I was reading the June issue of Model Rail last night and thought the feature on modelling the London Underground was superb. The first of the trackplans in particular I found interesting, as it basically shows a station throat and a bit of a station in a space 7'6'' by 2'. It planted the germ of an idea...

My ideal model would be of Marylebone in a 'what-if' scenario of joint LNER/ Metropolitan operation. In the real world of course the ex-GC shares tracks with LU as far as Canfield Place, two miles from Marylebone. But what if the Met shared tracks with the GC all the way down to Marylebone's buffers?

My idea is that Marylebone itself would be completely 'shared'- that is, Met trains would be allowed access to all platforms and all four running lines. Obviously, this couldn't be the case for the whole route- for one thing, only the Met could operate services to stations between Marylebone and Amersham under the terms of the joint agreement. The answer clearly is to split the four tracks into two for the GC and two for the Met at the first available opportunity.

To my mind the point that this would happen would be at the end of the tunnels out of Marylebone- in real life where Finchley Road station and Canfield Place are.

Canfield place by Duke of Chalfont, on Flickr

Now my plan I've titled Canfield Place to differentiate it from the real-life Finchley Road. Left to right we have, at the rear, the four tracks from Marylebone split to two sets of two, with a Met station on the 'bottom' pair (GC expresses and goods trains would take the straight tracks behind the station, GC suburban trains might run through it but wouldn't stop). At the left hand end of the station, a pair of purely cosmetic lines split off from the joint- running down to Baker Street.

Limited in operating potential? Yes- but as say a diorama for photography, or as an addition to a larger scheme- it has interest. And it would be a good testbed for scenery before launching in to Marylebone itself. Now if I can just find a 8' by 2' soace going spare....