Walthers Union Station

[whitman500]

I recently purchased the Walthers Union Station and Platform kits and was wondering what others have done in terms of connecting the two and/or building a concourse. Is there another kit out there (like a train shed) that would work well as a concourse? My scratchbuilding skills are pretty limited but I'm willing to attempt it with a detailed plan. Any ideas? Thanks.

Brad

[Anonymous]

My plans were to use the station as a stub terminal. With a station bilding at the end of the tracks and the trains backing up to the rear end. Then I would run the butterfly sheds between pairs of tracks grouped together. as my train shed.

My freind Dan is going to make a special elevated base for it so the trains enter the station underneath the station. Sort of like a Pennsylvania Station -Baltimore arrangement.

If you would like to have a classic trainshed like that found at many great terminals including St Louis Union Station, here is how I would build it., Every Scale 50 feet I would place "posts" made from iether 1/8" DIameter Styrene, or 1/8" Styrene I beam stock down the length of where you want your trainshed. Then Every 8 tracks wide I would place another "post" inline with those running the perimeter. If you have more than 8 tracks but less than 16 put a post down the middle of the trainshed. Then Run some Warren Style Open Web Truss material across the tops of the posts around the perimiter, down the middle and across the shed.

This is where you have some choices to make. Do you want a flat roofed shed like Dearborn Station, A graceful curved arch like St. Louis Union Station, or do you wanna cheat and go a flat panel arch to make it easy on yourself.

If you want a flat roof, just make a support grid out of more warren truss material glued between the frame we already made and secure Corrigated styrene over it with skylights added at regular intervals so your 3/4" tall pink plastic people have some light in there. Also adding any night lighting you may desire would be best before the roof is on.

If you want a graceful arch like that at St. Louis, the work is a bit more involved. Because you are going to have to scratchbuild your own warren truss. You have to scratchbuild your own because one side of the truss has to match the radious of the arch of the shed your trying to build. I would put at least two, three would be better, trusses going up each side to the top. To Build the trusses determin the radius of the arc you wi***o build to and draw it on paper to make sure it spans the entire shed like you wish. Then figure out how many trusses up each side you want to build, and split the arc accordingly into the necciccary neccicary segments to achieve the length of the trussed you need to build. . Then place a strip of styrene along the segment of the arch you want to build. . Place another strip of styrene so it connects to each end of the curved piece but remains straight. Then between the two ends. copy the patterns of the warren trusses making the base support structure. When you have your trusses made, place them along the arch for your train shed at the workbench. connect the joints together with small pieces of styrene. And place virtical I Beam supports of such length that the outer trusses and the I beams supporting the midded trusses would rest on base support truss network we built earlier. then install them. Be sure to install them over the posts. Once the trusses are installed, fun more warren truss material between the arch trusses to give them proper lateral bracing. Then secure clear styrne cut to fit the lenth and width over one of the curved trusses and the span between two of them. Once that is done make a gridwork out of styrne depicting window framing for all that glass. Repeat untilk the entire trainshed is done.

If you want to do the flat sided arched trainshed, follow the same proceedure as abobe, but just use more warren truss material insted of making your own curved sided once.. and make sure you don't end up with a flat roof across the middle to allow for water run off.

I am glad if any of this helps.

James.

[Anonymous]

P.S. Feel Free to ask questions on anything.

[whitman500]

Thanks. That was a great reply with a lot of useful info. I think I'll try the flat roof trainshed and see how that looks.

[Anonymous]

QUOTE: Originally posted by whitman500

Thanks. That was a great reply with a lot of useful info. I think I'll try the flat roof trainshed and see how that looks.

Exellent! Glad I could help.

James