lewisham in london, beeston near nottingham, culprits

kiwi1941 · July 20, 2018, 07:15:45 AM

Quote from: kiwi1941 on July 12, 2018, 04:36:56 AM
QuoteI have a book of LMS stations and there's a plan of each station.
What is the book? TIA, Brian

Bump.

Newportnobby · July 20, 2018, 09:50:49 AM

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.

@gosmegane
I'm sure not just Brian is interested.
Can you provide details of the book please?

Bealman · July 20, 2018, 10:21:47 AM

I have David Jenkinson's "Rails in the Fells" book, which has details and plans of stations, but of course it's S & C.

Portpatrick · July 20, 2018, 11:55:02 AM

I have a book of several plans at home.. will check it when I ret5

Portpatrick · July 20, 2018, 09:27:58 PM

An Historical Survey of Selected LMS Stations. Volume One. Don't know if there are any more. Oxford Publishing . 1982

gosmegane · July 31, 2018, 11:19:42 PM

Quote from: Newportnobby on July 20, 2018, 09:50:49 AM
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.

@gosmegane
I'm sure not just Brian is interested.
Can you provide details of the book please?

Sorry for the delya in replying. I've been on holiday. Thank you all for the great advice. I think it's going to need some thinking about.

The book is, as metntioned, An Historical Survey of selected LMS Stations Layouts and Illustrations by Dr R Preston Hendry and R Powell Hendry (Volume 1)
First printed 1982
Reprinted 2001
ISBN 086093 168 4

Picked up off a local market stall.

I really wanted to model Keswick (v complicated an expensive) or Kenilworth, both are special places to me.

Cheers.

All