Roadbed profile for passenger terminal - Model Railroader Magazine

American low-level platforms are at or just above railhead height, so the entire area should be level. There should also be level areas at ballast height beyond the platforms if any switching of any kind is to be done, including hand-throwing of turnouts (as done by scale-size railroaders, even if the Tortoise under the roadbed is actually controlled from elsewhere.)

Through passenger terminals were usually aligned for running through at speed. The great named trains of the past blasted right through innumerable intermediate stations, some of which were major terminals for local and intermediate traffic.