Trivia: Stations or other locations that resemble a model railway

[DPWH]

Which of today's stations or other locations (somewhat) resemble a model railway? General features of models include:

Everything compressed into a small space
"Scenic breaks" (particularly tunnels) on all lines not very far apart.
Sharp, 90 degree corners (not curves!).
And maybe others...

Of course, your chosen location doesn't have to include all of these things. I have a few places in mind myself, but would like to see if anyone else mentions them first.

 

[PeterC]

Modern locations are difficult, without trying I can think of a couple of suitable industrial locations from my boyhood.

Whitby is against the side of a hill with the line curving out of sight so a little artistic licence could be used. That does have the advantage of allowing both diesel and steam. I don't know the surviving Welsh Valley lines but considering the ones that I did know there are probably still a few good locations but without the variety of traffic and sidings that were there 50 or 60 years ago.

 

[K.o.R]

How about Bangor and some of the neighbouring stations? Tunnels either end on some of them!

 

[Darandio]

Hadley Wood?

 

[Cowley]

I've always thought St Erth looks a bit like a model, with semaphores, bay platform, old buildings etc.
Not much in the way of scenic breaks apart from the first bridge on the branch though.

 

[mcmad]

New Street

 

[Cowley]

New Street

In 0 gauge?

Exeter Central would (and has actually been done) make a great model. Tunnels and bridges to make scenic breaks, Peco make all of the concrete platform edgings and footbridge kits, plenty of interesting workings etc...
You'd need a lot of money though!

 

[mcmad]

being done in OO. Its a bit of an odd question since any location could (with sufficient resources) be a model.

 

[cuccir]

being done in OO. Its a bit of an odd question since any location could (with sufficient resources) be a model.

OO?

I think the question is fairly clear - which stations look most like the sort of thing that 'typically' appears in models.

How about Grange-over-Sands: viaduct, seaside, park with duck pond next to it, and old-fashioned station buildings.

 

[PeterC]

If you don't restrict yourself to National Rail then Chesham is a good one, cut into the hillside with the line curving away, a little licence could turn a footbridge into a tunnel. Operationally a bit dull with an S8 as the sole modern image stock.

 

[trash80]

High Wycombe has a retaining wall behind one side of the station

 

[DPWH]

How about Bangor and some of the neighbouring stations? Tunnels either end on some of them!

Bangor was one I was thinking of - though I'm not sure those either side (Llanfairfechan and the famous LlanfairPwll) are endowed with quite so many model like features.

 

[K.o.R]

Bangor was one I was thinking of - though I'm not sure those either side (Llanfairfechan and the famous LlanfairPwll) are endowed with quite so many model like features.

It's been quite a while since I've been there; I just remember lots of tunnels and pretty stations nestled in-between steep hills.

 

[30907]

Tunbridge Wells Central is sandwiched between tunnels, as are Chatham and Dover Priory (and no doubt others). Chatham pre 1959 would have made an interesting model, Priory is a bit large and TWC boring.

 

[telstarbox]

I was thinking of Tunbridge Wells - it would be an OK model - you have services reversing in the through platforms, car parks next to the platforms, and a busy town centre just outside the station.

 

[DanTrain]

Oakham signal box

 

[L&Y Robert]

Swanage. Very compact, nice buildings, turntable and loco-shed all within a baseboard's length, nice bridge.

 

[6Gman]

Bank Hall. Overbridge at the platform end; retaining wall at the rear.

 

[Cowley]

Swanage. Very compact, nice buildings, turntable and loco-shed all within a baseboard's length, nice bridge.

That's a great shout.
I'll nominate Alresford - no loco shed but quite a nice little arrangement with a cattle dock and useful scenic breaks - the bridge to the north of the station (goes to the 'Rest of the World' fiddle yard) and trees in the headshunt to the south.

 

[Ianigsy]

Bingley- dead straight, tunnel at one end and overbridge at the other, lots of Midland Railway buildings still in place and a canal on the far side and EMUs excepted, most services formed of 142/4/153/158s or 66-hauled freight.

Knaresborough is another one- tunnel, overbridge, station, tunnel- and has been modelled very well as The World's End.

 

[xotGD]

Bingley- dead straight, tunnel at one end and overbridge at the other, lots of Midland Railway buildings still in place and a canal on the far side and EMUs excepted, most services formed of 142/4/153/158s or 66-hauled freight.

Knaresborough is another one- tunnel, overbridge, station, tunnel- and has been modelled very well as The World's End.

You would also get to use your vintage models on WCRC services through Bingley

 

[mcmad]

OO?

sorry, yes, P4. http://www.p4newstreet.com/

Although Don did it years ago in OO

 

[Esker-pades]

Edinburgh Waverley being flanked by tunnels is quite a good one.

 

[Cowley]

sorry, yes, P4. http://www.p4newstreet.com/

Although Don did it years ago in OO

I was being flippant earlier, but I remember being fascinated by this layout years ago. It was featured in Railway Modeller when I was a teenager ISTR.
Very impressive.

 

[Essan]

The obvious one is Goathland ....... Looks identical to the Hornby models!

Also Dent

 

[Sir Felix Pole]

The Brusio spiral viaduct on the Bernina Bahn in Switzerland looks like something a railway modeller would create - it looks very unrealistic and not at all prototypical - oh hang on ...

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Brusio_spiral_viaduct

 

[61653 HTAFC]

The obvious one is Goathland ....... Looks identical to the Hornby models!

Also Dent

You can add Dunster (WSR) to that list too!

 

[urbophile]

Did it still exist, Ventnor (Isle of Wight) would be a great example. Built into the hillside like a quarry/amphitheatre, with the single line emerging from a tunnel and fanning out into sidings and two/three platforms. I'm almost certain there was a turntable too.

 

[penrithsteve]

Another vote for Ventnor - in fact I chose it for my model railway and have been 'playing trains' there tonight!

An incredibly cramped site build into a quarry that forms a natural amphitheatre. Tunnel mouth leading directly to a very short station throat (to the extent that locos had to go back into the tunnel to run round), then onto two 6-coach platforms and a headshunt barely longer than a locomotive (originally a sector plate, but replaced by a conventional point by the Southern in the 1920s). Lots of other quirky features including two double slips, an island platform reached by a portable wooded bridge, a barrel-roofed goods shed, caves used by coal merchants etc.

http://www.disused-stations.org.uk/v/ventnor/

 

[Cowley]

Another vote for Ventnor - in fact I chose it for my model railway and have been 'playing trains' there tonight!

An incredibly cramped site build into a quarry that forms a natural amphitheatre. Tunnel mouth leading directly to a very short station throat (to the extent that locos had to go back into the tunnel to run round), then onto two 6-coach platforms and a headshunt barely longer than a locomotive (originally a sector plate, but replaced by a conventional point by the Southern in the 1920s). Lots of other quirky features including two double slips, an island platform reached by a portable wooded bridge, a barrel-roofed goods shed, caves used by coal merchants etc.

http://www.disused-stations.org.uk/v/ventnor/

I'm pretty sure that Ventnor featured in the Railway Modeller's Plan of the Month once.
Definitely a good subject for a model though.