Hi guys, thanks for all the input. I do recall seeing Newcastle Haymarket in a mag a few years back and I do like the idea of the station being raised above road level, this might be a bit ambitious for my skills at the moment.
I was thinking of setting the layout in a city scape but below ground level with retaining walls and bridge/tunnel mouth to act as the scenic break.
I would also like to extend the sidings slightly with a view to more operational use than just holding a loco, perhaps a parcels siding or similar, as Mickey has suggested in his track plan.
In terms of train length I was thinking of having the platforms just long enough for 2 or 3 car units, but I suppose if I make them long enough for 4 car units then this would also add to the possibilities.
I have seen a few of Ian Futers layouts in the magazines over the years and they always seem to appeal to me no matter what the setting or era modelled.