The Urban Station Scene
Not based on a specific prototype, the Urban Station scene depicts a typical elevated urban station, with trains from commuter and inter-city Shinkansen (“bullet train”) lines, as well as a ground-level “subway” line (a feature that can be found at several Tōkyō stations) and a small light-rail “tram” line. Behind the station is a commercial avenue with six-story and taller buildings on the far side, a fairly common sight near larger stations. And sharing space under the station will be shops, bus/taxi parking, and likely other things I haven’t yet thought of.
Note: photo credits for the backdrop photos can be found on the Backdrop Scenery reference images page, and details on how I made them can be found on the Making Backdrops page in the Making Things subsection of this section.
Visually, the elevated station dominates the scene, and the rest just adds complexity to make it seem more like a part of an urban environment rather than a station in isolation. At present, the street is missing completely, the buildings are just loosely placed in front of the photo-backdrop awaiting a final plan, and the tram and subway lines lack platforms. However, all three main double-track lines are operational, and the two overhead lines have platforms and a station building.
Looking over the elevated station (and foreground “subway” line) to the commercial buildings and backdrop.
Another view, showing the overhead building and more of the backscene.
The urban station has three platforms. Each of the tracks on the inner, or “commuter”, loop splits and has a platform between the two tracks. These are the two rear-most platforms. The outer, Shinkansen/Rapid loop has a single platform between the two tracks.
The Commuter platforms are 1,620mm long, formed of five 248mm platform segments, and two 200mm (190mm of platfrom) end sections. This is slightly longer than the 1,490mm needed for an 11-car Yamanote line train, and would provide space for two six-car commuter trains.
The Shinkansen/Rapid platform is 2,726mm long, formed of nine 248mm platform segments and two 248mm (238mm usable platform) end sections. This is long enough for a 16-car 500-Series Shinkansen (which needs 2,530 mm) or a 10+5 commuter/express train (2,028mm). In fact, it has sufficient space for two ten-car commuter/express trains (2,708mm) on each track.
Looking over the temporary expressway towards the station
A Tōkyō Metro 10000 series train (left) makes the first run on the Subway line beneath the station, and a Tōkyū Setagaya-line 300-series articulated light-rail vehicle waits at the “tram” line station under the viaduct, behind the subway line.
Station (still under construction) viewed from the ends, with 16-car Series 500 Shinkansen
A Nankai Rapi:t (left) waits at the platform, and a 500-Series Shinkansen (right) pulls away from the platform. The right photo shows the new V15 track and square platform end, which replaced the older-style curved platform visible in the left photo.
