Modern stations

[John McTrain]

Hi

Ive started my first layout and would like to add a couple of stations. I quite like the r8009 terminus and would like a small station/halt. The ones I’ve seen in the website whilst good all look quite old fashioned. Is it possible to get one more like modern stations with a glass shelter?

[96RAF]

Look at the continental ranges but likely they will be in Ho scale.

[Ruffnut Thorston]

The Second Series buildings made by Tri-ang Railways, Tri-ang Hornby, and Hornby Railways from 1962 to the 1970s are a bit more modern than the current Hornby versions of the Third Series buildings.

http://www.tri-ang.co.uk/OONew/indexPlatforms.htm

The 1970s versions were made from a bright red plastic, rather than the more maroon brick colour of the original releases...

[Jimbo1707820979]

Decorating some of the old Tri-ang buildings can produce quite attractive results at minimum cost. e.g. in the photo where the decorations were just photographed and printed out.

[LCDR]

The concept of a modern station is a peculiar subject. Many larger stations retain buildings which may be 100 years old, and which have Grade 1 or Grade 2 listing which limits how much the railway authorities can alter it. The smaller fixtures and fittings might be modern but the overall impression will be old fashioned. The original building may have been re-purposed to become trendy bars and cafes and retail units.

In the 1950s and 1960s when planning law was less onerous British Railways modernised quite a few stations, good examples include Manchester Oxford Road, Banbury or Coventry. These have striking contemporary architectural feature and may use a lot of concrete and glass. Some stations were awful, perhaps the best example of an awful station is London Euston.

Small stations however have suffered over the years. Most are little more than a 'bus shelter. and a platform, and maybe a destination indicator. No toilets, and nowhere to get warm on cold or wet days. Their cosy waiting rooms, ticket offices, and buffets are now a pile of rubble behind the platform fence.

Hornby do not currently offer these but Bachmann make a pair of glass platform shelters (44-510)

[Rana Temporia]

Playcraft (Jouef) released a modern station in the 60s/70s which was available in a large set as Macclesfield and in a smaller one as Bletchley. It didn’t really look like either station unless you were in the dark on a foggy night, but the footbridge that came with the Macclesfield version did actually look like the prototype. Coming from a French firm it was HO but not too bad for 00 trains. You can quite often pick up made versions cheaply on internet auction sites but the boxed unmade versions are commanding high prices now. Maybe someone else can add if these were sold under any other name as some of the kits they had were (including at one point Hornby).

I have seen a very similar card kit by one of the pay and print suppliers

[Buz]

hi john_ Mctrain

You are aware that a lot of the over all glass roofed terminal stations where in fact built in

the1800's not sure about Kings Cross though that has had magical interferencejoy

I would look for the Triang, Triang-Hornby buildings suggested OK they are 60's modern, but still a lot of it about in the real world today.

For older buildings if you want them look for the Hornby Dublo plastic art-deco buildings, in the real world today they might even have listed status and there is still some of it about.

Both of these sets of buildings run rings around the modern toy offerings from the modern Hornby, and both have a better railway feel to them that the modern Hornby just some how misses printed stone just does nothing for me.

Make sure any purchases you make have not been glued together this will make it easy to take them apart for painting and adding suitable posters etc.

The Triang clips together and the Dublo screws and clips together.

Nice and very robust though they are forget the die cast aluminum Dublo stations, unless you are laying track on cork underlay.

The platform was designed for the Dublo three rail which sat a lot higher than today's track does.

regards John

[Ruffnut Thorston]

Hi Jimbo.

Of course, you do know that your picture isn’t a Tri-ang station, but a Hornby Dublo die cast aluminium station. (With a Superquick bench and name board. grinning)

Hi Rana.

The plastic kits sold under the Playcraft name were mainly made by Pola, a German firm, since taken over by Faller.

As far as I know, the station kits were not released under any other name.

Some houses and shops did reappear as Hornby models, and some have since been released as the Gaugemaster Fordhampton range, including some kits originally made for Hornby.

[Rana Temporia]

Thanks Ruffnut. I have seen most of the kits in a few different boxes but not the stations. One of the Playcraft bridge kits was also based on a UK prototype and the engine shed and working mail coach set were very close copies of the Hornby Dublo equivalents.

[John McTrain]

Thank you for all the suggestions. I like the look of the triang and playcraft. I will look for those. The Bachmann shelters look most like my local station, I think I will order some. Thank you

[John McTrain]

Thank you for all the suggestions. I like the look of the triang and playcraft. I will look for those. The Bachmann shelters look most like my local station, I think I will order some. Thank you