The thunder of passenger trains and freight trains of all classes and descriptions once reminded communities that the railroads were the lifeblood of a town. The action occurred at the depot where any journey locally or long distance began. The depot was also the place where the products manufactured or harvested by a community went to market. The depot was the communications center for the town as well and if you passed the depot late at night, the sight of the agent-operator pounding out messages on his shining brass telegraph key, beneath the light overhead encased by a green glass shade, was a reminder that the depot was a place service never slept.

The depot was once literally, the stage for everyday life to unfold – to educate, to illuminate and to encourage a visitor to contemplate the world beyond the local community and many instances, inspire individuals to move to higher levels of achievement. As such, the railroad depot served as the front door to a railroad’s services, both passenger and freight – since shippers often selected a specific railroad, beyond rates, in part by the convenience and ambiance of its passenger services.

Railroads responded to that need by creating many memorable stations for passenger services, some with matching freight stations nearby. A certain hierarchy in depot planning occurred since most railroads adapted “standard plans” for depots, generically classed as first class, second class and third class. But when a community’s traffic was significant, railroads would employ competent and sometimes notable architects to prepare multiple designs for consideration before the final station design was selected.

Depot design was less strategic and generally more casual to the west of Chicago, but in the east, many notable communities of substance were built with the railroad as the centerpiece of town. When that occurred, maintenance of way workers kept the ballast neatly edged and maintained expansive lawns and gardens at signature depots. Communities that notably fit that description were located along both the Pennsylvania Railroad and Reading Railroad commuter zones that radiated from the center of Philadelphia, along the Reading Railroad’s seashore lines between West Collingswood and Haddon Heights, NJ, wayside on the PRR between Baltimore and Parkton, MD, along the rolling hills of the Boston & Albany west of Boston and other New York Central routes. The Baltimore & Ohio was another carrier that invested in station construction and its Philadelphia Division was once noted for the depot designs by Frank Furness, whose eclectic assortment of random shapes and styles created structures of intrigue and fantasy combined.

Western depot design was influenced by the commanding southwest culture where various variations of Mission architecture graced the stations of the Santa Fe, Southern Pacific and Union Pacific. The rugged, rural stations of the old west are also deeply imbedded in our National culture and still inspire an interest in history. Western carriers were among the last railroads to invest in late 1930s and postwar station designs – construction inspired by the continued popularity of those gleaming and futuristic streamlined trains that remained popular well into the 1960s. Stations created in that era fully showcased new era design displaying a low, angular profile and generous placements of large plate glass windows. Interior ticket offices were frequently accented by stainless-steel panels around the ticket counters that underscored the images of the new coaches and sleepers of similar construction built by the Budd Company. Los Angeles Union Station of 1939 – Mission architecture employed to its fullest advantage – is regarded of the last “big city” depot constructed in those golden years – and it remains a cultural gem in that city.

To continue your journey about depots please see:

https://www.modeltrainstuff.com/industry-spotlight/passenger-station/

We recall that history to inspire model railroaders to take a second look at the existing depot arrangements on your own railroad and consider upgrading or expanding those facilities. Your guests, just like passengers and shippers of years gone by, will appreciate that added interest and marvel at your creativity. We offer a wide assortment of station structures as well as building materials for scratch builders, all at competitive prices. We thank you in advance for your interest and remain appreciative of your continuing patronage.

Frank Wrabel

Modeltrainstuff.com