NP 2-Story Standard Plan
Depot, Class C or 3rd Class: When the NP was constructed
many passing sidings were remote or nearby towns were very small, so the
railroad provided quarters for operators and station agents. In 1889-90, J. W.
McKendrick, the NP’s Chief Engineer, issued an extensive set of standard plans
which included a two-story depot with living quarters upstairs. Depot plans
were divided into classes designated by number or letter. Depots designated 1st,
2nd, 3rd or 4th Class were constructed with an elevated freight platform because
the house track behind the depot was built at approximately the same elevation
as the main line. Class A, B, C, and D depots were built with the house track
lowered approximately 3.5 feet so that the freight platform was on the same
level as the passenger platform. The Classes 1 and A were built at the largest
towns, while Classes 4 and C were built where the local service was slight.
The NPRHA Modeling Committee has produced a laser-cut wood
kit which can be completed as either a 3rd Class or a Class C depot. These
depots were built at many stations from North Dakota to the shores of the
Pacific with many surviving into the merger era. These kits come with all
required wood parts, cast resin chimneys and assembly instructions and exploded
drawings on a CD.
