compact mainline layout help

[Adamphillip]

I am wanting to make a compact mainline station terminus and I need help

[James Harrison]

A few simple questions that might get you some help...

 

1)  What scale are you looking to model in? 2mm, 4mm, 7mm?

2)  What era?  Victorian/ Edwardian/ Pregrouping?  Big Four?  BR?  etc etc etc.

3)  What sort of stock are you running- steam, diesel or electric?

4)  How big a station do you want? Smallish urban design or something that suggests being part of a larger, sprawling station?

[Adamphillip]

Gauge OO

Era 90's

Stock EVERYTHING

Size large station in small area

For exhibition

Only ned station mouth planned

[James Harrison]

Same sort of problem I have then!

 

Have you seen the set of Ian Futer's plans in the current issue of Railway Modeller?  Two of them are very small urban stations, not quite what you're after but may be good for inspiration.  Also I've been looking recently at Cyril Freezer's 'Minories' plan, which has potential I think whilst being fairly small and manageable.  You could also look at a 'bitsa' model where you might only model a small part of a larger whole and with a bit of inventiveness get a complex and realistic, albeit very small, model of a larger station (I think in a recent Model Rail there was a plan for modelling just the throat of Sheffield station in about 4' length, also a plan for modelling part of the LU 'widened lines' [joint running of Underground and mainline trains] in about 7' length). 

 

Hope this helps.

[Adamphillip]

the station has to have 5 tracks and a small loco stabling area.

[Sam '43003' Tanner]

Why does it "have" to have 5 lines? 

As before, a "Please" and a "Thank You" may work in your favour along with a more detailed response. James went to the trouble to assist you with some help to support your ideas and I've not noticed a single comment of appreciation.

 

Sam.

[Satan's Goldfish]

Some limitations before throwing a plan would be useful. For example, maximum scenic dimensions, max train length/ideal max train length, how many locos would you like stabled on scene, track to be used/minimum radius?

 

When you say the station has to have 5 tracks does that mean tracks with access to a platform or just 5 tracks going in in total with, say, only 4 accessing platforms and the 5th a stabling siding? Next, would you like the stabling area to be able to access all tracks or are you happy for it to just be able to access a couple? How many tracks do you visualise your 'mainline' being as it enters the station throat? If more than 1 do they need to be directional or can they be bi-directional possibly with 'imagined crossovers off scene?

 

Peoples definitions of 'a small area' and what size constitutes 'a large station' can be very different. An old favorite of a prototype plan of mine which would fit your requirements, could be scenically changed to be anywhere (overall roof for the station for example if you're not wanting to have all of it scenic), with a bridge at the entrance to the throat is Great Yarmouth. 2x bi directional tracks in, track to carriage siding at one side and a short stabling siding on the other. Only 4 accesed platform faces and 1 long siding but you could easily add another platform to the siding if you wanted.

 

 

Edit: The double slip may supposed to be a single slip.

 

And as an operational extra the Yarmouth Carriage sidings used to be used for terminating stock in Norwich so there would be lots of ECS moves into the station and back out again. When that traffic died out the carriage sidings have also seen used storing redundant freightliner flats during the 90s and at one point there was cargowaggons being loaded with fertiliser there too.

[Adamphillip]

thanks SG