South Park / C&S 18x24 Depots -- Keith's 3-D Parts for Same

[Jim Courtney]

Narrow gauge structures can be quite large in S scale, even larger in O scale.  The C&S had a number of relatively small depots east of Kenosha Pass that were 24 feet long and 18 feet wide, perfect for those of us modeling in larger scales.

Going through the station list in Poor's Denver, South Park & Pacific Railroad, I found 4 such depots:


Fort Logan, Morrison Branch, MP 8.65.





This depot was on the Morrison branch, just outside of Denver, first stop past Sheridan Junction.  The little depot has two doors with transoms, one for the office and one for the waiting room. It has no freight door.  It has the feel of a suburban commuter depot -- I guess that's what it truely was.


Dome Rock, MP 31.3




The depot is the "Frame Bldg." just below the letter "C" of Colorado.  It dates to the original construction of the South Park:


http://cdm16079.contentdm.oclc.org/cdm/singleitem/collection/p15330coll21/id/7116/rec/17


When originally constructed the depot was painted a solid white or very light grey.  The door to the right is identical to the doors on the front of the Fort Logan structure.  The window and door frames with fancy wood work above are distinctive. Note the end window, off set to the left of the end, just as on the Fort Logan structure.


http://cdm16079.contentdm.oclc.org/cdm/singleitem/collection/p15330coll22/id/31094/rec/27


By the 1890s during the UP - DL&G era the depot was painted a solid red color, and had acquired a lean-to addition on the back, as well as a lean-to shed behind that. Note the woman at the right end of the shed for scale. Someone has invested in a lot of white picket fence.


http://cdm16079.contentdm.oclc.org/cdm/singleitem/collection/p15330coll22/id/5628/rec/19



Toward the end of the first decade, the depot was painted in the light grey and green scheme,  Note that there is a freight door on the left end of the side facing the track.  The doors don't seem to slide, rather are hinged to open inward (note the door knob). By this date, the depot was no longer an "open" depot, no train order board present. It may have been leased to a private individual, along with the "picnic grounds" west of the water tank, as noted on the map.


Estabrook, MP 51.6




Estabrook was at the west end of Estabrook canon. The depot there was identical to Dome Rock and a kissing cousin to Fort Logan.



In the Klingers' Platte Canon Memories . . .

In the DL&G days of the late 1890s, the little depot was painted in the solid UP red scheme, and the train order board indicates it is still an open depot at this time. Note the three doors on the track facing side and the offset single end window. No way to tell if the rear lean-to addition (as indicated on the map) is present at this date.



Park County Historic Society

By the late first decade era, the lean-to addition was certainly present. The freight house end of the depot has the same end window off-set to the left, as well as a small square window. The depot building is not in active use, other than a flag stop, and appears to function as the post office for the little hamlet.


Slaughts (later Altruria), MP 58.9


This station was just west of the big ice harvesting works of Maddox, and just down grade from Shawnee, with its rustic depot. I've never seen a photo of a depot here. And none appears on the 1906 Employee's Timetable.

-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Mike Blazek lists plans available for both the Dome Rock and Estabrook depots.  I've ordered both.

I've a hankering to build one of these small depots, so at my request, Keith reduced his 1:20.3 printed doors, windows and eave brackets to 1:64 scale. My package from Shapeways arrived today. I soaked the parts in acetone then primed them with Tamaya fine white surface primer (the windows are coming in a few days, after a technical glitch was corrected by Keith).


(I will try to take a better photo than this!)

I'm quite pleased with the parts: The bevel on the members of the eave brackets is easily seen. The fancy door trim with the pediment (right word?) above the transom windows rendered well and the decorative scroll work is barely visible. The door panels are well rendered as well.

Since, both Dome Rock and Estabrook both had depot dogs, I picked up a pair of Labradors in 1:64 scale. One will be black, the other a yellow Lab.

I still need to get out my loops and clean up the irregular lower edge of the drip strip, the transom window top and the door frame. I assume these are artifacts of the printing process.

Now (ahem) Keith, I'm going to need a matching baggage door. The width of the baggage door, inside the door frame, appears to be 150% the width of the paneled doors. (Note the three transom window panes on the baggage door vs two window panes in the tansom of the panel doors, in the Estabrook photos).  The doors themselves seem to be solid, possibly sheathed with vertical sheathing--what do ya'll think?

What say you Keith--up for one more door??

[Keith Hayes]

Jim, thank you for the nice post and excellent photos. Perhaps Mister Shapekahm will follow your lead?

I am delighted the scroll rendered at 1:64: I have been particularly concerned by this.

Regarding the freight doors, if you can please provide a clear elevation, a sketch, and, or some dimensions, I am happy to give it a shot. I may also consider some supplemental windows for sheds/ additions.

[Jim Courtney]

Keith,

Judging from the last Estabrook photo, the baggage door height is identical to the panel doors.

Using the same CAD drawings for panel doors, could you just widen the door between the frames to 1.5 times the width of the panel doors?

The vertical measures (height to bottom of upper door frame, transom window height, height to peak of pediment, etc) would be the same. The upper pediment would be spread wider, with slightly shallower angles of the drip strips to reflect the increased width. The same scroll work would be centered in the new, wider pediment.

Instead of paneled doors, perhaps vertical sheathing, say 0.050" spaced grooves, with a more distinct vertical center-line to reflect where the two individual doors either slid together to close or, if hinged, closed from the inside of the frame.

The decorative scroll work just barely renders, I don't know if there is any way to accentuate this detail.

I, too, would love to see John's depot, even if still under construction.