The model 0420 Wiscassett, Watervilee, & Farmington Transfer Depot is modeled after the depot that stood at Pritchard's Junction near Wiscassett, Maine. At this junction, passengers and freight were transferred from the two-foot narrow gauge line of the WW&F Ry to the standard gauge line of the Maine Central Railroad.

   The WW&F Ry originally started as the Wiscassett and Quebec Railway in 1894 along the harborfront land. Since the standard gauge line had control of all the available land, there was little room left for a depot near the standard gauge lines depot! Therefore, the tiny narrow gauge line had to settle for a small depot further down the line.  As such, the original depot was nothing more than a covered waiting platform .  Over time, the end of the platform was enclosed so as to protect the station agent and passengers in bad weather.  This produces a very long narrow structure with quite a bit of character!

 

   In the garden railroad, this depot provides the owner with an excellent opportunity of modeling a narrow gauge railroad with an interface to a standard gauge railroad! One can place the depot along side your narrow gauge track, then place some non-functioning standard gauge rails on the other side leading off to a tunnel, or disappearing around a bend.  Standard gauge track in 1:20.3 is now available, or can be hand laid by the owner.  To further enhance the scene, one could spot a standard gauge boxcar on the other side of the depot to highlight to visitors the difference in narrow and standard gauge!

 

   The depot  is a strong structure that is mounted on a dark gray PVC base to protect it from ground moisture and provide a sturdy means of attaching extra detail. This structure features a centered door on the front of the depot, and one on the end start exits to the covered platform. A single window is centered on the opposite end, with three windows on the back!

   The walls of the depot are built from individually milled redwood strips, glued together with waterproof glue, to form the board and batten siding. The siding is secured to an interior wall to form a structurally sound wall. For more support, all of the internal corners and bases of the walls have 3/8" x 3/8" redwood members to reinforce the structure. All surfaces inside and out (except those between the depot and the PVC) are double stained to seal the surface from moisture.  The depot can also be obtained with tarpaper, metal, or cedar shingle roofing. It can be obtained in our standard colors (link to Color Selection), or it can be obtained as raw redwood.