# ideas for main train station



## caferacer (Jul 22, 2010)

After any and all ideas for my main train station indoor track powered railroad the stations main length is 45 feet long ability to park up 11 passenger cars and Pa1-Pb1 locos as well would like to build some different, looking at covered glass dome style stations,L shaped stations,even a open plan two story station.
Would like this to be a feature you will see this on your right hand side when you enter the building the freight yards will be on the other side five 75 foot freight fingers,looking at the glass dome so one can see in and from above level two about 32 inches above the floor any and all help really stumbed on this era is from 1940-1960s classic look required caferacer


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## Tom Lapointe (Jan 2, 2008)

A few considerations - will your planned station be a stub-end "terminal" station (prototype examples would be New York's Grand Central Station or Boston's South Station), or a through station with trains just passing through (New York's Pennsylvania Station), or a combination of both (Washinton DC's Union Station)







I used to belong to a large O-scale (2-rail DC) club which had *both, *but the most impressive station on the layout was roughly modeled after Cleveland's Union Terminal, & was of the stub-end variety. The layout was large enough that an operating session typically required a *minimum *of 7 people, usually operating the mainline board & individual yards or branchlines. (This was *long before DCC came along! *







). One of the operating positions *(which I frequently enjoyed *







) was running this large passenger terminal; it had *at least 5 passenger platform tracks, *a separate coach yard of at least 4 tracks, a dedicated track for baggage / mail / express reefer cars, & a connecting track to a large nearby engine terminal with separate steam (5-stall roundhouse & turntable) & diesel service facilites. (The engine facilities *themselves were a separate operator's position). *We ran a "scheduled" (I use the term *very loosely here! *







) list of trains; *all passenger trains originated & terminated at this station. *Using a yard switcher, I would haul the coaches for a given passenger train consist from the coach yard, & spot them at an appropriate (usually determined by train length) platform; I'd then request the engine terminal operator to send over the usual steam or diesel loco normally assigned to that train. (The connecting lead to the engine terminal had a block transfer toggle switch nearby so the engine terminal & passenger station operators could "hand off" control of a loco between the 2 control panels - again, this was *pre-DCC*). 

Knowing by the "schedule" what planned arrivals & departures were due for a given operating session, I would try to have trains planned for departure made up well before "departure time"








; at the same time making sure I left appropriate "inbound" tracks available to receive "arrivals". We had several "through" trains (including my own, the PRR "Broadway Limited"







, hauled by either a K4s steamer or an EMD PRR E8 diesel) , commuter & local trains, RDC's or gas/electric "doodlebugs", & dedicated mail / baggage & "milk" trains. As in the case of the engine terminal, control of inbound & outbound trains was via a manual block transfer switch with either the mainline operator or one of our adjacent major through terminals. In practice, this made for *fascinating *operating sessions - things could get *very *busy!

















- From what I've been reading of your plans though, not certain if this style operation is what you want - I get the impression you're leaning more towards an automated display layout. A through-style station would be might be more appropriate in your case. The station platforms *do not necessarily have to equal train length *- even in the prototype, if a long passenger train was stopping at a station with a relatively short platform, the engineer would usually try to stop with either the train *centered *at the platform, or if there was a lot of "head-end" baggage or express to be handled, with the baggage car *at least adjacent to the platform * to permit relatively easy baggage loading / unloading. I can't think of many large American stations which specifically had *glass-roofed train sheds *







- Boston's South Station was originally constructed with a massive *steel-roofed trainshed *@ 1900; by the 1930's, the structure had been so *corroded & weakened *by locomotive smoke & the nearby salt air from Boston Harbor that it was demolished & replaced with "butterfly" platforms. I think (& I may be wrong on this & invite correction







) that glass-roofed trainsheds were largely a *European *practice.

This was probably *more than you wanted to know *







, but I wanted to give you a bit of insight into some of the variety of operation available in passenger stations.







*Tom*


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## caferacer (Jul 22, 2010)

Tom tons of data many thanks will look these up and pick one leaning towards the New York Pennsylvania Station, still in the last stages of planning this area out, may try a three track station as well like the drive through idea, not really after a automated display layout rather hands on multi crew operation or just on me own playing railroads my plan is to have a world class railroad with drop jaw scenic that catches the eye towards the detail of the railroad. 
Tom gone with the long platform because I can and with 98 feet wide area to play with I am really after a good size town behind the station,business,shops,warehouses,then a two row of homes people and all manner of things to show what a small town is like getting business from the railroad that and i do need to fill the gaps up on the railroad as my freight yards are finished thank goodness do not want any EURO style or type of thing as I am keen to model US style railroads. 
Any way some of my passenger trains will be late to arrive and to depart and the schedule will try to keep to it some how off to look up some station data now again my friend many thanks caferacer


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## Richard Smith (Jan 2, 2008)

I don't know if you care if the depot is west coast or east coast but SP's Third & Townsend station in San Francisco might be of interest to you for its design. Just "Google" it. The size is impressive but doable in the size of area you describe and wouldn't require more than minor trim changes to look "eastern". Instead of an enclosed shed it has multiple stub end tracks with roofed platforms. Access could be a problem with a large covered train shed.


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