Kato Viaduct Station

[Sascha]

Hello. Can anyone tell me how deep the station is? I can only find the length and hight. I need it for my layout plan. Thanks!!

Edited March 9, 2023 by disturbman

[cteno4]

sascha,

 

the viaduct station plates (these clip together with s joiners to make the floor of the station and can be done side by side to double up the width of the station or even more multiples if you want) are 248mm long x 99mm wide. then the side walls pop onto the outside of the plates. each wall adds about6.5m, so the single plate width station would be about 112mm wide. 2x plate deep station (to get you 2 platforms with 2 passing tracks and two center thru tracks) would be 211mm wide.

 

there are two wall heights, low one at 35mm high and tall ones (two window versions) at about 55mm tall 

 

jeff

[Sascha]

Thank you Jeff. Would it fit a 8 car train?

[katoftw]

If you add more plates.  Each plate is 248mm long.

 

I think you'll need 8 lengths to make enough for 8 cars.  About 1160mm for a commuter, and 1270mm for a shinkansen.

 

Platform = 5x 248mm sections + 2x 71mm ends.  Plus 2 ends of S248 and 2x R481 to space the track 66mm for a island platform.

Edited October 1, 2014 by katoftw

[Sascha]

So the whole set is 2400 mm long. That should be enough. Thank you.

[katoftw]

I dont think it is that long.  I think the station set only comes with 4x 248x99 pieces.

 

edit//  Comes with 5 plates.http://www.1999.co.jp/eng/image/10003169z/70/1

 

Good enough for 6 commuter length cars.

Edited October 1, 2014 by katoftw

[lurkingknight]

definitely need extra plates or a home made solution to extend it to the length you want. There's a couple solutions for making a custom length viaduct which I think is a better choice than using the kato stuff.... it gets rather heavy with that much plastic and tends to lose shape with so many s-joiners. Even if you keep it to just the viaduct station set, it's a bit of a pain to get it perfectly flat. You can order the sidewalls and pylons separately if you go completely custom.

[Sascha]

definitely need extra plates or a home made solution to extend it to the length you want. There's a couple solutions for making a custom length viaduct which I think is a better choice than using the kato stuff.... it gets rather heavy with that much plastic and tends to lose shape with so many s-joiners. Even if you keep it to just the viaduct station set, it's a bit of a pain to get it perfectly flat. You can order the sidewalls and pylons separately if you go completely custom.

I'm not good at building a complex structure, so I don't have a choice but to get the Kato station, unless you have a easy solution for a station that also looks good.

[cteno4]

Sascha,

 

There are a few threads on the forum about rolling your own Shinkansen platforms, but they do require some construction to make. Biggest issue is making it thin and rigid so it does not warp with time. Just using a sheet of solid wood or ply without any supporting sub structure will probably be asking for some warping in the long run (being in New Orleans you know about that!). It would work, but some form of bracing underneath would be needed to be safe.

 

The best solution that I have found to stay flat is to laminate a top layer of Formica or 040 stryene sheet with 3/16" foamcore in the center and 1/8" Masonite on the bottom. This stays very flat and has been very resistant to warping despite dc going from dripping humidity to very dry winters. It's also the same thickness as the kato plates so can match up with them and the foam core is at the same position in the side as where the wall pegs poke into the platform so you can just push the walls in where you want them. Really requires access to a table saw to finish up though...

 

Unfortunately the station plates are not cheap, about $20 from hobbysearch and $40 from Modeltrainstuff! You get two plates and two of all three types of wall in the set. Sometimes the viaduct stations can go cheap on ebay, that's how I got my two for about half price. One was new and one used once.

 

Jeff

[Sascha]

That's a lot of info. Thanks a bunch, but since I'm a beginner, I think I stick with the Kato station for now, and then learn how to make my own.

[cteno4]

The kato plates work great and are versatile and hold up well. Just not cheap! Opted to roll my own when we built the 2.5m Shinkansen station with 4 tracks. Would have been 28 plates...

 

Jeff

[railsquid]

That's a lot of info. Thanks a bunch, but since I'm a beginner, I think I stick with the Kato station for now, and then learn how to make my own.

 

That's basically what I'm doing... "Advanced" for me is glueing plastic building kits together ;) Maybe one day I'll be able to build my own highly-detailed steam locomotives from scratch using plastic shavings, scraps of plywood and coke bottle tops but until then I'm taking it gradually.

[Sascha]

2.5 m station sounds like a huge layout. My layout is 8x3, so my station will be a bit smaller even tough I'm planing it for 4 trains ( 2 running, 2 waiting). As for the price- not married, not divorced,no kids, girlfriend works, so I can spend a little more then other folks. [emoji4] even so I'm planing on taking my time and spend $150 a month at the most, more if I buy a train.

Edited October 3, 2014 by Sascha

[cteno4]

Squid,

 

You will be making live n scale steam engines out if hairpins and coke cans next month at the rate you are going!

 

Sascha,

 

Good budget, you will keep yourself in fun!

 

Cheers

 

Jeff

[macdon]

The Kato Viaduct station is a good, prototypical looking station - the basic set isnt really that pricey but cost do add up as you stretch it bigger.

 

When I started with running shinkansens, a temporary kato viaduct oval layout was created on the attic floor. Thinking that I might move it around, I considered a temporary DIY solution in such a way that a single carry station might be beneficial. After considering various ideas in my mind, I finally settled for a $10  6" diameter pvc tube with a length of 1240mm (5 x 248 tracks).

Rectangular windows were cut out using a dremel to view things inside and also big enough for hands to clean tracks, fix derailments, etc. Both platforms are made out of sintra with tiled printed decal over them.

 

 

After building a table for the shinkansen layout, the pvc tube stayed thru ver1 and the first revamp ver 1.2.

I even made various station facades that I just position in front to make it look somewhat different from time to time.

 

 

Early this year, I decided to scrap ver1.2 and started building a new layout - ver2. 

Like you, I also decided to have 4 tracks inside the station - so I had to shelve off my tube station in favor of another DIY station. Just 3 major components - sintra flooring and clear acrylic front and back. For platforms, instead of DIY I went for kato one sided. Still under construction.

 

 

Mardon

 

 

[railsquid]

I'm actually using Tomix stuff for my high-level track and (4-car) Shinkansen terminus as it's slightly more compact than Kato.

 

I will be creating another Shinkansen station which will disguise the entrance to a high-level fiddle yard. I'm not quite sure how I'll do it yet, but it will probably involve custom base plates with the Tomix platforms and side-walls.

[katoftw]

A very well know station in its many varients.

 

A 500 and 800 next to each other.  Must be Hakata Station!

 

the thing I like about the Tomix viaduct station is the you can get wider plates to allow usage of one sided platforms.  Kato only allows an island platform.

 

Also reason why I am using Tomix for high level lines, and Kato for everything else.

Edited October 3, 2014 by katoftw

[railsquid]

You can also run a single-track line underneath the Tomix supports, which is a neat way of fitting in an extra siding or two :happy3:

Edited October 3, 2014 by railsquid

[macdon]

The Tomix viaduct station also looks good. 

One idea that came to my head was to cut a rectangular 1/4" thick plywood for the viaduct station tracks and to prop it up using multiples of the tomix viaduct station fronts.  Unfortunately, they only have 2 variants and wish that they made generic modular fronts. I guess it could still be done, but it has to involve some kit bashing.

 

My station's footprint is about 42" long by 10" wide.  Such a waste of space :D

 

I have half a mind of using a clear acrylic floor to possibly serve as a window to watch a portion of a subway station platforms right beneath. Ahh, the complexity of the whole thing.

 

Mardon

[NJHA]

This is interesting. 

I am also considering on how to build my station. It will be elevated, and with 5x248 between the turnouts. It may evolve if needed for a bigger footprint.

 

Mardon, I am sorry, but what is sintra flooring? Is it the laminate boards we use on the floor? or something else?

[macdon]

Hi NJHA,

 

The material I used for making the viaduct flooring is sintra. My apologies if I made it sound like its a flooring material of some sort.

 

http://www.sintrapvc.com/

 

Mardon

[Sascha]

Wow. Y'all always surprise me. Thanks a bunch. Mardon I guess the clear Acrylic and the sintra flooring ( I,m on the same page as NJHA with the sintra flooring) is used to make the main entrance?The one sided look is an interesting Idea. Looked at the TOMIX station, but doesn't like it that much,but thanks for the tip.

[macdon]

Hello Sascha,

 

If you look at one end of your viaduct station, imagine the letter "H" - the middle horizontal line is where both the tracks and platforms are located and the 2 vertical ends are the front and rear of your station. Basically, just 3 main parts. 

In my case, the horizontal middle section is made out of sintra, while the 2 horizontal ends are clear acrylic with the station design printed on decal.

The reason I chose clear acrylic is to emulate a modern glass building and basically serves as both wall and windows in one material. Yeah, Im lazy :D

 

I did this clear modern glass building facade to my tube station awhile back:

 

 

Of course, you can do all of this in various materials. The viaduct floor could be made out of 1/4" thick plywood and painted grey for concrete. It will be covered with tracks and platforms anyway. Building sides could be anything - card, wood, sintra, acrylic, etc. However, if its a solid side - either you cut out windows and glue clear acetate at the back to represent windows or print yourself the exterior with blackened windows. 

 

As I mentioned in one of the threads here, first find stiff corrugated card and cut your station flooring profile. Lay your tracks and platforms and prop it all up using various kato/tomix piers. If you dont have piers, use 2" foam/styrofoam.

Step back, and imagine how you want your station to look.

 

Mardon

 

 

 

 

[macdon]

Here's the Tomix version:

 

 

If you will have tracks passing under just like the above, you wont need to buy many of the tomix ticketing/office station.

I did a simple photoshop of what it will look buying those ticketing offices/shops in multiples..........

 

 

In my ver2 layout now, my seating position to control trains would be facing the back of the station. Since im facing a boring rear, I decided to add both a small bus and taxi depot so there's something to see. Nonetheless, I do have my commuter station at the rear as well - so I guess there's enough eye candy to look at.

 

Mardon

 

 

[lurkingknight]

I believe my station plan calls for a viaduct side platform station of 8 x 248mm length station platform, with another 1 x 124 or 248 on either end to make sure the entry into the platform is straight and nothing gets bumped with the commuters coming in. It will be stacked on a ground level island platform of the same length.

 

I should probably get back to doing this thing, lol, I just don't have time space or money. Though I should probably just follow macdon's lead and just start building stuff from nothing and see how it works.

 

I have some math to do somewhere, some time.. .or just pull the track out and play so I can work out the grading and how much room I need to make sure the 11 car emus can go up and down comfortably and still have enough room so that it doesn't look like it just makes 1 turn from one station to another. Need more track.

Edited October 3, 2014 by lurkingknight