Figured we'd start a thread with pictures of stations, the "destination" on the train layout. Nearly all of the toy train manufacturers catalogued one or more stations in the accessory section, along with many of the companies like Dept. 56, Lemax, and all the others.
Here's a Marx "Girard" station, a bit battered but still functional and attractive:
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They made at least three versions of it - one that was just the tin station, one which featured an interior light, and one that had the light and a whistle. They must have made a bzillion of them, as they are pretty easy to find, and most are in better shape than this one. Here is the version with both the internal light and the whistle (I believe the model number is 2959 or 2960), and it dates to ~ 1950. My recollection is that the name "Girard" came from the location of one of the Marx factories, located in Girard, Pennsylvania. It's a brilliant example of the simple quality Louis Marx baked into his products, often ridiculed as the bottom of the toy train market. My first train set was a Marx mechanical set from around 1961 or 1962 and, while I don't have it anymore, it is fondly remembered.
Post some shots of your train stations...tinplate, ceramic, scratch-built, it's all good.
Paul II