Story Published:
Oct 13, 2007 at 6:50 PM PDT
By
Michele Armand
DEADWOOD, Ore. - We may be in the age of fast cars and streamlined technology, but for those who are looking for a blast from the past, a ride in a train can often fulfill the fantasy.
Ray and Kathy Robinson are trying to make a nostalgic past time a modern day reality. Saturday, the community joined them in celebrating a milestone achievement of building their dream railroad.
Amid a large crowd of spectators, and over the symphonic sounds of bagpipes, a 24-karat gold railroad spike is being nailed into the track to mark the completion of The Meadows and Lake Kathleen Railroad.
"The railroad far exceed my wildest dreams it's much bigger than it was intended to be," said Ray Robinson.
The quarter-scale sized railroad is the brainchild of Ray Robinson.
"It was originally just going be a dog bone circle here, then a circle at the lake but so many people got involved and so many helped in so many ways from monetary to labor that we extended it to bring more people in to have more fun," he said.
For the last 11 years he and his wife Kathy, along with countless volunteers, worked together to build four bridges, four trestles and even a tunnel over 6,200 feet of track.
"I started on a goal. It took me a lot of years to do it," said Robinson.
Before the track was completed, the train took guests to the end of the line and backed up. However, with the last spike now in place, the train ride is full circle.
"It's a lot more fun. You get to look forward and you don't have to crank your neck to look back and back up without seeing where you are going," said Robinson.
For volunteers, the ceremony celebrated their hard work. "We laid the track and tamped down the gravel to make it stay in place and nailed spikes down," said Caleb Johnson.
"It just gives such respect for the people that put in the old railroad, the transcontinental and all the railroads we used to just have across this county," said Rita Woodward.
"Well it's just fun, said Boaz Johnson.
But, for others, the train and the completed track signify a magical time to be enjoyed by all ages.
"I like anything about railroads and this is what I like," said 93-year old Don Hunter.
But even with this accomplishment Robinson says, he plans to do more.
"Yeah there a sense of accomplishment but it's ongoing, probably the next 10 years at least," he said.
Robinson hasn't totaled up the receipts for the railroad but estimates the cost is well over $200,000.
His next project will be to build and install a turntable so he can work on the engines.
The Meadows and Lake Kathleen Railroad is a private rail system that runs trains on Sunday by invitation.
You
