Tokyo Station

[Martijn Meerts]

The main station building will be in the front of everything, I just haven't drawn it in the track plan ;)

 

Still not sure I'll actually be building it though. Especially after having made the track plan and seeing that it's not very flexible, nor easy to implement into a layout (seeing as all the shinkansen tracks start/end at the station ;))

[to2leo]

Well Martjin,

One of the great things about our hobby is you don't have to be exact.  You can always make a representation of the real thing.  I know all of us are still very interested no matter if you make 10 or 6 or 30 platforms for the Tokyo station.  ;)

[Martijn Meerts]

The number of platforms is actually quite doable. Sure, it'll be a rather big station, and difficult to reach everywhere (even though it'll be in sections to make it possible to move when needed), but the biggest issue is the length. I really want the main station of any future layout to be able to hold a 16 part shinkansen. In a way, a station that's the terminus for shinkansen and a standard through station for most other trains would be optimal.

 

I guess it depends a bit on how much space I'll have available, which I won't know until I move. However, something resembling Tokyo Station with correct number of (visible) platforms and correct track length can't be done on much less than 5 meters ;)

[scott]

Would you have other tracks to connect to, so that the long trains could move into and out of the station layout?

[Martijn Meerts]

There'd be another 2 stations, possibly 3, although those wouldn't be shinkansen stations. The shinkansen would just run a stretch that's as long as space allows, and then drive into a shadow station. The other tracks will either be large loops or the same kind of idea as the shinkansen, except that they stop at the other stations as well.

[Martijn Meerts]

Right, so I did a bit of measuring on the attic of my parents' house when I was there the past weeks.

 

The attic isn't quite long enough to fit the station unless I place it close to the ground. In a way that's not a problem because the station will be in sections/modules.

 

However, if I place it diagonally, I *should* have enough space to fit the entire station on a reasonable working height.

 

So basically, with a little more optimization I'll be able to actually build the entire station with full length tracks =)

 

Of course, it'll be a while before I start on the station, first thing we'll be doing after moving is tearing down my father's layout and building a new one that makes better use of available space.

[Bernard]

Marti - After reading your last post, I envisioned a house in the Netherlands with an "odd" extension jutting out from only it's Attic that was designed to fit your new layout.

[Martijn Meerts]

Bernard, don't give me any strange ideas =)