An un-named layout with a nod to CJ Freezer !

[danstercivicman]

Impressive stuff . I love the steps down and the covered station (should have done that on my minories...)

[Corbs]

Nice work so far! I really like your approach with the station

[andi4x4]

Andi, I'd go for the girder. As far as the steps are concerned, I think the dogleg looks a bit odd and it will be difficult to find space for columns to support it all. I would copy the arrangement on the other side, then you could cantilever a straight and level walkway off the wall. Finally I think placing the building symmetrically would look more convincing, perhaps with the little extension moved to the other side.

 

Hope this helps.

 

 

I have been thinking about that, but, I have limited headroom under the roof beams, unless I lengthen the uprights supporting the roof arches a little. It has been on my mind, as has reducing the height of the back wall where the tunnel opening is. I have about 15mm clearance between the loco and bottom of the girder, and can cut the top edge down a few mm too.

 

The arched retaining wall to the right in the pictures is built as per instructions and is 85mm from base of arches to the stone lintel just above the arch, but this assembly sits on top of a 20mm high wall at the edge of the baseboard. I am thinking of removing this 20mm sidewall and bringing the arched wall down to track level. As I had originally planned for the station building to be at street level (which would be at the level of the lintel on the arched wall), this would lower the station building by 20mm, requiring a shorter stairway. Combine this with a 10mm rise of the roof spans by extending the vertical posts may just give me the headroom required.

[danstercivicman]

I love the scalescenes stuff, I used the large station, the great thing is with some experimentation you can customise them easily.

[NittenDormer]

Some of your staircase suggestions remind me of Crystal Palace. Looking forward to seeing the overall roof.

[BobM]

Hi...I'd go girder as it is a city build....

 

Regards

Bob

[andi4x4]

Well, here are this evenings mock-ups (or muck-ups !)

 

First, the girder type foot bridge option, steps down from the station building onto the bridge which is cantilevered off the wall below the station building, with a short span from the right hand end to the steps to platforms 2 & 3.

 

 

 

 

 

 

And the 'concourse' option - again, steps down onto the concourse from the station building, with the concourse spanning the full width of the platforms and tracks, and possibly suspended from the roof spans.

 

Perhaps have some vending machines or a newspaper stand on the concourse -

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Kind of makes the choice of brick or girder tunnel entrance irrelevant as it is hidden by the concourse !

 

 

 

Edited July 5, 2022 by andi4x4

[danstercivicman]

Both look good, I think the concourse would suit a 1960s concrete monstrosity maybe?

[andi4x4]

Both look good, I think the concourse would suit a 1960s concrete monstrosity maybe?

 

 

Possibly ! The period I am modelling is predominately 50's/60's with a few years 'artistic leeway' either side !  The buildings are quite a bit older in style, though, so still not sure that the concourse is appropriate and this is supposed to be a run-down, lack of investment, type setting, so would the money have been available for ' upgrading', or would it possibly be an older Art Deco concourse ? Hmmmm !

 

Going to be building up the station building today and may do some colour mock-ups of the concourse and footbridge too. Also had another idea last night that I think I may try out too.

[danstercivicman]

I had very similar dilemmas on my layout, like you I decided to go with the older style, when you look at what BR did in the sixties (B'Ham New Street)... it makes you shudder

[BobM]

I had very similar dilemmas on my layout, like you I decided to go with the older style, when you look at what BR did in the sixties (B'Ham New Street)... it makes you shudder

Hi

Just compare what happened to B'ham Snow Hill, that once grand GWR city station, which slowly, under BR decayed then finally rotted away when left desolate after closure....now we just have a dark concrete tomb...really makes one sad, especially when you can still see just a glimpse outside in Livery Street of the thought that once went into making a statement.....

Regards

Bob

Edited January 27, 2017 by BobM

[Willie Whizz]

Hope it's not too late to be of use, but if you are still interested in giving your layout a vaguely 'Great Central' look then this may be of interest - it's the access bridge at the south end of Nottingham Victoria, backing on to just a minor archway entrance from a main road - but you could easily infer the 'other side' of the cross-piece exiting into a large-ish station building instead.

 

The 'Vic' had two island platforms; they were very large and had 'bays' inset, but your sketch design would roughly correspond to a much scaled-down version.

 

 

[andi4x4]

Thanks for all the ideas, guys. I am still no closer to a decision, though !  🤔

 

I needed to take my mind off it for a while so I have been working on the station building over the last four or five days (in between bouts of coughing, sneezing and nose blowing - Bloomin' Man Flu !  🤧 )  But we're getting there now, just got to finish off the details on the cornices, friezes and columns and tile the roof - there's an awful lot of parts to this building !  I have built it with a removable roof and base so that I can get into it later to add some details - I have fitted lights to it, so it would look a little odd with empty rooms !

 

Photies in a day or two when finished - man flu has subsided to woman flu so feeling much brighter this evening !  

Edited July 5, 2022 by andi4x4

[andi4x4]

Well,

 

That was something of a marathon build !  Started this on 27th Jan and have worked 2 - 3 hours on it every night since and 5 hours today ! There's a lot of parts to this building, and I still have two side buildings and the canopy roof to do  😯

 

Piccies -

 

 

 

 

 

Loose roof so that I can get in to do some detailing at a later date - 

 

 

 

And with lighting - 

 

 

 

 

And finally, in position relative to the roof arches and footbridge/concourse ( whichever I decide ! )

 

 

 

 

 

I'm beginning to wonder now - is it, maybe, a little too grand for my little station ?!  🤔

 

 

 

Edited July 5, 2022 by andi4x4

[BobM]

Well,

 

That was something of a marathon build !  Started this on 27th Jan and have worked 2 - 3 hours on it every night since and 5 hours today ! There's a lot of parts to this building, and I still have two side buildings and the canopy roof to do 

 

Piccies -

 

IMG_0710.JPG

 

IMG_0711.JPG

 

 

 

Loose roof so that I can get in to do some detailing at a later date - 

 

IMG_0712.JPG

 

 

And with lighting - 

 

IMG_0713.JPG

 

IMG_0714.JPG

 

 

 

And finally, in position relative to the roof arches and footbridge/concourse ( whichever I decide ! )

 

IMG_0715.JPG

 

IMG_0716.JPG

 

 

 

I'm beginning to wonder now - is it, maybe, a little too grand for my little station ?! 

Hi....It is your station matey, your layout, you'll know what's right for you.....enjoy the journey.....

 

I am 'stuck' on wiring requirements, there'll be no great progress on my scenic building until that's sorted sadly....

Bob

[andi4x4]

Hi....It is your station matey, your layout, you'll know what's right for you.....enjoy the journey.....

 

I am 'stuck' on wiring requirements, there'll be no great progress on my scenic building until that's sorted sadly....

Bob

 

 

Thanks Bob, Just can't help feeling that it isn't quite right, though. 

 

Your wiring will all come together quite quickly once you have sorted out the diagram and colour coding - colour coding is the key !  I usually put tails to chocolate block type connectors or miniature multi-pin connectors on everything that is to be fitted under the boards, or above boards but needing underboard power connection (point motors, signals, building lights, etc). It makes life so much easier, and you spend less time on your back working overhead !  That said, my current layout has boards so small and comes apart so quickly that I could just remove the board from the layout, flip them over and work on the underside on the workbench.

 

Good Luck, looking forward to the updates !

[danstercivicman]

Love it . Truly brilliant work

[danstercivicman]

I don't think it's too much at all it looks great

[andi4x4]

Having had a little play this afternoon, I have identified a small issue with the station platforms - well, a rather large issue actually ! 

 

Having been running the Western around, I went to run it through the new crossover in the station - the one near the canopy -  and discovered that I needed to cut the left hand platform back a little further due to the massive overswing at the buffer beam. No problem, I thought, I'll trim it back a bit - 

 

So having done that, I have now opened up such a huge gap that the passengers would need a footbridge to get from platform to carriages, never mind from the station building to platforms ! 

 

So, at this point, all is on hold until I figure out where I am going next. The gap between carriage and platform is far too big to live with - a good half inch where it is parallel to straight track and over an inch with a Mk1 stopped on the curve - I am currently looking at two possibilities - 

 

1)  Straighten the lines through the existing station at the building end. This would mean disturbing the 'universal' board joint at this end and I would need to make a new short section to fit between the 90deg curved boards at the left hand side to compensate for the different position of the curve exiting the station. It would also help solve one or two of the issues I am having regarding the station footbridge/concourse issue.

 

2) Completely redesign the station area and baseboards (bearing in mind that I am planning future loco & goods facitities), but retain the current curved boards and fiddle/storage area as far as possible.

 

 

 

 

I am working on plans for both at the mo, so will post something up when I have a little more idea whats happening.

Edited February 4, 2017 by andi4x4

[PjKing1]

Some nice work there Andi

 

Cheers

[danstercivicman]

That's a shame about the overhang, what radius are you using? It looks fairly tight?

[andi4x4]

On 08/02/2017 at 04:34, PjKing1 said:

Some nice work there Andi

 

Cheers

 

Thanks Paul ! Undergoing a redesign at the mo ! 

 

 

 

On 08/02/2017 at 13:11, danstercivicman said:

That's a shame about the overhang, what radius are you using? It looks fairly tight?

 

 

Hi Danster,

 

The curves under the canopy frame are second and third radius set-track - I have since ripped them out and am now in the process of relaying the tracks through the station to eliminate the curves. This also means altering the two short link boards at each end of the layout, by shortening them by about 150mm, as the curved boards now exit the station boards near the front edge as opposed to exiting at the back edge as originally designed. This could be an advantage, however, as I will also have space in the top right corner, outside, the curve for a small yard of some description.

 

Current thinking is this , with optional yard in blue

 

 

 

Edited July 5, 2022 by andi4x4

[danstercivicman]

That's better I did s very similar thing to you with my second layout and it's too much to Bend the trains back on themselves, have you considered a tracksetta and flex track to widen the radius? You could still have the platforms curve but as part of the 90 degree round the bend?

[Andrew P]

Curved Platforms are always a pain, they look terrific if you get them right, and ridiculous if you get them wrong, there is no halfway measure. If you have tight curves then I would say stick to either a strait Platform or, using Peco Flexie Track and hand built Platforms put in a very slight reverse curve if you can.

[andi4x4]

I did consider using flex track and starting the curve much further back along the platforms, but, I was having enough problems trying to sort out a convincing footbridge/concourse arrangement as it was and 'softening' the curve was going to massively increase the distance I would need to put between the steps and station building, so I discounted it and went for the easier (and straighter !) option !   Platforms are never really an issue for me as I have always scratch/custom built my own, and have done curved ones successfully in the past, but, on a much larger radius.

 

I think the current plan is the only way to go, now, as, not only will it give me room as it is for a small yard, but, it will also give me an access point for expansion along the lines of red section of the plan I posted in post #12 albeit slightly modified from that.

 

Stay tuned, Folks !

Edited February 8, 2017 by andi4x4