Passenger Terminals

[Anonymous]

I am designing in N scale a passenger terminal. The area I have planned for this terminal is 3 feet wide by 8 feet. (This is only one arm of my layout which is in the shape of a U.) Not all of this will be the terminal but the terminal will be the main feature. I plan to have at least four departure/arrival tracks that dead end into the station. I want to include a postal service, baggage and express service. Small yard to store passenger cars. A round house will also be included. Setting is the early 50's. I want it to be operational. Are there sources which explain how typical passenger terminals were laid out? Are there track plans that inlcude this feature?

Thank you for your help

Peter

[Anonymous]

I am designing in N scale a passenger terminal. The area I have planned for this terminal is 3 feet wide by 8 feet. (This is only one arm of my layout which is in the shape of a U.) Not all of this will be the terminal but the terminal will be the main feature. I plan to have at least four departure/arrival tracks that dead end into the station. I want to include a postal service, baggage and express service. Small yard to store passenger cars. A round house will also be included. Setting is the early 50's. I want it to be operational. Are there sources which explain how typical passenger terminals were laid out? Are there track plans that inlcude this feature?

Thank you for your help

Peter

[Sperandeo]

Hello Peter,

In the past year I've published two passenger station track plans in MODEL RAILROADER. Both were drawn for HO, but they'd work equally well for N scale. "New Orleans Union PassengerTerminal," in the October 2002 MR, page 72, is a stub station where all the trains back in and head out. "Toledo's Central Union Terminal," in the February 2003 MR, page 74, is a through station alongside a busy main line. Both track plans included mail and express tracks, although not coach yards. There was a small coach yard and repair area adjacent to the Toledo station, which I omitted because it would have made for a very wide layout shelf. In N scale that wouldn't be a problem. The article includes an aerial photo of the prototype that shows the coach yard very clearly.

And thank you very much, Peter, for signing your name.

so long,

Andy

[Sperandeo]

Hello Peter,

In the past year I've published two passenger station track plans in MODEL RAILROADER. Both were drawn for HO, but they'd work equally well for N scale. "New Orleans Union PassengerTerminal," in the October 2002 MR, page 72, is a stub station where all the trains back in and head out. "Toledo's Central Union Terminal," in the February 2003 MR, page 74, is a through station alongside a busy main line. Both track plans included mail and express tracks, although not coach yards. There was a small coach yard and repair area adjacent to the Toledo station, which I omitted because it would have made for a very wide layout shelf. In N scale that wouldn't be a problem. The article includes an aerial photo of the prototype that shows the coach yard very clearly.

And thank you very much, Peter, for signing your name.

so long,

Andy

[der5997]

Peter: "Track Planning for Realistic Operation" by John Armstrong. $3.00 in 1973, so take a guess at what it is now, maybe Andy Sperandeo knows [:D]
Anyway, that's a book that may help you considerably, as it's set in your era or earlier.
Have fun with this, it sounds like a terrific project.

John.

[der5997]

Peter: "Track Planning for Realistic Operation" by John Armstrong. $3.00 in 1973, so take a guess at what it is now, maybe Andy Sperandeo knows [:D]
Anyway, that's a book that may help you considerably, as it's set in your era or earlier.
Have fun with this, it sounds like a terrific project.

John.

[Anonymous]

Peter--

Besides the two articles Andy mentioned, you might want to look for the May 2003 MR, the "Passenger Special", and the July 2003 MR, with David Haines's N scale layout and Andy's "8 Tips for Better Passenger Cars."

Gary

[Anonymous]

Peter--

Besides the two articles Andy mentioned, you might want to look for the May 2003 MR, the "Passenger Special", and the July 2003 MR, with David Haines's N scale layout and Andy's "8 Tips for Better Passenger Cars."

Gary

[Anonymous]

You might style it after the Chattanooga station. The terminal at the end of the arrival/departure tracks, with the baggage/express/postal building/wing extending on one side only. You could have the four A/D tracks and one B/E/P track against the wing (or if you want a lot of headend activity, two paired tracks with a platform on the outside of each).

I'm not sure where the coach yard and roundhouse were. The "Chicago" issue of trains shows some arial photos of terminals and yards. The IC's station and yard were not that far apart.

Practically speaking the coach yard would be as close as possible to the station to minimize crew time running the cars back and forth. The same for the loco facility.

Pennsylvania Station - Its tunnels and Side-roders may still be available. Also the recent trains issue on its coach yard - Sunnyside may be of some interest.


I think LAUPT was somewhat similar. The book Los Angeles Union Passenger Terminal - Last of the Great Stations may still be available.

Happy Modeling!

[Anonymous]

You might style it after the Chattanooga station. The terminal at the end of the arrival/departure tracks, with the baggage/express/postal building/wing extending on one side only. You could have the four A/D tracks and one B/E/P track against the wing (or if you want a lot of headend activity, two paired tracks with a platform on the outside of each).

I'm not sure where the coach yard and roundhouse were. The "Chicago" issue of trains shows some arial photos of terminals and yards. The IC's station and yard were not that far apart.

Practically speaking the coach yard would be as close as possible to the station to minimize crew time running the cars back and forth. The same for the loco facility.

Pennsylvania Station - Its tunnels and Side-roders may still be available. Also the recent trains issue on its coach yard - Sunnyside may be of some interest.


I think LAUPT was somewhat similar. The book Los Angeles Union Passenger Terminal - Last of the Great Stations may still be available.

Happy Modeling!