For more than a decade, Leoni Meadows’ train rides have been a main attraction for visitors and campers of all ages. In addition to hiking, bike trails, a pond, conference center, mini-camps and playing fields, the lush, 960-acre campground boasts the only railroad of its kind among Adventist camps in the United States. Since 1995, the miniature train system has been an ideal way to enjoy spectacular views of verdant meadows, labyrinths of crisp pine trees, Wild West covered wagons, and the ever-present network of industrious squirrels. It’s even been a great way to see the more unusual trackside sights such as a rare, Native American grinding rock, a hip-high paper-wasp nest, and the railway’s own "Golden Spike."

But this summer, camp visitors will have yet another reason to enjoy this unique railway system. A brand-new train depot being built at the railway’s terminus will soon provide passengers with a comfortable, shaded area to board and disembark from their scenic ride.

The train depot, made possible through a generous donation by Dr. Audrey Glover, was a construction project for participants of Maranatha Volunteers International’s Summer Family Project. From June 9-19, volunteers erected the framing of railway structure, located less than a stone’s throw across the road from the historic Leoni House Museum. In addition to working on the depot, volunteers also re-roofed camp cabins, painted picnic tables and benches, and cleared paths to prepare the grounds for 2005 camp season.

Named in honor of two of its most ardent supporters, Glover and Richard Roderick, the "G&R Railroad" is among the longest privately-owned, 24-inch gauge railways in the United States, say local experts. A round trip on the tracks reaches almost four and a half miles. About 10 years ago, Glover, a physician from California’s central valley, and Roderick, then-treasurer of the Northern California Conference, provided funding and spearheaded efforts to bring a railroad to the camp to replace a deteriorated set of smaller tracks, which had long since fallen into disuse.

Under the direction and personal "elbow grease" invested by G&R Railroad’s first Head Engineer Irwin Walker, the new tracks were built and later expanded, and a team of volunteer conductors and engineers was trained to run the train and maintain the railway system.

The ambitious undertaking was completed through the efforts of Walker, other volunteers and additional donors. They laid more than 7,000 homemade railway ties, hewn from Leoni’s own ponderosa pines. "We cut them at the Leoni sawmill," says Walker, and "I dried them there in the parking lot of the Leoni Lodge."

While the locomotive might seem at first to be an attraction mainly for youngsters, Walker says, "I think the adults enjoy it as much as the children do." Indeed, with an engine weighing 6,000 pounds and four cars weighing 2,000 pounds each, the 1/3 scale-size C.P. Huntington replica is no toy, even if it did originally come from a Wisconsin amusement park. With seating for 54 people, adds Walker, "by the time we get the passengers on, it’s quite a load. We don’t start instantly and we don’t stop instantly. It’s like a real train."

Walker, now retired, continues to act in an advisory role for the railroad. It is a huge commitment and a labor of love for the volunteers, for whom it provides a personal sense of satisfaction as well as an occasion to share the beauty of Leoni Meadows with others.

"The train is a way to experience the variety of what we offer," explains Dan Knepp, current Head Engineer for the G&R. The train runs year-round, in all types of weather. "We’ll run it in the snow, at night in the full moon. People like it." He adds, "The train station was sort of a culmination of saying the job was completed."

The railroad is even a point of interest for the local community. "It extends beyond the Adventist community," says Knepp. Once a year, there is an open house at camp for the local community. The county’s historical society, school groups and other organizations also enjoy train rides on the G&R Railway.

Knepp, who has volunteered many hours and labor to keep the railroad running, offers his own perspective on the value of the G&R: "Its basic mission, as I see it, is to offer people the opportunity to see more of Leoni. … The staff that operates the train has a great responsibility as ambassadors to the mission of Leoni Meadows."

Following the Maranatha Volunteers International work project, the train depot’s framing is up and ready for camp staff to complete the structure this summer.

Thanks to the vision and generosity of Glover, Roderick, Walker, Knepp and scores of volunteers and other donors, the G&R Railroad will continue to represent Leoni Meadows at its best.

Maranatha Volunteers International, based in Sacramento, Calif., is a non-profit organization committed to constructing urgently needed buildings through the use of volunteers. Since 1969, Maranatha has mobilized 55,000 volunteers to 61 countries all over the world.