N Gauge Yamanote station

[velotrain]

To some extent it depends on the room you'll be using and what you're willing to do.  If you can use all the walls of the room, you could place a large station on the baseboards you have, and then just add a loop (even with no scenery at first) on narrow modules around the wall so you could run long trains - although, this is not the traditional Japanese set-up.  Over time, some of these could possibly be widened and other track / scenery added.

 

Look at what Eurostar25 is doing:

http://www.jnsforum.com/community/topic/9889-my-tokuyama-station-module/

 

If you need to fit everything on the existing baseboards, then you will need to scale down your ideas and go with a smaller loop or figure-8 design.

[Socimi]

Thanks for the hint.

[Drunkenclam]

That got me thinking. Harajuku is an interesting station to model. Unique station building at two heights. The meiji shrine behind it .A road bridge at one end as a good way to end the visible area.

[kvp]

That got me thinking. Harajuku is an interesting station to model.

It's 4 tracks, one island platform and the station is sunk into the ground. Interesting, but really hard to see anything unless one side of the ditch is cut away. It's the exact opposite of Takadanobaba, where the whole station is elevated and thus easy to view on a model layout.

 

 

Takadanobaba looks intresting, is there any track plan?

There isn't much to it, essentially an island platform, then two express tracks without platforms, then another island platform. There is a crossover a bit south between the yamanote and the express tracks, but imho it's not used for normal operations. So essentially you are looking at 6 tracks, with platforms on the two outside track pairs. The seibu line curves away faster, which can be integrated into a space limited loop layout nicely.

[railsquid]

It's 4 tracks, one island platform and the station is sunk into the ground. Interesting, but really hard to see anything unless one side of the ditch is cut away.

 

Nope - the south (Shibuya) end is in a cutting below the Jingu-bashi, but the road on the east side (where the main station building is) slopes downwards, so around half the station length is at or above the level of the street (the Takeshita-dori exit is below the platforms). Would make a nice model, especially as the overbridge could serve as a scenic break.

 

 

There isn't much to it, essentially an island platform, then two express tracks without platforms, then another island platform. There is a crossover a bit south between the yamanote and the express tracks, but imho it's not used for normal operations.

 

I believe the crossovers are associated with the short maintenance siding on the west side of the tracks somewhat to the south of the station, which has road access for loading/unloading equipment and supplies.

[Das Steinkopf]

That got me thinking. Harajuku is an interesting station to model. Unique station building at two heights. The meiji shrine behind it .A road bridge at one end as a good way to end the visible area.

I certainly agree with you there, Harajuku station certainly provides a unique contrast with Yoyogi Park on one side and Takeshita Street on the other. When I went there the thing that struck me the most was the curtain of green provided by the trees that ran along the length of the park as it borders the line, it was kind of surreal standing on the platform listening to the birds and not hearing the hussle and bussle of the city, with the exception of passing trains. The trees of the park could be used as a nice backdrop that would certainly be more economical compared to god knows how many buildings you would need for another station, the bridge on the Shibuya end makes a good scenic break for trains to enter a fiddle yard, whilst the Yoyogi end could be shielded by buildings and the park.

Edited January 25, 2016 by Das Steinkopf

[railsquid]

There's also the Imperial Station to the north/east side which if nothing else provides an excuse for some sidings. Not that I've ever seen it in use for its intended purpose, and in the last couple of years the tracks are looking a bit overgrown.

[velotrain]

There's also the Imperial Station to the north/east side which if nothing else provides an excuse for some sidings. Not that I've ever seen it in use for its intended purpose, and in the last couple of years the tracks are looking a bit overgrown.

 

Why would an Imperial Station be built if there's no actual use for it?

[Socimi]

Maybe it was buildt around the 30's... Then the Shinkansen was introduced... and there was no further reason to use that station.

Edited January 25, 2016 by DavideTreni

[katoftw]

There's also the Imperial Station to the north/east side which if nothing else provides an excuse for some sidings. Not that I've ever seen it in use for its intended purpose, and in the last couple of years the tracks are looking a bit overgrown.

I wondered what that siding was to the north.  It is quite visable on google maps.  I just assumed it was the old station from decades ago.

[kvp]

Considering the main imperial station is Tokyo station, just right in front of the main gates of the imperial palace, this looks more like a storage siding for the imperial train. Since for years this has been reduced to a single car i'm not sure this siding is acually in use. The back of the building looks more like a materials storage yard. The rest of the tracks have been removed, except a single piece at the north exit not connected to anywhere. The southern end of the open air platform next to the street is kept in an acceptable state though.

 

Btw. does anyone know where the imperial car is stored when not in any consist?

[kvp]

Ps: found an old photo:

[Socimi]

What EMU is that?

[200系]

That's a 157系, combined with the sole KuRo157形 VIP car, mostly used for the imperial family, in place of the 3rd car.

 

KuRo157-1 could also be used in combination with other limited express types, as demonstrated here with a 183系 formation:

 

https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/8/8b/183royal.JPG

Edited January 26, 2016 by 200系

[kvp]

It's a cab saloon car, but i never found a picture with it actually leading a train. (it wouldn't be too safe either) I wonder why did it receive a cab in the first place. (it's the only cab car in its series that had a front door)

[Drunkenclam]

I found these two blogs, should you wish to add some slight variation on the yamanote trains :D

 

http://tararan.blog.jp/tag/%E5%B1%B1%E6%89%8B%E7%B7%9A50%E5%91%A8%E5%B9%B4

http://mattommmm.blog.jp/archives/2290973.html

[SubwayHypes]

Im about to do a SHIBUYA layout!!   Its going to be insane, based on the old station circa 2005 or so.  Toyoko line station in front, JR lines behind it, with the entire intersection.

 

The toyoko line is going to loop around to another section where i will have Naka Meguro and connections to the Hibiya line, which will drop down into the subway and end up at Ebisu station.

 

I might even try to throw a quick Ginza line loop on top hidden in a giant office building.