Help!

[NozomiFan]

I has a problem.

 

So I discovered today that my small station will not fit with the river/bridge on my layout.

I thought about putting a bridge under the station and track to make it look sorta nice.

Any suggestions? I will get pics up ASAP.

[Bernard]

NF - Last I remember you were just making the table and putting the foam on top. Pixs will help to see what stage you're at.

[NozomiFan]

Right. Here are those pics.

[to2leo]

Still really don't get what you mean by not fitting.

 

Do you need the Viaduct station extension?

 

Or do you need a side platform?

 

Or do you need single track to take advantage of the island platform?

[NozomiFan]

What I'm trying to say is that I need a way to have the station cross over the river with out a bridge on the track.

 

I want the station to go over the river, without the track on a bridge.

[Mudkip Orange]

Get a Rix HO scale modern highway overpass:

 

http://www.rixproducts.com/6280113.htm

 

Each section is just about wide enough* for your doubletrack plate plus the platform. Build the kit, but don't install the HO-scale Jersey barriers; the beefiness of the I-beams is realistic enough for a heavy-duty bridge that carries a station *and* trains.

[inobu]

Your layout is divided by a river. Bridging a river with a station may not yield the mental perspective that one envisions.

 

The station you have is a suburban island unit. It services two sides which uses underground access. The river presents a rural setting which may conflict with the logic in the layout and the usage of the station spanning a river.

 

It would be a hard one to do.

 

The only way logical way I can think to do it, is dam it. Create a concrete dam and sit the station on it. That way you can have the river flow through/under the station making both functional. Just post signs that this is a green station that gets its power from the dam that it sits on.   

 

Inobu      

[Mudkip Orange]

The river presents a rural setting

 

I don't see why. Both London-Blackfriars and London-Cannon Street have platforms constructed on bridges over the Thames.

 

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/London_Blackfriars

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/London_Cannon_Street

 

Cannon Street in particular looks exactly like it was built on top of an HO scale (okay, O scale) highway overpass.

[Lawrence]

NF - having the platform and station actually spanning the river just doesn't look right and I doubt would happen the way you have presented it, think about access, maintenance etc.  The pictures inobu put up re Blackfriars do have some platform extension on to the bridge but the station itself is on dry land.

 

Had you thought about building a curved platform and placing it up from the river on the bend of the track?

[bill937ca]

Toronto has a subway station spanning a river in a ravine.

 

 

 

I'm not aware of a prototype in Japan, but there are numerous expressways over rivers.

[Bernard]

NF - Okay, the station is going to be positioned over the river, got it. This will be a free-form layout which is pretty much what I have.

If you look at the photos members have supplied, you'll notice that there are support piers underneath. Why not use a station viaduct set or something similar to accomplish this. I'm not totally familiar with Unitrack (other members who use Unitrack can better clue you in than I can) but you would need a wider viaduct to put a station platform in either the middle or the sides. Would this work?

http://www.modeltrainstuff.com/product_p/kat-23125.htm (don't use the shops or entrance way, your people will drown.  )

And pier set: http://www.modeltrainstuff.com/KATO_N_Unitrack_Double_Track_2_Pier_Poured_C_p/kat-23019.htm

 

As for the rural town, do you have your structures? Place them on the layout and start arranging it where you want to go and mark out where a road is going to be placed. When these problems arise, and we all get them, they also make you think. Sometimes problems are fun to solve.

[qwertyaardvark]

Why not use a station viaduct set or something similar to accomplish this. I'm not totally familiar with Unitrack (other members who use Unitrack can better clue you in than I can) but you would need a wider viaduct to put a station platform in either the middle or the sides. Would this work?

http://www.modeltrainstuff.com/product_p/kat-23125.htm (don't use the shops or entrance way, your people will drown.  )

And pier set: http://www.modeltrainstuff.com/KATO_N_Unitrack_Double_Track_2_Pier_Poured_C_p/kat-23019.htm

 

As far as the Kato station viaduct goes, it will support two tracks with an island platform in between, though I am unsure about two tracks and two side platforms. I think the viaduct would need to be widened for that (i'd check that to be sure, as I don't have any one-sided platforms on hand), but that would be okay since the split would be hidden underneath the double track pieces anyways.

 

One question though: Where would the station building itself go? I see you are using the island platforms, but the people can't come from underneath. Will the platform be accessed by a overhead bridge? or will the station extend to the land and access is achieved there?

[KenS]

The Kato viaduct station is modular, and can be expanded sideways as well as lengthwise. The standard single width is too narrow for double-track and two platforms, although it looks like it will hold double track and a side platform on one side (I don't have an actual side platform handy to test with).

 

With the viaduct expanded, it will hold four tracks and two island platforms, but from the position of your track this might put the front too close to the edge of the table. However you could probably fit two side platforms and the double-track there, you'd just have a gap behind the inner platform (maybe use an island platform and a second track there?).

 

Here's a photo of my old station, since disassembled, which used a double-width viaduct:

[Lawrence]

That is some piece of kit Ken, never seen the likes before!  Obviously I yet have much to learn about this Japanese game 

[NozomiFan]

Still really don't get what you mean by not fitting.

 

Do you need the Viaduct station extension?

 

 

to2leo, does that support a station, with the double track and extra track for the switch? In other words, Three pieces of track?

[KenS]

That is some piece of kit Ken, never seen the likes before!  Obviously I yet have much to learn about this Japanese game 

 

It's really just the Kato Viaduct station, plus some viaduct platform extensions (to make it longer and double-width), with a couple of island platform sets. Oh, yeah, and a couple of trains. 

 

But it is pretty impressive to look at.  That one held four six-car trains, and stretched about six feet, although I probably could have shortened it by one 248 mm (9 inch) section without affecting the platforms or tracks. Since the turnouts (Kato #6) are power-routing, I could park one train on the siding while another passed on the main, allowing me to do some "express train passing a local" operations. Much fun was had in the year-plus I had it set up, and I'm looking forward to getting the new layout built, which will have a larger version of it.

[to2leo]

Still really don't get what you mean by not fitting.

 

Do you need the Viaduct station extension?

 

 

to2leo, does that support a station, with the double track and extra track for the switch? In other words, Three pieces of track?

 

Hi Nozomi,

The Viaduct extension fits two tracks with a island platform piece that you shown us.  I think if you need to fit the full island set, you need at least 2 boxes of the extension set since it give us two pieces per set.

 

Unless you are going to do away with the island platform, you cannot fit three tracks in a single extension section.  However you can expand the extension set horizontally to fit four tracks as Ken S has shown you.

 

FYI, for those who want to fit a 10 car TGV or 7-8 cars shinkansen in four tracks 2 island platforms you need 3 Viaduct Stations Set.

[NozomiFan]

Thanks for your ideas, but I did some extensive work with spackle, foam insulation, and a couple of hand tools.

Here's my work.

I will put a strip of styrene along the outside wall facing the river. I also did the start of my mountain/plateau thingy.

Pics below!

[inobu]

NF,

 

You should place a reference object on your layout in order to link your visual references with your mental vision. Here is the potential problem. What you envision in your layout verses the physically layout you have may not be proportionate. If you place a scaled building on the layout for reference it can help with your mental and physical picture. 

 

Based on your images your water way is 120 feet (40 meters) wide which puts it in the youthful or old river classification. These rivers are not deep or wide. I think you are going in the right direction but I would allow the water to flow through/under the stations.

 

Inobu

 

[NozomiFan]

This is the End.... The NozomiFan Layout that never was....

I have disassembled my layout and now sits a large door that I will never use again...

 

Thanks for your encouragement,

NozomiFan

 

 

ありがとう。

[to2leo]

Oh no! What happened?  I know a lot of us are looking forward to your layout.

[Bernard]

NF - I'm sorry to hear this, it really was coming along your layout.

I've had many set backs in layouts I've built in the past (and the present,) but I found that everything is fixable. The one rule that I do go by is this, "It's your layout, you're the only one you have to please, so do what you want." I do hope it's not the end.

[KenS]

I'll second that, I was looking forward to seeing what you did with that door. 

 

It's easy to get discouraged, particularly if your goals are ambitious.  A few years ago I started an On30 steam layout that never got past the rough framework and paper track-plan stage because I was trying to do too much.  When I got into Japanese trains I started simple, with a loop of Unitrack on a dining-room table, and didn't move on to something with more complexity and actual scenery (I've always sucked at doing scenery) until I had confidence in what I wanted and how I was going to do it.

 

Unless you've just decided that model railroading isn't for you, which is fine. It's a hobby that takes a fair amount of time, and there may be other things more important to you.

[qwertyaardvark]

I too am sorry to hear this...  As much as I would like to see this layout go on, I respect your decision since it is your layout. If there is anything that can be done to continue this layout or help starting a new one, from the early design to the final touches, I (and I'm sure every member of this board) will be more than happy to do anything (including nothing, if you truly choose to leave the layout idea alone; I will not push you to do a layout). As long as you enjoy Japanese model railroading, all will be well. :)

[inobu]

Wow, I could see what you were doing and it looked like you were on the way. What happened?

 

Here is a photos of Inspiration

 

 

This is your loop, your water way at a angle, tunnel both your ends under the mountain.

 

I think you should try it again. 

 

Inobu