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Years
The 1895-vintage Peoria Depot was acquired, and moved to the park on March 22, 1972, just as it was about to be demolished by its owner, the Santa Fe Railroad. It had been a station along the route of the Santa Fe, Prescott and Phoenix Railway, which was nicknamed the “Peavine.” The Atchison, Topeka and Santa Fe Railway Company closed the Peoria Station effective August 4, 1969, then transferring operations to the depot in Glendale, Arizona. E.V. O’Malley donated materials to restore the station after it was moved to the railroad park.48 Over the years at the park, the building has been used as a model train ‘knick knack’ and repair shop called Gerry’s Trains & Tools (run by Jerry Klei), and as a railroad museum.
DATE: March 22, 1972The Santa Fe Railroad built a depot in Wendon, Arizona for the Arizona and California Railway. The depot was moved to Congress, Arizona in 1936, and finally to Aguila, Arizona (approximately in 1964). The depot also housed Aguila’s telegraph office. The Atchison, Topeka, and Santa Fe Railway company had closed the Aguila Depot effective August 4, 1969; in 1977 it was purchased by the Scottsdale Railroad and Mechanical Society and moved by truck to the railroad park.
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This 1894 Peoria Depot was acquired in March of 1972, just as it was about to be demolished by its owner, the Santa Fe Railroad. It had a been a station along the route of the Santa Fe, Prescott, and Phoenix Railway, which was nicknamed the “Peavine.” The Atchison, Topeka, and SantaFe Railway Company closed the Peoria Station effective August 4, 1969, then transferred operations to the depot in Glendale, AZ. E.V. O’Malley donated materials to restore the station after it was moved to the railroad park. Prior to it being the Scottsdale Railroad Museum entrance, it served as Bill’s Trains and Tools shop and also Roy’s Train World.
Prior to being moved to Park (above).
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Paradise and Pacific’s Engine No. 12 makes it official!
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On November 10, Hartley’s General Store was dedicated to its generous benefactors, Ruth and Hartley Barker (whose funds were matched by the Scottsdale Railroad and Mechanical Society to make the general store a reality). Hartley’s General Store was an interior reconfiguration of the historic Aguila, Arizona train depot 146 and featured hand-dipped ice cream, gourmet coffees, other food items and a gift shop offering a variety of railroad souvenirs. In addition to the Bil Keane “Family Circus” cartoon mural, the station store also featured an operational “G” scale railroad — suspended from the ceiling and circling the store — that was created by railroad park staff.
Nationally-syndicated cartoonist and Paradise Valley resident Bil Keane, creator of “Family Circus,” created and donated a mural – depicting characters Billy, Dolly, Jeffy, PG and mom and dad enjoying the park’s attractions and reflecting on a tasty treat – during Railfair ’99 October 9-10. The mural was displayed in the new Hartley’s General Store. (See Below)
A bronze statue commemorating “Family Circus” cartoonist Bil Keane, a 50-year resident of Paradise Valley until his death in 2011, was dedicated at the park in November. The statue was designed by Keane’s sons Jeff and Glen and placed in a ramada. “Giddy-up Daddy” was constructed by Bronzesmith Fine Art Fountry & Gallery of Prescott, AZ.
The 1930s-vintage Maricopa, Arizona Depot was moved to the park in October by the Scottsdale Railroad and Mechanical Society. According to the plaque adjacent to the building, “This building was built in the 1930s by the Southern Pacific Railroad in the town of Maricopa, Arizona. The original two-story depot had burned and this smaller depot was built so railroad service could continue.
When the Southern Pacific closed the depot in the [early] 1960s, the building was purchased by Bob and Rozan Echols. The Echols moved it to their home in Phoenix, where it remained until being purchased and moved to the park in October of 2003 by the Scottsdale Railroad and Mechanical Society.” The Echols also donated items from their personal railroad memorabilia collection for the park’s museum, which was housed in the Roald Amundsen Pullman car. The couple was also instrumental in recruiting volunteers for the park.
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