Hornby terminus station will fit 3 tracks

[truckman060473]

Just bought one of these, built as a through station and the width between the two platforms is fixed at a distance which is set by the overhead canopy mounts. I found that running twin tracks through it, where coaches look a realistic space from the platform edge, leaves room for a third track down the centre for goods trains bypassing. The gap between rolling stock is about 1cm. As long as you are willing to use flexible track outside the station to head back to adequate loading gauge at the curves it will work.

 

[transportphoto]

What gauge is this?

00?

 

[truckman060473]

00 it is

 

[scooner8]

I think it will work, it would look a lot better with the three tracks. Two would look a bit bare in comparison. That said I am not a expert, cant see why it wouldnt work but proberbly best to ask someone with a bit more know how.

 

[NSEFAN]

I don't know if the set-track geometry will allow 3 tracks, so you may have to use flexi-track. Also, if you're comparing real-life clearances, I'm not sure if there'd be enough space for 3 tracks anyway. Of course you could just have 2 tracks and argue the platforms arrangement dates from the broad-gauge era!

 

[truckman060473]

I'm not bothered about set track geometry - I intend to run 3 sets of Hornby 2 X long straights through the station and work around it before and after using flexi cut by dremel to a length that matches which will lead to the points allowing a freight to run through the centre line when a passenger trains are at the platforms. I'm quite excited about it actually, having not known this could be done, as I only had the item in the post today

 

[sprinterguy]

Darn that's an interesting discovery: the station on my model railway is similar to the Hornby terminus station in layout, and I never would have thought that you can fit three tracks between the platforms.

I'd be interested in doing something like that myself actually, and using the centre road as a stabling loop for rolling stock, but in order to move my existing patform tracks slightly closer to the platform face I think it would take too much work realigning the curves either side of the station. Something to think about at any rate!

 

[Bittern]

Gah. Hornby's platforms always looked so unrealistic. Aren't these the same platforms they were using 10 years ago?

 

[sprinterguy]

Gah. Hornby's platforms always looked so unrealistic. Aren't these the same platforms they were using 10 years ago?

Ten years? Try at least twenty! To be fair Hornby do now offer the Skaledale range of platform sections, which offer more in realism.

 

[manaichain]

Yes the Skaldale platforms are much better, i think there's 2 kinds though, some have "modified" on them, as the connecting things work better, not sure if they are compatible though, although when i checked the Hornby website, only a few platform section items were available. One good thing is they do different ones for both island and saddle platforms

 

[Sun Chariot]

Ten years? Try at least twenty!

I had some of 'em back in '78.... Vorsprung durch technik? I think not.

 

[Bittern]

I saw some Scaledale platforms in a shop yesterday. Looked quite nice, actually.

 

[sprinterguy]

I saw some Scaledale platforms in a shop yesterday. Looked quite nice, actually.

Yeah the Skaledale platforms are a big step up from the standard Hornby platform sections, and as manaichain says they are also available in slightly different forms for either island or single face platforms, which is useful. Does anybody know if the Skaledale platform sections are compatible with the standard Hornby platforms?

I had some of 'em back in '78.... Vorsprung durch technik? I think not.

Of the various Hornby platforms down the years, my favourite is the Triang-Hornby derived straight platforms which have integral 1960s style canopies and concrete effect back walls, they must be a good few years old.

I'm probably going to have a go at three tracking through my station in the style mentioned above around christmastime. Just like the real thing, train services over the christmas period will be suspended whilst essential engineering works take place: I better make sure there's a vintage rail replacement bus on the station forecourt...

 

[hairyhandedfool]

....Does anybody know if the Skaledale platform sections are compatible with the standard Hornby platforms?...

The Skaledale Platforms are not directly compatible with the plastic ones (you could modify them to fit I suppose), and apparently they are not compatible with the 'Thomas' range platforms either.

 

[sprinterguy]

The Skaledale Platforms are not directly compatible with the plastic ones (you could modify them to fit I suppose), and apparently they are not compatible with the 'Thomas' range platforms either.

Thanks for the info. Looks like it'll be best to replace an entire platform face if I want to go Skaledale (I'm busy making some platform alterations at the moment on my layout and was considering using Skaledale platform sections for the altered bit).

 

[hairyhandedfool]

They are pretty much the same width and length, but whereas the plastic ones clip together, the skaledale ones essentially just sit next to each other.

 

[sprinterguy]

They are pretty much the same width and length, but whereas the plastic ones clip together, the skaledale ones essentially just sit next to each other.

I thought so, I've looked at the Skaledale platforms in Modelzone and noted that the platform connectors looked a bit different, but wasn't sure if they were so different that it would preclude them from being used alongside standard platform sections.