Well, I've got to post my favorite depot, in North Conway New Hampshire. It used to be the end of the Dover branch of the Boston & Maine RR, and my uncle worked there for several years when I was around 10 years old. My brother & I would spend a week or two each summer up there, and got to ride in locomotives (diesel, alas) and cabooses in the morning, and fish in the afternoon. I got to turn engines on the turntable as well. When the depot was built, the RR was promoting tourism to the area, so it was made as a show place.

It's now the headquarters of the Conway Scenic RR.

Then, just for kicks, there's this image on a tourism site. Can you say "Photoshop"? Not only have they 'popped' the colors, and perhaps stretched the station, but take my word for it, you can't see Mt. Washington from there. Not only are too many other mountains in the way, but in that picture you're looking basically west, and Mt. Washington is NNW from there.

Here is a restored Depot in Winona, MN that is still in use as a train depot.

Here is an old photo postcard of the Omaha Depot in Eau claire, WI from 1908. The depot was raised in the 1960's to make a parking lot for a local bakery. Now the bakery is no longer in business.

This is a former Northern Pacific Railway depot in Helena, Mt. It is still in use by the Montana Rail Link. I see it even has a clock...
This a view from the Southwest.

#2 view is from the West..

This is the Garrison,Mt. depot. It is different than most Northern Pacific depots because it was made of brick. It is also used by Montana Rail Link.

This one is a Northern Pacific depot in Deer Lodge, Mt. It was used and owned by Burlington Northern when this photo was taken in the 70s. Now it is used for something else.

This is an old Milwaukee depot in Deer Lodge, Mt. I believe its being used for a church at this time.

Here is the Golden, BC depot in 2005.

Great pics of old/restored train depots.

Got an idea. Let's see if you can post a train depot for your home state. So far, we have representation of:

Alabama
Iowa
Kansas
Michigan
Minnesota
Montana
Nebraska
New Hampshire
Oregon
Texas
Utah
Wisconsin
Canada

I've been meaning to post this for a while. Near where I live is Roanoke, VA which was the home of the Norfolk and Western railway. Roanoke was founded by the railway more or less and still has a railroad presence in the Norfolk Southern which bought the N&WRy yards. Anyway, Raymond Lowey, the famous industrial designer, designed the station there. It now houses the O. Winston Link museum. Link is famous for his photography of the N&WRy during the 50's when it was one of the last railroads to still run steam engines. I've stuck a picture of it below. A link to the museum is below as well.


Link Museum

Now that you all have seen some pretty classy depots, I'll post a few that are not. But they were depots at one time just the same. The photos have been scanned and are not so good.!!

This one should be the Deer Lodge, Mt. It is not at this location any more. It was built by the Northern Pacific Railroad

# 2 is the Milwaukee Road depot in Deer Lodge, Mt. It is in better repair now and is being used as a church I believe.

# 3 is at Garrison, Mt. and was built by the Northern Pacific Railroad.

# 4 is at Golden, BC Canada.

# 5 is a Northern Pacific depot in Billings, Mt. and it has been restored and looks much better than this photo.

My gosh, after I posted some depot photos, I discovered that I had already posted them already. It must be bed time.....
The Billings, Mt. one is a new one.

Northern Pacific Depot Livingston Montana

East Glacier Station on the old Great Northern Amtrak's Empire Builder still stops here twice a day

Milwaukee Roads (Chicago Milwaukee St. Paul and Pacific) station at Missoula Montana on the south side of the city the Northern Pacific Station was on Northside, this was part of their electrified route from Harlowtown, Montana to Avery, Idah the abandon right of way has now been made into a bicycle pathway.

Although not a railroad depot the Isaak Walton Inn at Essex Montana served as a bunkhouse for train crews. It is now a popular tourist hotel with cabooses situated above trackside where you can stay the night and watch all the traffic on the Burlington Northern.

Larry,
Great shots of some really cool train depots. My favorite is that East Glacier Station. Thanks for showing these!

You have really been getting around Montana, Larry. Nice pictures.! You must not have stopped at Essex, Mt. or you went over the Sun Highway and missed it. Next time....
Neat building there also!
Thanks

Hello Bill:

I have been over the "Going to the Sun" Road, and must have missed Essex but remember seeing an old station board, probably at Izaak Walton Inn. Here is a picture of the Union Pacific's station that was built in 1924 in Ogden, Utah. The lady in the picture is my dear wife Anita we are on our honeymoon 20 years ago.

Hi Larry,
My error.....!!
That was Essex with the Izaak Walton Hotel. It gets lots of action in the winter by people who enjoy snow.
I thought it was the Whitefish Depot when I looked at. They are fairly similar and I didn't look close enough.
Bill

In my hometown of El Cajon, this is what we had aboit 120 years ago. Oddly later when Pacific Southwest opens their line to Phoenix, it seems the El Cajon Station was closed and two others were opened nearby in Lakeside and La Mesa. This was loooonnnnggg before the local Hispanics and Indian/Hispanic "breeds" were considered "illegal aliens", but of course we had just stolen their land.

Larry,
Love the pic and especially that you were honeymooning and snapped it at the time!

Hi Dave,
Great postcard there. Glad you were able to acquire one from your home time!

I've not seen any old train depots from yesteryear of late. Has anyone else?

This is a link to a group that has a lot of information on various Michigan stations. This information is organized by county.

RRHX Station Menu by County

Here is one is the Northern Pacific Station at Missoula, Montana. I took this picture October 1997. At that time, the building had been converted to a microbrewery, called the "Ironhorse Brewery"

This is the abandoned station at Yoho, British Columbia. It is located in an isolated area halfway between Field, British Columbia and the B.C. Alberta border. I took this picture in the winter of 1979. No global warming back then!

In April 1980 I took this picture of CPR's South Edmonton station, after making a trip from Calgary, Alberta, a distance of about 192 miles. I left Calgary at 8:30 a.m. and arrived in Edmonton at 12 a.m.. That is my overnight bag on the platform, this was a Saturday and I would lay over in South Edmonton on until Sunday afternoon. Edmonton is Alberta's capital city, so there was plenty to do and see while I was there. The motive power, is a RDC (Rail Diesel Car), built by the Budd Company of Philadelphia, these trains powered by two diesel engines could easily accelerate to over 100 mph, there is a baggage compartment on the head end with the passengers seated behind. The engineer would place a wedge of wood into the door accessing the baggage compartment to keep it open in case an accident was imminent, which unfortunately happened too many times, until the train was discontinued in the late 1980s

Hi Larry,
Love your pics of old train depots, and the history you provide as well. I like the fact that you took these shots so many years ago. Thanks for sharing.

Others who may want to share their pics of old train depots? Feel free to!