RAY & KATHY ROBINSON OWNERS/CARETAKERS DEADWOOD, OREGON Contact View Our Railroad Photographs View Our Construction Photographs View Our Works in Progress View Our Archives View Our Meadows Logo by Ed Kelley It has been my desire to have my own railroad for over 35 years and Kathy and I have spent virtually everything we have made in the last 12 years on building this railroad and restoring the land. With the help of more than 100 volunteers we completed the Meadows and Lake Kathleen Railroad on October 13th, 2007. We do not charge for rides and visits are by invitation only. We essentially turned a 73 year old cow farm into wildlife preserve with totally restored riparian areas for salmon and wildlife that we believe even Mother Nature would be proud of. We do not allow any hunting of fishing on our piece of heaven. You can help us by sending this website to everyone you know who might be interested in our struggle and in the spirit of private property law and land use. Our railroad has a maximum shelf life of 10 years and when the big trestle starts to become unsafe, we will remove the railroad. NEVER have we ever had any intentions of turning our place into anything other than a nature preserve and the train allowes folks of all physical capabilities to see it with minimal impact to the environment. We continue to share our place and run our train for invited guests almost every Sunday afternoon. All we ask is that you email us further instructions. THANK YOU !

Last updated August 15th, 2008. CURRENT EVENTS.......... All required paperwork along with a check was given to Lane County Thursday the 7th of August. Now it is a waiting game. We have chosen the path of including our hobby railroad as an accessory to our house, no less than you would include having a team of horses and a few wagons to help with firewood and chores around your own house. The big trestle's construction was structurally engineered and OK 'ed. The local organized environmental folks are happy with our riparian works. Lane County Public Works, Land Use Management Division believes we have violated land use codes and turned us into the State Land Use folks and initiated these proceeding against us without even so much as a complaint. This is a private railroad totally surrounded by National Forest. Our nearest neighbor is 1&1/2 miles away. We were fined $3,000 by the state of Oregon for placing our 18 inch gauge railroad on wetlands (hay field) and within the riparian zone of the creek. Because of our restoration work (over 550 trees, hundreds of willows and 2,000 shrubs and plants and over 80,000 pounds of boulders added to the creek) they waived $2,500. We have paid the fine to the State of Oregon and are now square with the Department of State Lands wetlands and waterways conservation division. To give you an idea of how silly some folks can be about law instead of the spirit of the law I have posted 5 before (1996-7) and 5 after (May 2008) photo's of our place under the "View our Meadows" column on this home page.

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