The Ripon Area Model Railroad Club layout has a long straight stretch of open prairie on its upper deck, about 25 feet long and 15 inches deep. The layout's "location" is strictly freelanced, but John Stein, a long-time member named the prairie section "Nebraska." There is a long passing siding there, and I thought Nebraska begged for a small country depot. I decided to name it "Nebraska Station," as "Omaha" would have been too much selective compression.
The model is scratch built, mostly of paper and card. I used clapboard and shingle papers from Clever Models, laminated to 0.5mm card (cereal box) with balsa wood inside bracing. Windows and doors came from my digital parts box. I drew the freight doors in Photoshop. The bench is scratch built. The two figures are from Preiser, and other details come from Fine Scale Miniatures, and Tychy Train Group. The posts and scratch-built stairs and railings are Midwest dimensional lumber, and lighting is with LEDs from Evan Designs. I adapted the plans from Detail Associates' "Foothill Station" kit, which I built and sold long ago. The kit can be found occasionally on Ebay and at swap meets
I had to cut out some foam scenery to set the station on a hillside. I'm happy with the results.I was going to put some flats behind it to suggest civilization, but there's only about an inch between the rear platform and the wall. I might install some scaled-down flats to suggest a town just over the rise.
Based on suggestions from some fellow modelers, I have dropped my plan to put storefront flats behind the station. There is only about an inch between the station and the wall, and the consensus is that flats would clutter up the scene and draw attention away from the station.
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