Meadows and Lake Kathleen Railroad in Deadwood, OR Part I

Railroad Ray fed the trout at Lake Kathleen during one of our train stops. What alot of thrashing!
Of course after seeing this we had to keep a look-out for anyone resembling Clark Kent.


I couldn't pass up taking the kid's picture in this mining cart.

There were many neat collectibles on the property including this sign.

Jason's turn as conductor! Great smile Bubby!

I don't know why I have an interest in trains and railroads but for some reason I do. Several weeks I chanced upon an online article about Ray Robinson, a guy who turned his 30 year dream of having his own railroad into a reality. I learned that he shares his hobby with guests on Sunday afternoons by invitation only. I emailed him about our interest in railroads, our son's autism, and his love for being on moving objects. Ray promptly sent us an invitation so that Jason could experience his railroad. He sent me a map because nobody is going to stumble onto his property without one. The closest town to him is Deadwood between Florence and Eugene and he's another 8-12 off the beaten path beyond Deadwood. Anyway we found the place fine and were able to catch a train ride immediately upon our arrival. I think it's a 1/4 scale so we occupied 2 rows of seats. The engine running that day was diesel powered but he also owns a steam powered engine as well. That one doesn't run as often since it takes several hours to build enough steam. Father/Son friends from
Eugene dressed in railroad garb for Father's Day ran the train. They made several stops on the loop so people could get off to wander the beautiful property and then simply climb back on the next time it came back around. There were plenty of points of interest including a creek, tunnel, a trestle 18 ft above the ground, and a small lake (Lake Kathleen) full of some very hungry trout. The only sad part is that the private railway may have to be dismantled in the fall due to an ongoing assessment issue with Lane County. Hopefully that won't happen --so much work and love has obviously been poured into Railroad Ray's hobby. Our hosts were very friendly and gracious. We appreciated their hospitality toward our family and their other guests! We thank them for opening up their home so that our disabled son (and his dad) could have a special activity on Father's Day!

Dave and Laurie