Scale model of former Santa Fe Depot available
Designed by former Marionite, Stephen Priest
By ROWENA PLETT
Staff writer
Marion residents may be interested in purchasing a keepsake HO scale model of the Santa Fe Station which now is available thanks to the efforts of former Marion resident Stephen Priest.
The Santa Fe railroad line which ran through Marion was a branch line of the Atchison, Topeka, and Santa Fe Railroad and was intended to serve the local agricultural region. It continued to serve that function for more than a century.
Although the rails were torn up long ago, the handsome depot building remains, a historic landmark renovated into the present home of Marion City Library.
Priest attended Marion Elementary School while his parents, Robert and Judy Priest, served at Eastmoor United Methodist Church. (They now are retired and reside at Marion County Lake.)
He went on to become an architect and graphic designer.
Two years ago, Priest took photographs and made drawings of the Marion Santa Fe Station and submitted them to Athearn Trains in California to produce a model. Athearn is one of the largest and best known suppliers of materials for model railroaders in the world.
The HO scale model of the Santa Fe Station now is available. It is made of cold cast resin with injection molded windows and has a large 5x20-inch footprint.
It is modeled after the Marion station but offers decals for 10 Santa Fe depots — Fowler, Halstead, Harper, Holly, Kingman, Marion, Mulvane, Norman, Plainview, and Stafford.
The model is the only typical Santa Fe Station in HO scale and can be seen and purchased online at www.athearn.com.
It sells for $129.98 and is identified as item no. 95931.
The Athearn Trains Corp. phone number is 310-763-7140. Fax number is 310-763-7449.
Orders are due Friday.
Priest has asked the company to give one model to Marion City Library.
He and his wife, Cinthia, who live in Kansas City, are into trains, big and small.
Stephen is editor and publisher of Scale Rails, the official monthly journal of the American Model Railroaders Association. Cinthia is editor of Railroads Illustrated, a widely circulated magazine about actual trains, past and present.
