Despatch Junction to Reopen

Also I have an old engine I would like  to get cleaned up and running if possible : Texas special 1055  I know it wasn't  popular engine but since it was my dads I'd like to repair it 

Thad, forum sponsor Gargraves, aka Gardiner the Train Doctor, can handle your repair If you want it for the holidays. 

 

Pete

Thanks I'll look them up

One of the contractors is a friend of mine and he told me the basement will be built with precast concrete sections and they are waiting for some structural components. They should start work within a month.

Went by yesterday.  Fence and shed gone.  No signs of any other work however yet.

Went by the site again on Saturday.  Some small positive news to report.  There's a construction company sign posted announcing their role on the project.  There were two backhoes, a large one and a small one at the site.  Some initial excavation had been started.

 

(This is the same update I posted on Saturday but somehow it disappeared from the site).

Construction started on the new Despatch Junction

 

 

 

 

 

 

Despatch Junction was originally housed in this historic 1880 New York Central building.

That is great news!

Rich thanks for posting the pictures.  I live on the west side so I don't make it over to East Rochester much but when I do I always drive by the site.  I have to give Stan so much credit.  I honestly thought  he could have used this as an opportunity to retire and effectively have the insurance buy out his entire stock which is the hardest thing in selling the business like his.   I'm so happy he's rebuilding the business for all of us.  Thanks Stan!

Fantastic news!  Can't wait to see the new Despatch Junction opening up and see Stan and his great staff. Hopefully they can get it done before the 1 year of the fire date, otherwise they think politics rears its ugly head again on it.

Progress at Despatch junction

Its been a week and a half since my last photos.

 

Thanks Rich.  I took a photo on Monday as was just going to post but it is the same as yours.

 

With the Tyvek and the roof on you get a good feel for the design.

Pictures are great! It's looks awesome! I know I can't wait to walk in the front door when it opens and welcome Stan and the staff back to the new version of Despatch Junction and I'm sure the place will be packed that day with many more of our railroading friends then.

New pics - all enclosed - today(4/25 1:30pm).

 

 

I took more pictured Thursday. It was cloudy and yours are better. It doesn't make any sense to post them.

 May 3, new Photos. It's closed in and starting on the gingerbread and they are working on the interior.

 

Went by yesterday the 10th.  Took photos but they look exactly like Rich's from the 3rd.  No need to post them.  No additional outside work done in the past week. 

It really does look nice.  Like the gingerbread touches.  In person you really get the visual impact of it.

 

Despatch Junction one year ago this Memorial Day weekend

 

 

Progress on Despatch Junction on this Memorial Day weekend

Its a nice looking building building but its a little smaller than the origional

 

I looks like Stan is constructing an outbuilding, maybe its a garage for some of his Corvettes

Stan was on 13 wham news over the weekend for the one year anniversary.  This video has shots of the inside of the new store.  Best thing I heard in it is that he hopes to be open by mid June.

http://www.13wham.com/news/fea...y-23144.shtml?wap=0&

That's great news, building looks very nice.  The shot of the fire is amazing, that place was really burning fast!

A couple more press reports:

 

http://www.rochesterhomepage.n...SYKSnWN0mcV-5krGRO4w

 

http://www.twcnews.com/nys/roc...spatch-junction.html

 

Between the different news reports Despatch Junction should be reopening somewhere between mid June to the end of June. Stan, it takes a special man and his love of trains and his customers to go through what you had to in the last year after the fire. Us train collectors & operators will never be able to thank you enough for all your hard work to reopen again.  When the opening day is announced I'm sure you're going to be packed with customers for days to see the new Despatch Junction,  you, and your staff.  You're all like family. Good Luck!

Here are son new photos.

It looks like they are neatly finished.

 

Almost finished it just needs some finishing touches and landscaping.

 

They are putting up shelve and display cases and the surveillance system is up and running.

 

Is this a garage for Stan's Corvettes ?

Married a girl from Rochester.... SO of course when visiting the inlaws and as the kids were growing it was a regular stop.......

 

Looking forward to that regular stop!

 

Ben

Looks Awesome already,  can't wait for opening day!

Why is it spelled "Despatch" vs "Dispatch?"

 

What is a "despatch?" 

Merchants Despatch Transportation Company

 

"The company began manufacturing cars on a small scale in 1883, and in spring of 1887 constructed a large manufacturing facility near Rochester, New York in a town they named Despatch (present-day East Rochester)"

 

Okay thanks...

A variant of dispatch, apparently the result of an error in the printing of Johnson's dictionary of 1746

The store is named after New York Central's Despatch Shops Inc. and is on the former grounds of the carshops. It is also the original name of East Rochester.

Went by on Friday the 12th.  They've started on the garage roof.  Exterior of store looked the same as most recent pictures posted above.  On the interior I'd say about three quarters of the display racks are set up well beyond what you see in the previous pictures above.  Nothing else looks set up inside though like counters, cash registers, etc.  from the angle I saw looking in the window at least.  Biggest thing is I saw a no stock in the store yet at all.  So I'm guessing we're probably still a couple weeks out from an opening...

Any update as when the grand opening is ?

Despatch Junction has reopened. they are still bringing in merchandise and stocking shelves.

Its still some what unorganized but anybody familiar with the old store and Stan wouldn't expect it ever to be completely organized.

I usually go by there a few times a week to see how construction is going on the new Despatch Junction and today was one of those days. As Richard said, the front door was open, and there was a lot of activity going on. A local glass company was bringing in some material. More interior stocking (some inventory is already there) is yet to come, and building of additional display cases is in process. The 16x7 layout has not been built yet.  It was great to see Stan and Frank and spend some time talking trains (and Corvettes).  I give Stan a lot of credit for rebuilding after a devastating fire.

I just Googled Despatch Junction and it reopened July 6.The store is closed on Wednesday and Sunday. It is open Monday,  Tues,  Thursday, Friday,  & Saturday from 10 am to 5 pm each day. I hope to stop up sometime in the next couple weeks to see Stan and the staff to welcome them back on and in business again!

I stopped in today with my kids. They still are doing some stocking but it's looking good and they were more then happy to chat for a few minutes  bought a couple of cars to make a memorial for my dad

My wife has a doctor's appointment in Rochester Friday so we'll stop in to see it on the way back.  Glad to see them back open for business!

Despatch Junction 13WHAM Story 10/16/15.

WROC-8 News Story / Video.