Suburban Train Station Layout

[Sir Madog]

Ever since I went on a business trip to Japan, I was intrigued by Japanese trains and their Swiss watch-like performance. In those days, Japanese model railroading equipment was impossible to get, so the idea of building a Japanese style layout had to be shelved for over two decades.

The more recent move to a small flat due to the loss of my job revived the old idea and a quick search in the internet revealed, that N gauge equipment is readily available at reasonable prices, when compared to the outrageous cost of European or US models.

My train room also serves the function of a guest / laundry room, so the space I have available for my layout is very much limited. In fact, the layout will have to be build in 4 segments, to be taken apart and stored on a shelf along the wall, when the room has to serve its other two purposes.

My layout theme is a train station in a fictitious suburb of the greater Tokyo area and does not follow a specific prototype. It consists of 4 loops, independently operated. The two inner loops will be dedicated to high speed trains (I like those 1st generation bullet trains) and the two outer loops are for commuter trains. There will be a depot for commuter EMU´s and a small engine shed - to justify an occasional freight train.

The layout will be build using Peco code 55 track on cork roadbed, as I am not happy with the looks of Kato´s Unitrack or Tomix´ Finescale track. Furthermore, the rather "square" appearance of the fixed radius curves do not allow to capture the sleek look I want to get. Peco´s sprung turnouts also eliminate the need for switch motors, as switching moves will hardly be done - that´s a big cost saver!

Catching the urban look will be challenging - the layout´s narrow width allows only for the use of low relief buildings in front of a Japanese cityscape backdrop, which I still have to find.

Well, here is the plan, as of today:



Only the yellow part will be scenicked.

Progress will be really slow, as I have to build this layout on less than a shoestring budget - see reason above. I am currently saving up some funds to finance the "start-up" cost for benchwork, some track and rolling stock.

I kindly invite any comments and builds you may have to the design of the layout!

[KenS]

Interesting design. I can see two things that concern me. First, and most important, the commuter depot has no way to connect to the inner loop without a reverse move all the way into the main station.  That seems rather awkward.  If you could move the crossovers to the other end of the station, and split the depot lead, with one track going across several 15-degree crossings to the inner track, you'd be able to operate in and out of the depot while sticking to prototypical left-hand running.

Secondly, while you have visible storage in the depot (which is a nice touch), there are no hidden sidings that would allow you to run one train out and then bring another in.  If you have space, consider adding a siding to the inner and outer loops in back. some crossovers in the back might also be useful, although if you're trying to conserve funds they're probaby not worth the bother.

I like the way the track in and out of the station is curved, rather than straight, and the arch of the backdrop.  Both help avoid the usual boxy look.

Also, consider extending the scenery into the front half of at least one of the curves.  It gives you a longer scene, and you can have the tracks disappear behind some buildings or under a highway, which will help with the "urban look".

[Sir Madog]

Hi KenS,

thank you for your very constructive comments. I have incorporated some of it into the plan, which now looks like this:



Extending the background into the curve segments gives me more room for scenery - excellent idea!

I have not yet had any idea how to incorporate one more double cross-over to avoid switch back moves for the commuter trains from the depot. An alternative would be to let them circle and change track with every loop. Hower, this would block the high speed line. Need to do more thinking.

[CaptOblivious]

I think the depot sidings in the front could align with the mainlines further to the right; currently, the alignment is well to the left. Imagine taking the yard lead as an extension of the yard ladder, rather than curving sharply down, as it does now, so that the yard lead would cut across the mainlines. You could still incorporate a head shunt like you have now, but the entrance to the yard would be a series of double slips that cut sharply across the mainlines nearer the station. Sorry I can't draw that out just now; perhaps I'll give it a try later.

Also, you might consider not using double-ended hidden sidings. Single-ended ones would allow you to store longer trains, and would be cheaper, and would operate practically the same.

[Sir Madog]

Hi,

there are a few things in the plan, which still need my attention. I´d like to get rid of the double cross-overs, and the lead to the commuter train depot needs to be changed, so I don´t need switchback moves. This will take some consideration - and time. Currently, I am recovering from a heart attack, and I need to do things slowly (which I am not used to).

[KenS]

Currently, I am recovering from a heart attack, and I need to do things slowly (which I am not used to).

Yes, a hobby should reduce stress, not add to it.  I hope your recovery is going well, and continues to do so.

What I was suggesting was something along the lines of the attached diagram (excuse the poorly aligning sectional track, I'm just trying to get the general idea across). The green track is the depot lead, connecting only to the commuter (yellow) track, and running across the express (orange) track.

[Sir Madog]

Bad news!

My current heart failure will "earn" me an early retirement, which means, that we will have to live off less than the little we have at the moment. This puts an end to my plans of building the intended suburban train station layout as presented here, but not an end to model railroading. I will have to reduce my plans considerably and change the theme along the way.

A tram layout?

Enoden /Enoshima layout?

In my attic, I still have a hollow core door, cut to about 2´by 5´. Any ideas, what I could be doing with this?

[Martijn Meerts]

You could just take a longer time than initially planned. Start with a semi-temporary layout on the hollow core, and just occasionally buy extra track for example for the bigger layout.

It's quite alright for a layout to take years to build =)

[Lawrence]

Ulrich,

I am sure you will be fine as long as you do what the doc says, plenty of red wine should help 

As for your new smaller layout, have a look at http://www.cke1st.com/m_train2.htm#topopage, lots of door sized and smaller layouts, initially for the US market they can be "adjusted" to suit.

Wishing you a speedy recovery