Not shown, but if you go west on 13th Street and cross the tracks you would find the Frisco section house. It was removed around 1964. My house was on the corner of Rockwood Avenue and 13th Street.
I am modelling this depot and need some educated opinions on something. I have looked through a lot of the Frisco depot floor plans looking for depots with that little kick-out agent operator bay window feature on both sides of the building. Usually it is just track-side, but this little depot has one on the opposite side as well. A rare photograph finally became available which shows the gabled roof for the track-side. My questions are outlined below. Given that the opposite side is not symmetrical, would it have had a gabled roof as well? Did symmetry really matter in those days? As pictured on the right at different depot, would it have been just the regular roof covering it? Any speculation on its purpose? Ticket counter with walk up access? Thanks for any input! Mike
I cannot help you with the questions you asked But that sure is a neat picture of the Mounds, OK depot you posted!
Mike, Looking at the 1923 Sanborn map. I would speculate that perhaps there could have been some sort of track to the east of the depot. The bay projection for the ticket office on this side might have been for better visibility for the agent in the depot. It looks like there would have been room for a track on this side. Based on other locations, there would be precedent for a team track on the other side of the depot, or even a siding for the Mounds Gin Co. a block south. Mere speculation on my part, though. I do not have the foggiest about how the roof would have looked in this original configuration. Best Regards,
Chris, I think you might be right about that. Eventually I found another depot that was similarly configured, although the building was symmetrical at Boynton, OK. There is a picture of it that shows a boxcar on the opposite side so I am pretty satisfied with that explanation. For the aesthetics, I am going to go forward with a gabled roof on the mystery side. The more I research these the more that makes sense. I will also be doing a later version of this depot as pictured in the floor plan above, where the freight section was shortened from the original build. The original structure is what was photographed. By the way, the picture was discovered on Mike Condren's site. Thanks for taking a look, and if anyone else has theories I would love to hear them! Mike
I would think that it had a gable on both sides. It would be much more visually appealing and balanced. I think many of those old Frisco depots had real class. Be sure to post progress photographs of your build when the time comes.
