I am honored that Mr. Scratch-B-Rules agreed to scratch build me a railroad depot for my layout. I would also like to thank the folks at Trains.com for providing the forums that have allowed this endeavor to take place. The Prototype station existed in the town of Premont, Texas at the turn of the 19th/20th Century. Few clear photographs actually exist of the station and, because of this fact, the station for the town of Micaela would have to be build “in the spirit” of the Premont Station.
The photograph on the left is one picture of the depot that was easy to find on the Internet, however it only gives minor help. I originally constructed an N scale depot “mock-up” from a picture taken in 1908 by Mr. Martin Martens from atop a waterpower that existed in those days. Sadly, due to the rules of local archives, scanning said document was impossible.
Back in 1998 I made a rough sketch of that depot and a nearby warehouse (a possible future project) and built two balsawood N scale mockups for a scratch built N Scale display.
The N scale project died for lack of interest, as well as skill. The mock-up depot remained on a shelf to be forgotten for numerous years. That was until I found a website where some mention was made that the “Coastal Express” trains sets and that they ran on G scale track.
Like a bolt from some railroad heaven above, I caught the G scale bug. I had joined Trains.com some time back where I made some inquiry about modeling the Texas-Mexican Railroad in N or HO scale. These inexpensive sets intrigued me. I was really considering kit bashing one to be more realistic. I was going to paint it black and, get this, as a friend of mine to help me make the track out of “ceramic clay.” Since the “Coastal Express” was battery powered, I felt that I could get away with making the track out of ceramic earthenware clay.
This idea dwindled, I had begun making a Chess set out of the ceramic cay and I will experiment with making sidewalks and other outdoors infrastructures.
I began to make more and more inquiries about G scale and resolved to educate myself in all things Large Scale. Mr. Vic Smith convinced me that I should “give in” and spring for a Bachmann set, so I did. Soon I was spending a lot of time a Trains.com.
In one of the discussions, I came in contact with a Mr. Scratch-B-Rules who said he would be willing to build me the station if I sent him photos, plans et al. I send him the only things I could. I climb the shelf of my washroom and produced the old mock-up and blew the dust from it as an archeologist blowing dust from Tut’s Tomb. I decided to take various photographs from various angles of the mock-up.
This began one of the most productive e-mail correspondence I have even been involved. We began to actually produce plans! First he sent me the concept drawing to the left. Then I send him a full page basic diagram using my limited skills.
The next day I took ideas from his and mine and actually took my time to made two final concept drawings. I am confident that Mr. Scratch-B-Rules will provide his personal ideas to construct a unique structure that will be more a work of art that will bring a new sort of ubiquitous Railroading to my soon to be built garden railway.
I am pleased to announce that construction is well under way of the “Micaela Depot.” As stated in the previous section, it is based on a station that existed in the South Texas Town on Premont, Texas. Al, Mr. Scratch-B-Rules, has done an excellent job and pictures of his endeavors are posted below.
Here the platform is being constructed.
The backside of the station, well built!
The roofing shingles are in place.
