I'm going to be creating an underground passenger terminal on my layout. The trains in the terminal will be completely hidden from view (I have enough space to fit an ABBA set of F3s and 6 16" passenger cars). I have a couple of questions though:

1. What does the entrance to a prototypical underground terminal (ie like Chicago's Union Station) look like? Would a tunnel portal style entrance look correct?

2. The area the trains will pass under will be a down town area. I'm guessing that the station should be at the end of the tracks and that buildings could be infront of the station and over the tracks correct?

Also if anyone has any pictures of an underground passenger terminal on their layout I would like to see them. I need some ideas

Check Google images under search string "Union Station+Chicago", there are pages
of them. Here is a link to some trains pulling into the underground station.

It looks more like a "bridge" over the entrance. Hmm it looks pretty fun to model

The central portion of my passenger terminal is "underground". Tracks on both sides of the hidden area enter under a city street scene.



Jim

Thanks . I'm going to have a down town area over the terminal so your picture is a help from a visual standpoint. I just need to figure out how the area is going to be layed out obove the tracks. It should be fun.

I'm working on the same project so these pictures are a huge help. Jim, where did you find the tiny medallions that you have on your concrete facade? It's a very nice touch! Your scenery is always great to see. Seeing the old BN E unit in the 1:1 scale brings back memories of those loud monsters. It would be cool to have one made in o scale!

Louis good luck with your project.

Louis,
I always like doing city scenes also. I made some skyscrapers for my city scene, but there are some good terminal buildings available that would be a good focal point for the terminal.








At one time, I used a Lionel 115 city station and an MTH bank building before the skyscrapers came to be:




Thanks, Pete. The medallions are actually buttons with the eyelet cut off the rear and glued to masonite "concrete" panels. You never know where you'll find good scenery materials.

Jim

I am working on the same thing on my layout. I have the MTH station on the top level. I am using a cardboard building front under it. I have not figured out the underground lighting yet.

Jim what are your skyscrapers made out of?

Louis,
I start by making a clear plexiglas box. Then I add horizontal and vertical strips of heavy paper and cardstock to form the windows and trim. I'll try to post a few photos of the process after I get back from the train shows this weekend.

Jim

quote:

Originally posted by Jim Policastro:
Louis,
I start by making a clear plexiglas box. Then I add horizontal and vertical strips of heavy paper and cardstock to form the windows and trim. I'll try to post a few photos of the process after I get back from the train shows this weekend.

Jim

What thickness of plexiglas do you use? Also what is the best way to light the buildings?

quote:

Originally posted by Jim Policastro:
The central portion of my passenger terminal is "underground". Tracks on both sides of the hidden area enter under a city street scene.



Jim

That looks great Mr. Jim!

Also, is OGR still contrasting our articles?

LouisK, Bigtruckpete, and Turtle 2...take a look at the post I have about the update on the completed train shed...might give you some ideas. I have the city at a higher level than the passenger tracks and train shed with the trains going under the station/city. I will try to answer any questions you have...

Alan

That train shed looks great. I don't have the room for something that big which I why I'm going with an underground station. How long did it take you to build that?

Here's my attempt from my old layout. The station was set up for 2 passenger tracks and a subway. There is a freight bypass anteriorly. It looks like the US Army Mobile Missile Launcher set is taking up a passenger track.

Here are those in-progress skyscraper photos I promised. The April/May 2008 issue of OGR (Run 228) has complete instructions and photos. Back issues are probably still available if you give George Seil a call at the OGR office.

Plexiglas box - cheapest grade you can find - about 1/8" thick - frosted with a spray of clear lacquer:




Add horizontal thin cardstock strips:





Add vertical strips with thicker cardstock - artist mat board is ideal:




Put this building on a rectangular masonite base:




Lighting is a standard 60W spiral fluorescent in a ceramic socket. Light diffuser (made from fluorescent light diffuser panel material) added to even out the illumination.




Same thing starting with a mirrored tile base this time. Black auto striping tape and tan mat board were used for this building:




Added stilts (cut from MDF -medium density fiberboard) to make use of the space above the terminal tracks:




Did the city (8 buildings) in a couple weeks time for about $100 in materials. The Plumbers Goop contact adhesive was probably the most expensive part of the project! :




More photos on my website also - link below.

Jim

Very instructive post, Jim!

Here are the steps I went through for my underground station. Actually, the whole city was elevated over the tracks.

Here is the site of the future city. It will be on a platform covering everything to the left of the footers. The elevated track will be hidden behind the city buildings. On the main level, left to right are the passenger station track, station platform (unpainted pink styrofoam for now), the mainline, freight arrival/departure #1, footers, freight A/D #2, 5 classification tracks and an engine thoroughfare track.




Here is a view from the opposite end. The "cement" pad at lower left is the site of a diesel engine house.



I kitbashed the Plasticville pedestrian overpass to make steps from the station above to the platform below.



The supports for the city were made from 1/2" x 3/4" pine from the moulding department at Lowe's.



Here are the supports in place.



Here is the completed and weathered city support. The engine house is also now in place.



The station platform is lit using Miniatronics 12 volt grain of wheat bulbs, Plastruct shades and 1/16" heat shrink tubing. The final photo in this series shows the lights the best.



Here is the city and platform from the opposite end.



To summarize:







This is the underground station with the platform and lighting. The pink styrofoam looks better now!

Bob....Absolutely fantastic. I really like your city support structure. I am getting ready to disguise my elevated city areas and was considering a series of arches but I like your design so much I may have to rethink my project! Thanks for the series of excellant pictures.

Jim...you and I make skyscrapers in a similar manner. I am working on a 6 foot tall mirror tile structure but sure would like to find some of the copper looking color you have in your picture...where did you find them? I found a new Gorilla Super Glue that allows me to glue directly the corners of the glass with no corner bracing...the darned stuff is almost like the old formula from 40 years ago! Great post of the step by step process...thanks!

Alan

Here are some pictures of a model done by Al Zamorski (CSX Al). The model eventually became part of the Flower City Tinplate Trackers Modular layout. (Rochester, NY) The pictures are from a regional NMRA jamboree early spring 2007.

Thank you Al















And a few pictures from the FCTT website.

Fantastic work, guys!