A LITTLE HISTORY:

The Rio Grande Southern (RGS) railroad reached the mining town of Rico, Colorado, during the fall of 1891 and the depot was constructed shortly thereafter.  The original structure included the distinctive tower which housed telegraph lines.  Rico was originally intended to be a division point on the railroad, requiring the services of a dispatcher and the issuance of many train orders.  By 1893 the arrangement had proven inefficient and the dispatcher was moved to Ridgway, Colorado, the railroad’s main base of operations.  The upper floor of the depot housed the station agent and his family, which was unfortunate, as in 1936 a fire claimed the life of the agent’s wife and destroyed much of the second floor, including the tower.   Reconstruction of the second floor eliminated the tower and slightly changed the window configuration.  Although passenger trains were discontinued on the RGS in the 1930s, Galloping Goose service remained until 1950 when the US Mail contract was lost to trucking and the depot closed.  The railroad ceased operations in 1951 and the depot is no longer standing.

THE KIT:

The kit can be built either as the early version (incorporating the tower) or the later version, as rebuilt after the fire of 1936.  The rebuilding eliminated the tower as well as the two small windows on the front (second floor), changed the window mullion arrangement, and modified the trim.  The kit includes parts to properly build either version.  Decals correct for both versions are also included.

This kit will take time (60 hours or more) to complete, as well as patience.  With well over 500 parts, assembling the depot is a very involved process requiring close attention to the instructions.  The 44-page instruction book is spiral-bound so it lays flat on your bench, uses large type so it is easily read, and includes 62 photos of the process.  It also includes suggestions for tools and adhesives, as well as how to apply the finish to your model, complete with paint formulas.  Twelve sheets of our prototypically correct peel-and-stick shake shingles are included, as well as a special syringe for applying the recommended adhesive, making for a neat job.  The three castings (two chimneys and the finial) were made to match the prototype's, and are cast resin.  The train order board and RGS roof cresting included in the kit are by Grandt Line.  As with all of our kits, door knobs and lock plates are included.

All of the above photos illustrate the model after adding our Depot Detail Set, DP3007.
Note the "aged" look to the clapboard.

Construction follows our typical approach to complicated structures:  a plywood core is first built on a base, followed by the application of peel-and-stick siding.  Two layers are used for the wainscoting so the corners will conform to the prototype's, using no corner trim.   The clapboard (cut from a special "aged" product by Northeastern Scale Lumber Company) is peel-and-stick, and the subroofing is plywood -- we use NO cardboard in our kits!  Windows and doors are also peel-and-stick plywood.   Both windows and the freight room doors can be mounted in the open position.  As designed, the model's roof is NOT removable when complete, but allowances have been made for adding an interior during construction.  The freight room floor is scribed for additional detail, and pre-cut curtains are included for the 2nd floor windows.  ALL the trim is pre-cut, including the belt rail and the curved fascia for the platform roof.

The photos illustrate the model after adding our Depot Detail Set, DP3007, not included in the kit.  The set contains eighty (80) details from five different manufacturers, and can be used on any HO depot.  The price of the set is $45.  The parts require some assembly and painting.

   

If you're still wondering why the kit is so costly, please consider that each has more than 500 laser-cut parts using the best materials available, includes 12 pages of our special, peel-and-stick shake shingles, requires more than 90-minutes of actual laser time to cut, and includes a highly detailed instruction manual.  You will proudly display and prize the finished model.