Office block over rail cutting help please

[giz]

Call me Mister Sceptical, but even with great care, my feeling is that that form of construction will struggle to achieve 60 years.

 

Timber will last ‘forever’ if kept well-ventilated, free from direct rainfall, and, most crucially, out of contact with soil, but it is seriously difficult to achieve all of those things, over a prolonged period, with that sort of structure ....... the real challenge is the ‘deadmen’ that run horizontally back into the ground. They are probably laid in aggregate, maybe with a membrane, but any soil contact at all allows the rot-bugs in.

Must admit, I agree. I work in engineered timber but we make sure it's all kept dry and well ventilated.

[simon b]

Gent's thanks for the pointers. It's very helpful to have the name of a specific place to put into Google images, rather than just searching for concrete tunnels!

 

Below is a mockup  pic of where I want to build this tunnel on my layout. I'm using this as a scenic break so need to cover 3 tracks, and I want to put a supporting pier at the platform end to help hide trains exiting the layout: 

 

 

 

And the sort of building I want to build on it:

 

 

 

 

I thought maybe something like this, but not sure if looks too new?:

 

 

Edited July 8, 2020 by simon b

[simon b]

Found a good photo.

 

This construction site H&S nightmare is Earls Court c1936, as the exhibition centre is being built over the track.

 

Notice how the retaining wall on the right is left free-standing, with the ground excavated behind it, and structures being cast that will eventually support the very heavy building as a bridge over the line, not loading the retaining wall or the old brick tunnel-lining. The brickwork will probably be knocked away once all this is finished (if it doesn't fall down first!).

Now that is an interesting picture, worth modelling just in itself.

[Guest]

And the sort of building I want to build on it:

 

Holborn_Viaduct_8_77.jpg

 

Simon, seeing that image takes me back to Thornton Heath which I believe someone has already mentioned.

This is what is built over the tracks just to the south of the station...

 

 

...and it's not entirely dissimilar. The image below is a crop from Google Earth but unfortunately does nothing to show the supports.

 

 

I used to drive this line regularly and from memory, the bulk of the building was built over the railway line on massive square concrete supports, but it's not a view you'll likely find a photo of. All I can think of is one of those "Driver's Eye" videos but whether it can be paused at exactly the right moment and show enough detail is debatable?

I see absolutely no reason you couldn't use a central concrete pier as shown in your mock-up.

[Guest]

OK, so not sure if this will be any help, but some screen grabs from driver's eye videos on YouTube. The first two heading towards London aren't too bad, but the third heading away from London is next to useless. Food for thought, maybe?

 

Edited March 25, 2018 by Pete 75C

[simon b]

Thanks for those Pete, that is exactly the sort of thing I was looking for. As you say it's surprisingly difficult to find a picture of the underside of these things. 

 

Looking at the last pic in your post, I'm now thinking of bringing the building a few inches further over the platform ends. Hopefuuly that will create a dark under croft with just the colour light signals shining out. 

 

When I update the layout thread I'll show some pics of how this fits in.

Edited March 25, 2018 by simon b

[31A]

Is this any help at all?

 

Flats over the line, Baker Street Metropolitan Line platforms - probably early 20th Century.

 

[flapland]

Is this any help at all?

 

Flats over the line, Baker Street Metropolitan Line platforms - probably early 20th Century.

 

IMG_1624.jpg

 

Off topic Many many years ago I worked with someone who rented a flat in that block off Hughie Green. Very nice it was too.

 

Before he died and the Paula Yates story broke which ended very sadly.

Edited March 25, 2018 by flapland

[simon b]

Is this any help at all?

 

Flats over the line, Baker Street Metropolitan Line platforms - probably early 20th Century.

 

IMG_1624.jpg

 

Thanks, infact I should of remembered Baker street as I have often thought what a great model it would make. Thi pic is the veiw from the top of those flats, 4ft x 2ft model anyone?

 

[Nearholmer]

Chiltern Court, the block at Baker St, even had its own train service, to collect rubbish, which went down a chute into a railway wagon.

[Pacific231G]

Chiltern Court, the block at Baker St, even had its own train service, to collect rubbish, which went down a chute into a railway wagon.

That;s what we need to stop the refuse collectors and white vans jamming up all our streets. a Network of NG railways around the back of all our houses to collect the rubbish, deliver parcels and so in  It worked for Abergynolwyn !!

Edited August 15, 2018 by Pacific231G

[TravisM]

There’s Ealing Broadway to consider as the main station, shops, offices and B455 cover the GWML.

[Fat Controller]

That;s what we need to stop the refuse collectors and white vans jamming up all our streets. a Network of NG railways around the back of all our houses to collect the rubbish, deliver parcels and so in  It worked for Abergynolwyn !!

I believe somewhere in the North-East (Ashington?) had a similar, but rather larger, system.

[Peter Heather]

Do these, not very good, photos of the block over Thornton Heath station help?

 

 

[Guest]

Wimbledon? Buildings on a raft just west of the platforms.

[duncan]

What about Charing Cross in Glasgow, station, motorway,  hotels & other buildings over the railway ?

 

https://www.google.co.uk/maps/@55.8647589,-4.2707241,246m/data=!3m1!1e3

[Pacific231G]

There’s Ealing Broadway to consider as the main station, shops, offices and B455 cover the GWML.

At Ealing Broadway the buildings actually built over the GWML are all low rise. On the East (station) side of the Broadway (B455) there is (or was) a row of single storey shops to the south of the station entance and on the the west side is Central Chambers. This is a pre-war buildling with shop premises on the ground floor and two floors of small individual offices (chambers) above. The nine storey office building Villiers House (where I used to work) above the station's concourse and ticket office is actually sandwiched between the up slow line (platform 4) and the train shed (platforms  8 & 9 ) of the original District Railway terminus.  

 

Ealing Broadway station itself has been a dog's breakfast for as long as I've known it but it does conceal some interesting features, notably the District Railway terminus. The street level building for this still exists though now occupied by shops and the orginal train shed is still extant though the connection between them has long been severed. It was one of those termini that had a street level building with ticket office etc and stairs down to the two platforms. Quite a lot of District and Circle line stations were built this way so I did wonder whether there were thoughts of extending the line beyond Ealing Broadway possibly to Greenford and beyond where there's a fairly large gap between suburban railways. 

[tomparryharry]

Try having a look at Woking, and other lines in towards Clapham Junction.

[The Johnster]

Not an office block, but Cathays has a 1970s Student's Union built over the Taff Vale main line next to it; the concrete tunnel was built first and the rest built around that.