The Depot at Chicken Flats

The 1:1 scale Chicken Flats Depot aka my art studio and home to the TMMC.

I've spent the last couple of weeks working on a 1:1 scale structure project that should go a long way toward enhancing the presentation of the railroad. Final painting and detailing is now complete on the 16'x16' Chicken Flats Depot, also known as my art studio and home to the On30 Thunder Mesa Mining Co. and the N scale Pagosa & Southern. "Chicken Flats" is the family nickname for our rural one acre property, so when I got the notion to repaint my studio in railroad-y colors I knew that it should harken back to a small Santa Fe depot from the early 20th century. Yes, we do keep a few chickens around.

The tin roofed out-building came with our property when we moved in 10 years ago and I always wanted to do a little more with it. Now that it houses the TMMC, a railroad theme seamed perfect. Of course, now I also have an excuse to lay some 7.5" gauge tracks out front for that ride on backyard railroad I've always dreamed about - but don't tell my wife!

For comparison, here's what the building looked like before work began. Yikes!