Last Stop!

Train depots are nearly a thing of the past. Go back in history, though, and you'll find they were the hubs of community activity. And we're not talking about just old Westerns and episodes of Bonanza. Real-life places like Flagstaff, Prescott, Wickenburg and Patagonia all had depots that served as portals to and from the rest of the world.Back then, depots were exciting and mysterious places filled with the sounds of little brass devices clicking out messages to be decoded by men wearing gold watches attached to gold chains tucked into the pockets of their navy blue vests.

At a depot, strangers from faraway places once peered through the windows of the Sunset Limited, while the locomotives steamed and belched and filled their iron bellies with coal and water. Of course, the passengers inside the cars never looked directly at the people on the platform. Rather, they cast indifferent glances, as though they were royalty surveying their subjects.

Then, as the train pulled out with a snort and a whistle blast, the locals were left to wonder if someone famous had just studied them through the window of the passenger train.

During the heyday of train travel, depots had ambience: the telegraph clicking messages that only the chosen few could decipher; the aroma of the special oil that kept the hardwood floors shiny; the wooden benches with armrests strategically placed to discourage full-length depot napping. These days, much of that is gone.

And, in many instances, the depots themselves are gone. Years ago, there were almost 60 train stations in Arizona. Now, fewer than 40 remain, and only a couple of them function in their original roles. Many depots were torn down when passenger trains stopped serving their towns. Some historic depots were moved and recycled. Some were left in their original locations and reborn as office space. But most were abandoned and left to await uncertain fates the ravages of bulldoz ers, developers or time. A few Arizona depots fit into each of those categories.

The city's original depot was composed of an old boxcar. Construction on the new station was started in 1925 by the Atchison, Topeka and Santa Fe Railway. It was repainted in 2002, and now wears its original colors of green and gray.

Those who ride the railway to the Canyon are taking part in a rare depot doubleheader, because they exit the train at another historic station. The Grand Canyon depot, built in 1910, is a two-story log structure, one of just three of its kind in the nation, and the only one still in use. The depot's original plans were referenced during a restoration project completed in 2003.museum, or the old steam locomotive outside.

At the southern end of the state, the former Douglas depot, a magnificent old building, looks like it belongs in Europe, perhaps as a villa in Tuscany or on an estate in the English countryside. Instead, it serves as the city's police station. The building stands in its original location, but the tracks have been removed.

Built in 1914, the depot was abandoned When rail service to Douglas ended, then sat vacant for several years before undergoing a major restoration and conversion. Inmates from a nearby prison provided the labor. Although the interior no longer resembles a railroad depot, it's worth a visit to look at the high stained-glass ceiling.

The old depot in Wickenburg was saved by the locals, and now serves the community in another role. The depot was built in 1895, but was scheduled for demolition until the citizenry raised $80,000 to acquire and restore it. Now it houses the Wickenburg Chamber of Commerce and a visitors center that averages 35,000 visitors a year. The loading dock had to be removed for safety reasons, but the wood was salvaged and turned into a large conference table for the chamber office.

The railroad arrived in Prescott in 1886, but it took another 21 years before the city got a depot. The wait was worth it, though, because the train station is a classic example of Southwestern architecture. It was built in 1907 by the Santa Fe, Prescott and Phoenix Railroad, also known as “The Peavine,” because of the way the tracks twisted and turned through the mountains.

The building, a Mission Revival-style structure with a poured concrete barrel roof, was last used for railroad purposes in 1988. Later, it was home to a small shopping arcade, and now it's an office complex.

A more fitting destiny befell the former Southern Pacific/Union Pacific depot in Tucson. Part of it has been converted into a railroad museum, while anothersection sells passenger train tickets.

The railroad came to Tucson in 1880, but the depot, also a Mission Revival-style structure, wasn't finished until 1907. The building was enlarged in 1941, then put up for sale in 1993. Five years later, the city paid $2.1 million for the property, which now houses the Southern Arizona Transportation Museum, Amtrak offices and a restaurant.

In Phoenix, there's hope that a similar fate awaits the city's grand old Union Station. Built in 1923 by the Arizona Eastern Railroad, it's one of the finest examples of Mission Revival architecture in the Valley of the Sun. During its golden era, an average of 18 passenger trains stopped at the depot daily, serving more than 100,000 riders a year.

However, in 1995, passenger service was discontinued - just 21,495 people used it that year. Grandiose visions of converting the depot into art galleries, boutiques or restaurants have never materialized, and now it's owned by a telecommunications company and is surrounded by a chain-link fence topped with razor wire. There's hope, however. The downtown area where the building sits is undergoing major redevelopment, and the city and the current owners have held initial talks aimed at possible restoration. Time will tell.

On a smaller scale is the Skull Valley Museum, housed in a little red depot that was originally located in Cherry Creek, but was moved to Skull Valley in 1926. Passenger service was discontinued in 1962, and the Santa Fe Railroad donated the depot to the Skull Valley Historical Society in 1970.

Inside, the musty smell of old wood permeates railroad artifacts, faded newspaper clippings and photographs of stiffly posed people wearing their Sunday best. Some of the walls still bear graffiti from as long ago as 1911. The museum is open only occasionally, but those who stop at the nearby Skull Valley General Store can usually find someone who has a key.

In Patagonia and Willcox, civic involve-ment in depot matters was elevated to the highest level. The old train station in Patagonia is now the town hall, and Willcox City Hall resides in a renovated depot. The Southern Pacific Railroad built the Patagonia depot around 1905, and it served as a passenger facility until the early 1960s. The town acquired it, refurbished it, and brought it up to federal standards in order to use federal grant funds. The exterior still looks like a depot, but the interior looks like town offices. Depot fans who want to see it for themselves must visit during office hours - 8 a.m. to noon on weekdays. In a scenario befitting the Old West, the citizens of Willcox rode to the rescue of their beloved depot, built by the Southern Pacific in 1880 or 1881, and now the only remaining original redwood framed station in Arizona. The depot was threatened with demolition when passenger service ended, but, after a public outcry, the railroad sold it to the city for $1, with the stipulation that it be moved to allow for the addition of new tracks. Using donations and grants, the city got the job done. Most of the interior is used for city business, but the lobby is now a miniment in depot matters was elevated to the highest level. The old train station in Patagonia is now the town hall, and Willcox City Hall resides in a renovated depot. The Southern Pacific Railroad built the Patagonia depot around 1905, and it served as a passenger facility until the early 1960s. The town acquired it, refurbished it, and brought it up to federal standards in order to use federal grant funds. The exterior still looks like a depot, but the interior looks like town offices. Depot fans who want to see it for themselves must visit during office hours - 8 a.m. to noon on weekdays. In a scenario befitting the Old West, the citizens of Willcox rode to the rescue of their beloved depot, built by the Southern Pacific in 1880 or 1881, and now the only remaining original redwood framed station in Arizona. The depot was threatened with demolition when passenger service ended, but, after a public outcry, the railroad sold it to the city for $1, with the stipulation that it be moved to allow for the addition of new tracks. Using donations and grants, the city got the job done. Most of the interior is used for city business, but the lobby is now a mini-

museum where a short historical video narrated by the late Rex Allen, a cowboy movie star and Willcox native, runs continuously. In several cases, old depots serve new purposes. The 1901 model in Clifton is a visitors center. In Tempe, there's one in use as a Mexican restaurant. In Holbrook, the depot is being converted into a museum. The old Aguila depot sits in Scottsdale's McCormickStillman Railroad Park. The Drake depot was moved to Prescott and took on new life as a gift shop. And the former depot in Red Rock is now somebody's home. As many as 100 trains still pass some of the old depots every day, but only the Amtraks stop-and not very often. Indeed, the days of passenger train travel are gone. The fragrance of oiled hardwood floors and belching steam engines have drifted into the past, and yesteryear's clicking telegraphs have quieted. But, a few of the old depots still survive - in one form or another. All