Hokkaido Mainline Junction (Onuma Station)

[Tintinfan]

Greetings,
 
I'm excited to share my first fixed model railway in n-gauge, based on Onuma Station in Hokkaido. The area was where I spent my very first night in Japan at Onumakoen Hostel after a 6am arrival at Narita, a Shinkansen, Super Hakucho 789 and a late-night KiHa 45 trip. I spent a few hours the next day at Mori Station, a slightly bigger sister station to Onuma and really enjoyed the sight of level-platform transfers between incoming locals and the high-cab Hokuto services. The layout takes from both the double track mainline entrance, island platform and the single track mainline/branchline split at the far end. Onuma has a much easier town and track plan to simplify and model than Mori, as well an interesting little freight yard and slightly grubby looking car park - hence it was chosen as the base.
 
The setting is modern with diesel motive power only. As long as it appears to be JR Hokkaido and doesn't need an overhead wire, I'll have it! I have planned it all for Peco code 55, something I can easily order and run into town for spares for. The scenery will all be focused on the top side, I've not drawn it onto the digital track plan very well but for the most part the town will copy the simple straight road through Onuma with a few forests and plantations scattered taking inspiration from Onuma. The branch line has a little simple station and village, which I think will be a nice touch. I've yet to decide on station/town names, anyway...trackplan!
 

 

SCRAM Version. It's been through quite a few revisions, but I'm now pretty happy with it. The area at the bottom might expand to be a greater fiddle yard than it already and will defiantly need some insulating fishplates, I'm not really sure what I am doing with it any more. Some of that big gap in the middle will be taken by light wood planes for scenery, but it is needed to access the back (left and bottom are against a wall).
 
I think that's enough for a first post, if you have any suggestions or things you'd do different please do share! Progress at the moment? I'm hoping to start to put the boards together in the next month, so there is still a long long long way to go.

Edited January 18, 2018 by Tintinfan
Slightly updated trackplan

[kvp]

I like the station as trains could access almost any track from any line and essentially you'll have two loops with enough mainline turnouts to allow very intereting running patterns. The only problem might be that the bottom left turnout was placed across two baseboards.

 

Do you plan to run it as analog or digital? Digital might be easier to wire with peco turnouts but analog cab control is also possible.

[Tintinfan]

It feels like I've hardly gotten anywhere just under a year later at times, though progress is picking up now. I'd really like to have all the track down by the end of the month and start to wire everything up for analog operation.

 

 

 

 

 

 

Edited March 21, 2018 by Tintinfan

[Densha]

Very nice track laying job! Are you using turnout switches under the baseboard?

[EH500 (12)]

Another Hokkaido modeler, great!

Looking forward to your progress! 

 

[Tintinfan]

3 hours ago, EH500 (8) said:

Another Hokkaido modeler, great!

Looking forward to your progress! 

 

Only a little bit further north of your coastal endeavours. Hopefully we can inspire each other! Hokkaido is the best region after all :D

 

3 hours ago, Densha said:

Very nice track laying job! Are you using turnout switches under the baseboard?

 

Thank you very much! It has been great fun to do so far, my thumbs and eyes are both sore! All the points on the front boards (where the station/yard is) have holes with the intention of having pointmotors underneath, yes. I'll probably use the Gaugemaster PM-1, they are the cheapest from my local model shop and having bought one to play with I'm happy with them. There are no holes drilled on the back yard board, I was thinking to get some cheap surface-mounted types (peco?) when I get fed up of throwing the points manually.

Edited March 21, 2018 by Tintinfan

[lighthouse]

It is nice to see that I am not so lonely with the railway on Hokkaido. Very interesting is your topic, because you have a lot of space for the design available.

[Tintinfan]

I've deicded to change some things to make the layout closer to the real thing. Having gone through the timetable, I see no need for access from the upper line on the double track section to platform 2. The curve away for the island platform now starts much earlier, allowing much more room for the platforms and most importantly the signal gantry can now span Platforms 1-3. With the extra space freed up, the splitting points for platform 1/2 are now express points - ideal for Hakodate-bound Super Hokuto services going through Platform 2 at speed. The branchline does not receive anything more than KiHa 40s from platforms 2/3 normally, so I have swapped the express points for standard points to increase the overall length of the main station. I've also decided to relay mainline sections (red/green) with concrete sleepers and hopefully some supereleveation. Overall I'm pleased with the expanded station space and feel, wish I'd forseen these changes in planning though!

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Edited April 5, 2018 by Tintinfan

[NXCALE]

5 hours ago, Tintinfan said:

I've deicded to change some things to make the layout closer to the real thing. Having gone through the timetable, I see no need for access from the upper line on the double track section to platform 2. The curve away for the island platform now starts much earlier, allowing much more room for the platforms and most importantly the signal gantry can now span Platforms 1-3. With the extra space freed up, the splitting points for platform 1/2 are now express points - ideal for Hakodate-bound Super Hokuto services going through Platform 2 at speed. The branchline does not receive anything more than KiHa 40s from platforms 2/3 normally, so I have swapped the express points for standard points to increase the overall length of the main station. I've also decided to relay mainline sections (red/green) with concrete sleepers and hopefully some supereleveation. Overall I'm pleased with the expanded station space and feel, wish I'd forseen these changes in planning though!

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

It looks like it is gonna be a very impressive layout. Cheers!

[Tintinfan]

An ever-growing jumble of wires under the board means that the KiHa 40s can take an outing on the newly-ballasted track! The ballast really does highlight the superelevation - which looks even more impressive with the tilting KiHa 283 from Kato (an image to save for when there is scenery to show off too). Also began to build the platforms, there are notches in the board to allow the platforms to lift up for dismantling of the board. It's going to be a race now to get plenty done before August - as I shall be moving to Sweden for 10 months each year over 3 years for studies, though at this point the temptation to play trains over doing anything else is hard to combat!

 

 

Edited May 17, 2018 by Tintinfan

[EH500 (12)]

Looking good!

What brand are the concrete tie rails?

[Tintinfan]

2 hours ago, EH500 (9) said:

Looking good!

What brand are the concrete tie rails?

 

It's all Peco code 55. Easy to get locally and nice to work with!

[EH500 (12)]

10 hours ago, Tintinfan said:

 

It's all Peco code 55. Easy to get locally and nice to work with!

Thanks!