Hi Bryan, thanks for the complement... I think. Honest, it started with a SketchUp model. The following are a few of the fun facts about the model(s):
Florin Station is a modest combination passenger / freight station serving a small town. It's wood frame construction on a masonry knee wall and features a waiting room (on the left), a ticket office, and a freight room.
![Model section Model section](/uploads/imported_attachments/dRk0_Florinsection.png)
The station was served by a pair of tracks (east and west bound) with a safety fence between that I modeled from the grainy image I found. I've assumed there must have been some sort of shelter on the far side of the track so I've included a standard PRR passenger shelter, but its existence and appearance are a guess.
![Florin Station model Florin Station model](/uploads/imported_attachments/Pfxp_florianstnextended.png)
In order to achieve the long views common with rail road images I constructed the following site. It's 2 miles (3218 M) across. The model track shown in the images is 3,520 feet (1072 M) long and still, in some images you can clearly see the end.
![Whole site Whole site](/uploads/imported_attachments/IQsa_floriansite.png)
Typically, with these models I add (and reuse) items to give scale and color. With this project some of the elements added include: A new style telegraph pole, a penny scale (you weight for a penny), a baggage scale and a light standard for the platforms. You'll see them again.
![Stuff Stuff](/uploads/imported_attachments/lDGu_ENTOURAGE.png)
So it really was a sketch up model... honest.
Jim