How do you model a huge building? Like King's Cross Station

[SpaceMouse]

For my Hogwarts section of my layout, I am planning a Kings Cross station representation. I have about 30"x 100" that I planned on using for the station, a passenger yard and truck and LCL freight, plus engine service facilities.

The problem is Kings Cross is so huge it would take the entire space and maybe more.



How would I represent and keep the flavor, yet get it on my layout? I'm looking for strategies as well as suggestions.

[Anonymous]

Chip
I couldn't see what the building looked like. Have you thought building it as a flat structure?

[SpaceMouse]

QUOTE: Originally posted by gsetter

Chip
I couldn't see what the building looked like. Have you thought building it as a flat structure?

Uploaded the picture to my site.

I'm not sure what you mean by "Flat Structure." I want to be able to run 3-4 tracks inside.

[howmus]

Hi Chip,

I will have the same situation modeling the Lisk plant in Canandaigua NY so I will be watching the replies to this with interest. I think what I would do is alter some dimentions tastefully. For instance the depth of the station could be shortened without it being too noticable or looking out of place.

[tstage]

Chip,

The link didn't work for me, either. My thought is that you could partially model the station.

I don't know if you have glanced through MR magazine the last couple of months. The articles by Pelle Seeborg on buidling his UP desert layout have been very interesting to me. (The guys absolutely amazing at graphics.) Instead of modeled the whole building on some of his layout, he only models the front portion (or half) and paints the back end, in perspective. That way, you still get the effect but it doesn't take up a lot of room.

I'm presently working on a Suncoast coaling tower for my layout, which I hope to take pictures of when I get finished with it. It's a craftsman kit so it's taken me a litlle while to complete. The directions that come from the kit are minimal so measurements have to be extrapulated from the drawings. It was more involved than I expected.

Anyway, the reason I got the kit was because this coaling tower would only stand 4" high on the layout, when completed. All the other coaling towers on the market stood nearly a foot high and would have overshadowed or overpowered everything else on my small 4 x 8' layout. I mention that because that's what I was understanding your concern to be. Can you build the essential part of the station, yet still keep the immensity of it by painting it in the background of your backdrop?

Just a thought...

Tom

[Anonymous]

QUOTE: Uploaded the picture to my site.
I'm not sure what you mean by "Flat Structure." I want to be able to run 3-4 tracks inside.

I see it now Chip. Building Flats are used for background structures. But now I understand what you want and a flat isn't what you want.

I looked through the Walthers catalog and the only structure that remotely resembles the main structure is a Pola Dresden Tram Terminal. It's a modular four track structure, measuring 14 1/4 " X 12" X 4 7/8" cost is $82 - $120! (and out of stock). It probably will require two kits. Even then you would need to scratch build the front.
Do you have more photos showing the rear of the building?

[orsonroy]

MOdelling King's Cross would be a HUGE project. Boil it down into simple box subassemblies, and work from there. Build a strong inner superstructure out of .060" styrene, or even Plexiglas. Once each box subassembly has been built, laminate thin brick sheet over the frame, cut out the window openings, and detail the sucker. If you look at the project as smaller, simpler boxes, rather than as a whole, it'll be easier for you to wrap your brain around it, and you'll actually finish it in a shorter amount of time!

With all those giant windows, using a Plexi inner shell might be your best bet. You can precut all window openings, and use the Plexi as your "glass". With a little preplanning, you can even scribe window frame detail into the Plexi, and fill it in with India ink for a really neat window detail effect. You'll have to prepaint any brick sheeting (Plastruct) before adding it to the Plexi (use a thin, fresh rubber cement), but you'll end up with great results.

[CNJ831]

Obviously, this is a situation where selective compression is an absolute must. Likewise, just how to approach this project depends on how close you want your layout's model to be to the prototype. Size-wise, the face of the building need not be more than 18"-20" wide to be quite acceptible. A depth of structure plus trainsheds of 24"-30" would also be reasonable. In any case, totally scratchbuilding an exact replica of the station would be a project best left to the experienced modeler. Kitbashing would be a far better choice for most hobbyists.

Worth noting is that a European company called Joeff (sp?) did offer very large, complex stations like Kings Cross about 20 years ago. One might turn up on eBay if you can wait long enough.

Perhaps a most practical way to go about solving the problem would be to kitbash a structure with the "flavor" of Kings Cross station. Were I to approach this project I would start with Walthers' #3021 Northern Light & Power end walls to represent the large arched windows, mated together with some tall boxes of DPM modular sections for the central and end towers, for the street facade.

Faller's "Mittelstadt" station has even closer huge arched windows sections but would be quite a bit more expensive to purchase as kitbash fodder. Although it might indeed provide all the necessary remaining material for the station structure.

Covered trainsheds (platforms) are offered by Pola (#310656), Vollmer (#3545), or Faller (#120119). You'd probably need a minimum of two kits to do the job and probably four would be better.

As I said, overall it comes down to how much you have to spend on this single building and how much you are willing to compromise in building it. But really, it's not such a daunting project.


CNJ831

[SpaceMouse]

Tom,

Gee, I started this post about an hour and a half ago.

This part of the project, although I won't face it for a few months, has become daunting. Since the building is symetrical and there is upper level above it, It would be fairly simple to put a mirror behind it with a slight downward tilt. That would double the space for what is actually on the layout.

But another challenge I face is that the interesting architecture of the front of the building is also the easiest part to stub into the corner because King Cross is end terminal. The other part of that is although I've seen a few hundred pictures of KC, I haven't seen one from the side the trains enter. I imagine this thing will end up about 3 feet long.

[SpaceMouse]

Thanks for the suggestions. There were three good ones inbetween the time I read Tom's post and was able to reply. Believe it or not, although it is daunting now, I trust that things will come together. Hogwarts was daunting until I finalized the plan. With every suggestion it gets more doable. Cost is a factor, but I rather it looked cool or not at all, than something half-baked. (sometimes its hard to write when the astrick program looms over you.)

[orsonroy]

Chip,

I was at King's Cross last year, and it's really hard to get shots of the train side of the station. London likes to hide it's railway working parts from casual public eye. You might want to ask a few of our local British modellers out there if they can help with a few pics.

[Anonymous]

Hornby make a station roof kit that might be of use - you get the "iron" supports (a mix of plastic and possibly diecast parts) and clear plastic glazing. You could buy one of these and use it as a template to create a larger roof structure. They've also recently introduced a model of "Platform 9&3/4" which may be of interest - it's not big but could possibly be incorporated as part of your structure to provide the "Potter" aspect. Hope this helps!

[Don Gibson]

space moose:

WHY don't you draw a 'replica' of how the back (train) side might look , and run your trains from there. 2.5 x 8' is way too big , and you know you are not going to spend $100 - $200 for a Grand Central Station, like Bonn.

I solved my Passenger Depot space problems using Walthers' platforms with a (future) Station backdrop to go on the wall - when they make one - rather than cut their present station to size.

Station's had both a 'street' side and a 'train' side.

[Anonymous]

QUOTE: Originally posted by SpaceMouse

For my Hogwarts section of my layout, I am planning a Kings Cross station representation. I have about 30"x 100" that I planned on using for the station, a passenger yard and truck and LCL freight, plus engine service facilities.

The problem is Kings Cross is so huge it would take the entire space and maybe more.

How would I represent and keep the flavor, yet get it on my layout? I'm looking for strategies as well as suggestions.

You could always build a compressed version about one third or one half the size of the real one and place it against a mirror to make the station look like it is larger.
This has been illustrated in several articles in the past few years to make the layout seem larger and more complete.