Lambertville Station
Reference
Built sometime between 1858 and 1867, the imposing three-story stone station was designed by architect Thomas Ustick Walter; it also served as the Belvidere & Delaware River Railway headquarters. Passenger service ended October 1960, and resumed in the form of BR&W tourist trains, which ran from 1973 to 1998 (plans are under way to restore service in a few years).
After 14 months of renovation, Dan Whitaker, Michael Dougherty, Skip DiMarco, Tony DiMarco and Rose DiMarco opened the station as a restaurant in 1985 (just inside my modeling era); it also played a significant role in Lambertville's renaissance. The restaurant was so successful that its owners then opened a 45-room inn (outside of my era—thankfully, as it's ugly as sin).
For decades, Lambertville Station has been a destination of mine for fine dining—I can't count how many great meals I've had there.
The Model
Given its significance and unique style, the station will need to be scratchbuilt. Perhaps one of the more fun aspects of modeling it will be adding the two boxcars and caboose that are permanently parked where the freight station used to be (a remnant of which is their kitchen).
