What's the name?

[ezdays]

There isn't anything in railroading, it seems, that doesn't have a name. And whatever it is, there's bound to be someone that knows what it is. So.... on just about every passenger depot there's a section with windows that is extended, or pushed out, so someone can see up and down the tracks without going onto the platform. Does that little bump-out have a name, and if so, what is it?

My curiosity is getting to better of my good sense...

Anyone think I've got too much time on my hands?

 

[green_elite_cab]

Bay window?

 

[MasonJar]

The Smiths Falls Railway Museum calls it an "operators bay".

Andrew

 

[abutt]

I've never heard anyone refer to that set of windows. I would go with Bay Window. How about "My train is running late window"?

Will be interested to hear if anyone really knows what they're called. Wonderful question for "The 64 Dollar Question".

Does that date me?

 

[MasonJar]

It is most often associated with an office for the station operator/agent to have a better view of the tracks. I don't know if there are any designed to give the travelling public a better view... I think we are obligated to go out in the elements to get a glimpse from the platform, and it's only the employees that are afforded protection (that, and they have to run the telegraph...)

Andrew

 

[ezdays]

I've seen it in different locations, frequently it is only where RR personnel can access it, but I've also seen depots where it is located in the passenger area. When I was in Winslow a few weeks ago, I noticed that the station there had an extended area that was behind the ticket counter, but it wasn't "bay" shaped, just rectangular. I was just looking in the new Walther's catalog where they have a model of a SF station and freight depot combination that looks almost identical to the one up in Winslow except this "bay" is around in the middle of the passenger waiting room.

BTW, I was amazed at how close the Walther's depot combination was to the one up in Winslow dating back to around 75 years ago.

Yes Allan, that dates you to when $64 was worth something. And yeah, I can't believe it doesn't have a name since just about every nut, bolt, rod or rivet has a name, why not a building part? I was going to guess "observation bay", but "Operator's bay" does make sense.

 

[abutt]

Andrew's answer does make sense. Now that I remember, the Morse Key used to set right out there on the desk in the windows.

I paid more than $64.00 for my last Bar-Mills kit.

I'll see if I can find a pic I took last year in Nova Scotia at a station that shows the operator's desk on that one track line that winds its way up through Cape Breton.

 

[ezdays]

Yeah, that would be nice to see the inside in an operating mode.

The thing that got my curiousity up is that the depot kit that I disassembled to use on my kitbash challenge has a rectangular one, but there were window only on the front and one side. Kinda makes you wonder why there wasn't windows on both sides. Don't know, but it's gunna work out just fine for what I have in mind for it.:thumb: :thumb:

Oh one more thing, I Googled "railroad depot operator's bay" and came up with all sorts of references, so there's no doubt that Andrew is correct.... Somehow I knew he'd know.

 

[MasonJar]

Don,

The picture from Smiths Falls shows the operators bay more or less how it would have looked. It's not a great pic, but I may be down that way over the summer...

Andrew