Terminus or through station?
Benjamin | TrackDrawer.com · published 4 November 2026
In a through station the tracks carry on at both ends: a train stops and continues in the same direction. At a terminus the tracks end at a buffer stop: a train leaves in the direction it came from, and the locomotive has to get to the other end first. If you have a continuous run, a through station is the natural choice; on a narrow shelf along the wall or at the end of a line, a terminus fits better.
The difference in operation
In its simplest form a through station is a passing loop with a platform along each track. Trains run in, stop and leave again at the other end. On an oval the station simply sits on a straight side and your trains can keep running for ever. How to build one and how long it gets is covered under the passing loop.
A terminus works differently. The train runs into the platform road until just short of the buffer stop. To leave again, the motive power has to be at the other end of the train. There are three ways to do that:
- Running round. The locomotive uncouples, runs round the train on a second track and couples up at the other end. That needs a run-round loop with a turnout between the buffer stop and the locomotive, or a crossover to the next track.
- A second locomotive. A locomotive already waiting couples on at the other end and takes the train out. The one that arrived stays behind until the next train.
- A train that can be driven from either end. A multiple unit, or a push-pull train with a driving trailer, reverses without any shunting. That is the simplest solution on a small layout.
If you enjoy shunting, a terminus is exactly what you want: every arrival is a small task. If you would rather watch trains run, choose a through station.
What it costs in turnouts and length
A station with several tracks is a fan of turnouts. A through station with n platform roads needs n - 1 turnouts at each end, 2 x (n - 1) in all. At a terminus the fan is only at the entry end: n - 1 turnouts and n buffer stops. So a three-road terminus takes two turnouts, a through station four.
Length differs too. The table works out one platform road beside the running line, for each system using the standard turnout with its matching curve from our catalogue and a train of four vehicles, each the length of the standard coach TrackDrawer uses for that scale.
| System | Turnout + matching curve | Train | Through road (2 groups + train) | Terminus road (1 group + train, no buffer stop) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Märklin C track | 360 mm | 1000 mm | 1720 mm | 1360 mm |
| Piko A track | 470 mm | 1000 mm | 1940 mm | 1470 mm |
| Kato Unitrack H0 | 375 mm | 1000 mm | 1750 mm | 1375 mm |
| Tillig TT | 266 mm | 724 mm | 1256 mm | 990 mm |
| Minitrix | 158 mm | 544 mm | 861 mm | 702 mm |
| Kato Unitrack N | 249 mm | 544 mm | 1042 mm | 793 mm |
| Märklin Z | 221 mm | 396 mm | 837 mm | 617 mm |
A terminus road also needs the buffer stop, for example 109 mm on Kato Unitrack H0 and 50 mm on Minitrix. Net, a terminus saves roughly one turnout group per road. Most of that gain disappears as soon as the locomotive has to run round: the run-round loop needs turnouts and length again at the buffer stop end. The saving is therefore biggest with multiple units or a second locomotive.
Which station suits which layout?
A continuous run: through station
On an oval or any other closed loop, a through station is the obvious choice. Your trains run through it and keep the layout moving. With two platform roads you can also let two trains take turns. The Auto-designer lays this out as "Station with two platforms": on 240 x 120 cm with Märklin C track, for instance, on R3, with 44 pieces and 7.44 m of track.
A terminus can work on a continuous run too, as a branch: a branch line that leaves the loop and ends in a small station with one or two terminal roads. That way you have both, and a shuttle on the branch gets a job of its own.
A shelf along the wall: terminus
On a narrow shelf layout there is no room for a loop. A terminus at one end is the logical choice there: it only needs width at the entry end for the fan of turnouts. At the other end you put a second terminus, a hidden storage siding or a reversing loop if the shelf is wide enough there. With two termini a train runs back and forth; how to set up such a line is covered in the shuttle line.
A reversing loop at the end of a line is an alternative to a terminus: the train turns without running round, but you need at least a circle of twice the radius plus the track bed width, and on two-rail an auto-reverser. How that works is explained in the reversing loop.
A corner of the room
On an L-shaped layout a terminus often sits in the short leg, with the buffer stops against the wall. The fan of turnouts then points towards the corner, where the line goes round the bend. That keeps the long side free for running.
Platforms and train length
The length of your platform decides how long your trains can be. In both kinds of station the platform road has to hold the whole train. At a terminus you add the locomotive that has to run round, and a little clearance in front of the buffer stop. At a through station the train has to stand clear of the turnouts at both ends, or it blocks the next track. More on the right length for a terminal road is in siding and buffer stop.
In TrackDrawer
The Auto-designer places through stations in a loop ("Station on ...", with a passing loop and a siding, and "Station with two platforms") and hangs sidings on the straight sides. A terminus at the end of a line you draw yourself in the editor; the check immediately reports gaps, collisions and tracks laid too close together. Then you drive a train through your station in 3D to see whether the arrangement works.
Lay out your station in the app, or let the Auto-designer suggest a loop with a station first.
