Not all kits created equal

Beside agreeing with Willy's advice, I use the height differences as an opportunity: placing undersized structures in the background and scale or oversize structures in the foreground, simulating depth.

On this matter, I have run into a problem which is going to require a lot of work to solve. In essence, on the new section of my layout, I'm building a passenger terminal and a freight yard. It's not really a terminal, but more of a train station you'd find in any small or medium sized town on a main line. The problem I'm having is the stations that I have looked at, are all too wide to fit the space I have allotted. If I were to leave my passenger track as it is now, and use any one of a dozen or so train stations, the width of these stations would overlap the tracks or the roadway that parallels the track in this location. This includes a parking lot. I can't move the roadway as it's already in place and complete. So do I move or redesign my passenger terminal track to accommodate the width of the stations, or do I hunt for a station that will fit in the space already allotted? Length is not an issue here as I have planned for a platform that will fit a 10 car passenger train. I have myself to blame for this as I should have taken into account the width of these stations and designed my yard accordingly, but I didn't. So I'm either going to have to install a minor S bend at one end, and thereby lose one track in my yard reducing it from 6 sorting tracks to 5 not including the rip track and main bi-pass. I have created extra work and delay which is why one should always get the dimensions of the structure you want to use and plan your track around it. Not the other way around. Live and learn.

Willy brings up an example where one can consider repurposing a kit. For example, Kibri makes what they are currently calling a workers' living quarters:

www.walthers.com/products/layout/structures/workers-living-quarters-2-1-2-x-1-1-2-quot-6-5-x-4cm-1-3-8-x-3-4-quot-3-5-x-2cm-258889

that makes a good small town station at only 4cm depth. Here in California, the "Mission Style" is a common station type. Several Mission style kits can easily be modified to work as those stations.

Finally, the station I grew up near looked more like an army barracks than a station:

www.trainweb.org/dansrailpix/martinez1953.jpg

I've never been good at kit bashing. Always end up with a huge mess.

Frank.

Thanks for that suggestion and I have considered that as an option, but it would appear that the actual building as well as the base they sit on, is too wide. If I were to chop some of it off, I would have to loose part of the building furthest away from the platform. I don't think that would work.

Mark,

The workers living quarters would not conform to the theme I'm trying to keep to, however, the Mission Style station which I grew up with as well, would be perfect so long as it didn't have a base incorporated into it. This style is exactly what I need. As I recall, I think I've seen something similar to this style put out by one of the kit manufacturers but I can't remember who is was. I'm going to have to go hunting to see if I can find it.

Thanks for the suggestions.

Willy,
Look for the Randy Brown kits. They're cast materials and easy to trim down. Maybe consider his kits 105, 150,152 or 153: trainsbyrandybrown.com/

Mark

Good News!!!!

I have found the station that I have been looking for and from the measurements, it will fit where I need it to go. True, I've had to move my passenger track over about 2 inches by putting in a lazy S bend at one end of the approach track, but hey, if it works, what the hell. Now all I have to do is paint, assemble and glue in place, and the best thing about it is, it can be lit. BONUS!!!!! MTL puts it out. I'm excited. The other good thing too is I didn't lose a sorting track in my yard which I feared. DOUBLE BUNUS!!!!