1889 DEPOT Arriving full circle back to the railroad on this historic walk, here is the 1889 Depot. It served as the location for people arriving and leaving in Flagstaff via train for around 27 years. The railroad initially kept three boxcars as a depot not far from this spot, and later replaced it with a wooden building. That structure was lost in the February 1886 fire that burned down most of New Town. The Atlantic and Pacific Railroad later established this stone building to welcome disembarking passengers. Much like the Babbitt Building, the colorful Moenkopi Sandstone was utilized in this simple, one-story construction. Today, it serves as offices for the Burlington Northern Santa Fe Railway. A short walking distance east of the depot, the train engine Two Spot is also kept as a reminder of Flagstaff’s past. It’s a Baldwin 2-5-0 locomotive that gained its nickname from the water bags that hung below its engineer windows. The bags steadily wore off paint, leaving a spot where the 5 was next to the 2. The Arizona Lumber and Timber Company bought the locomotive in 1917, and it remained in Flagstaff its entire working life. When returning to the Visitors Center to complete the route, consider the role of the railroad in this important hub city of the American Southwest and how it led to early establishment of this mountain town.
1889 DEPOT Arriving full circle back to the railroad on this historic walk, here is the 1889 Depot. It served as the location for people arriving and leaving in Flagstaff via train for around 27 years. The railroad initially kept three boxcars as a depot not far from this spot, and later replaced it with a wooden building. That structure was lost in the February 1886 fire that burned down most of New Town. The Atlantic and Pacific Railroad later established this stone building to welcome disembarking passengers. Much like the Babbitt Building, the colorful Moenkopi Sandstone was utilized in this simple, one-story construction. Today, it serves as offices for the Burlington Northern Santa Fe Railway. A short walking distance east of the depot, the train engine Two Spot is also kept as a reminder of Flagstaff’s past. It’s a Baldwin 2-5-0 locomotive that gained its nickname from the water bags that hung below its engineer windows. The bags steadily wore off paint, leaving a spot where the 5 was next to the 2. The Arizona Lumber and Timber Company bought the locomotive in 1917, and it remained in Flagstaff its entire working life. When returning to the Visitors Center to complete the route, consider the role of the railroad in this important hub city of the American Southwest and how it led to early establishment of this mountain town.