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Station-less Layout?


Ray Von
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I've reached a stage in my current layout build whereupon I've noticed a nice, totally unplanned, space for two additional lines - a section of track that would divide into two about midway and sit very nicely at the rear of the layout.

  Unfortunately, this space is where I had intended, in my mind at least, to site the station building....  It would have been slightly out of the ordinary incidentally - the main station building was going to be at "ground level" away from the platform sections (a la Ramsgate station for example) and access would be via subway.

But now that I have this germ of an idea, the main station building would either be:

 

A) Completely absent

 

B) Very low relief

 

Referring firstly to Option A, would it be distracting / weird to have no station building present on a layout?  Is it plausible to infer that the main structure is just "out of sight?"

 

For clarity, the intended "new line" will be a pair of tracks at the topmost left of this picture, merging into one line at about half way, the two lines would then occupy the would-be station's footprint.

 

IMG_20200911_070551633.jpg.3366649c5ade37dd51abece4b20298ba.jpg

Edited by Ray Von
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21 minutes ago, Ray Von said:

would it be distracting / weird to have no station building present on a layout?  Is it plausible to infer that the main structure is just "out of sight?"

 

 

I do not think it would be at all weird. Many interesting sections of railway are away from stations: tunnels/bridges, freight facilities, maintenance depots, level crossings, inclines. There are quite often 5+ miles between stations on the main line!

 

I feel that some layouts can be spoiled by the compulsion to include a station. I am re-building such an example at the club right now. It was primarily a steam shed but this was squeezed in order to squash a station onto a tight curve at the corner of the layout. The station looked ridiculous: platform clearance was so generous Greg Rutherford would have been about the only person able to board a train.

As new members, we felt obliged to continue working on an existing half-finished project. Then we realised that the few of those left working on it were all unhappy with what we were building.

We are now re-building it without the station to give the shed extra space we feel it needs to improve it. That means no station.

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Just to clarify, are you thinking about a layout with platforms but no station building visible?

There must be a prototype with a "long walk to the platforms", perhaps a bi-level station like Retford low level where the station building is way off. But then that adds the complication of how to model the other line?

If the track layout has sidings etc, that might imply that you'd need associated buildings. How about a halt with no buildings on a line that has mostly freight services?

 

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Apologies for the blurry photo!

1833091509_20200911_1054041.jpg.a892ec6ea20ea47ed8fd538967b6bd2c.jpgI'm in a similar situation - originally the 'station' was going to off to the left at the top of a retaining wall - which is why half the stairs are black. However this would have only given me 2 platforms, so the station building is now off to the right - but the platform isn't full width so there won't be any physical building at all.

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A number of stations on the Southern Railway's 1930s new branches were on embankment. On the Wall Of Death (Sutton-Wimbledon) they used a single island platform, with modest facilities at street level, while on the Chessington line flanking platforms, with more striking structures at street and platform levels. 

 

Elsewhere on RMweb, Roundhouse and some chums have created a model of the two pairs of lines between Stoats Nest and Merstham, both locations exclusive, which is the roundest of roundy-rounds, and has no stations. 

 

If we like trains because they move, stations are not necessary. 

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34 minutes ago, eastwestdivide said:

Just to clarify, are you thinking about a layout with platforms but no station building visible?

That's exactly it, I could include some platform shelters, loos, waiting rooms etc.  But the main building would be assumed to be just outside the confines of the layout - possibly occupying the "operating area" at that end of the layout.

 

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38 minutes ago, Roy Langridge said:

What are you having at the far end? Many stations were on overbridges or to the side with steps down to the platform. You could model that sort of station. Thinking of something  like either Alexandra Palace or Drayton Park.


Roy

I like that idea :locomotive:

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 The old Station at Wolverton was on the over road bridge, with steps going down to the platforms..

image.png.7abba859809e37869820dd57aa5de650.png

 

The back of the station being demolished

image.png.65fa33adbfdb9f81a15ffd392ace825c.png

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In a similar vein, this is Dumpton Park - just outside Ramsgate, Kent.  A single Island Platform accessed from quite high above - no buildings of any kind here anymore, just a large shelter at the bottom of the stair way.

Nothing at all like my intended model but an interesting little station, and a possible solution to my problem.

In the foreground you can just see original mosaic tiles exposed by someone kicking away the moss and weeds.

Screenshot_20200911-112626.png

Edited by Ray Von
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Perhaps not in keeping with you ideas, but if you want a station-less layout, why not model the Pass of Brander with its stone signals ("Anderson's piano").   And the signals don't even need to work to look realistic!   Plenty of scope for scenic work.  No complicated pointwork or wiring to worry about either.

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25 minutes ago, Ray Von said:

That's exactly it, I could include some platform shelters, loos, waiting rooms etc.  But the main building would be assumed to be just outside the confines of the layout - possibly occupying the "operating area" at that end of the layout.

 

 

Colchester is a little away form the platforms. Platforms 1&2 are an island access by a subway from the station building.

Although the old station building gives level access to platforms 3-6.

 

It may be a bit new, but Milton Keynes is another very different one. The station building is away to one side but above platform level & accessed from a covered walkway. All the platforms are islands.

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Another possibility would be a halt, in the old days, just a raised platform of sleepers and nothing else. there are still a few around.

Here's Berney Arms  still in use, with the addition of a generous station building,..

image.png.24de457199ee60aaf438bb2a3e38f749.png

 

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10 minutes ago, Pete the Elaner said:

It may be a bit new, but Milton Keynes is another very different one. The station building is away to one side but above platform level & accessed from a covered walkway. All the platforms are islands.

Similar to that which the LNER built for its new Welwyn Garden City station in the 1920s. Pair of island platforms originally served by a covered footbridge to a Station building well to the West of the running lines. 'Further improved'  when the Station building site and much else was redeveloped into a modest shopping mall, with the 'station' now anonymously embedded within it. (Akin to Schipol airport in concept, which always looks to me as it was accidentally co-located with a large 'destination shopping mall'.)

 

The scheme of just the platform ends on view always strikes me as a good one. Clearly says 'Station', but typically yields a much less obstructed view of the trains operating in and out.

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2 hours ago, Ray Von said:

.... would it be distracting / weird to have no station building present on a layout?

 

That's precisely what I intend to do with my new / final layout.

 

1845648005_GARAGELAYOUT.JPG.150b4ec7c55fbaec712b8c7516cc9eee.JPG

 

I don't really enjoy architectural modelling, and I want to complete this layout quickly. It will be very much a shunting and 'watch the trains go by' layout, so to indicate the presence of a station by modelling the platform ends will work for me.

 

Regards,

John Isherwood.

 

 

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3 minutes ago, Ray Von said:

Ah yes, Il Grifone I'm familiar with Maidstone East - a similar station.

 

I was going to model it (in part) for my test track. Ignoring Hitler's demolition work during WWII, I was going to leave it as 4 rail, so that I could run anything. Another of those projects....

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Treherbert and Rhymni in the South Wales valleys both feature station buildings at ground level a little way from the platforms; at Treherbert you used to have to cross the track and walk up the ramp.  There is no rule to the positioning of stations, and some don't have railway lines (Dartmouth, where you could book tickets and do everything else you can do in a station, except board a train).  Stations buildings are sited according to the restrictions of the site available, at higher level, lower level, or removed to a distance from the platforms.  How about a situation where the building is separated by a river from the platforms and access is via a bridge over it.  

 

The simplest solution for Ray Von might be to have stairwells descending from the platforms to a subway; the station building can be out of sight at lower level and 'suggested' with a low relief roof.

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