Masterplan: Major stations
Large city stations had to be impressive, and that usually involved spectacular architecture. Paul A. Lunn proposes four track plans to depict famous termini.
Paul A. Lunn provides four major station plans that you can build in a small space.
The railway companies always used their main city termini to make a statement. Prepare to be impressed, they seem to say, for you’ve chosen the right company with which to travel. Just imagine, for example, walking down London’s Euston Road circa 1910. Within a few yards, you’d pass the imperious pomp of Euston’s Doric arch, the over-the-top Gothic style of St Pancras and the pleasing simplicity of Cubitt’s King’s Cross. The architects and builders certainly didn’t skimp on the details just to save a few bob!
The inner city terminus’ crowning glory is the overall roof. The endless procession of trains, the public address system and the hubbub of thousands of people all merge under those soaring spans to create an atmosphere like no other.
Some overall roofs are instantly recognisable and the names of Barlow, Wyatt et al are bandied about regularly when we talk about great railway architecture. That’s why, in this issue’s Masterplan, I’ve tried to be as diverse as possible, featuring some grand stations and their roofs that often get overlooked.
Overall roofs, in model form, are a substantial undertaking both in the space they occupy and complexity of construction. For those brave enough to take up the challenge, there’ll be much repetition in delicate sub-assemblies and potential viewing restriction of what goes on beneath. However, there’s no mistaking the grandeur of a finished structure, enhanced by magnificent trains such as the ‘Golden Arrow’ or ‘Yorkshire Pullman’.
Some of the designs are clearly aimed at advanced modellers, whereas others are not. That said, ‘entry-level’ could be upgraded, and ‘advanced’ redefined for beginners.