Living Desert volunteers built the railroad along with the world's longest wooden "G" scale trestle measuring 202 feet and 8 inches. However, it was not intended to set a record. It was designed for the same reasons the real ones are. Our trestle allows the trains to negotiate the drop of almost 2 feet between the upper and lower portions of the wash where it was built. The grade is 1% or 1 inch in every 100 inches. The entire trestle is constructed from redwood, glued and stapled at all joints.

Currently there are more than 3,300 feet of track laid. With six different loops of track, each varying from 150 feet to over 900 feet long, the railroad has grown to 3/4 acre. The mainline train travels on 940 feet of track and runs through Old Indio, past the Grand Canyon and along side the mining and logging areas. The trains are driven into a workshop each night, measuring approximately 12 x 42 feet. They are checked for any necessary repairs, cleaned, and made ready for the next day.

The trains operate from 0-18 volts of DC electricity by going through the rails, picked up by the wheels on the locomotive and on to the motors. The larger locomotives have two motors while the smaller ones have only one. The amount of electricity used for one train is about the same as a 25-watt light bulb. All the trains and track along with the buildings are property of The Living Desert.

The trains are designed to be operational during wet and windy conditions but are generally kept in storage until better weather. From June 1 to October 1, the trains exhibit is shut down for maintenance, construction and cleaning.

Train displays that are currently running are historic scenes such as Mount Rushmore, a California logging and mining town, the south rim of the Grand Canyon with a scale model of the El Tovar Hotel and Southwest US cliff dwellings. The Old Indio train station depicts the early days of railroading here in the Coachella Valley from about 1875 to the mid 1950's. If not for railroads, our country could not have achieved what we did in the short time the railroads have been around. Just about everything we touch today has been at one time on the rails of our country.

The all-weather proof control center allows us to operate and monitor the location of all the trains operating in the Western, Logging, and Mining sections from one central location. The Living Desert intends to expand and improve the layout each year. Landscaping along with a drip system to support the live plants that will control dust, erosion and enhance the railroad is being added.

With one full time Living Desert staff member and a crew of 25 volunteers, the railroad will continue to grow, running 7 days a week with at least seven trains running continuously on the layout. Alongside the animal exhibits and botanical gardens at The Living Desert, this unique display has become a visitor favorite.

Volunteers and enthusiasts are always welcome to participate. The current volunteers are not part of any one club or group. They are individuals who love the art of the model railroad. No experience or particular skill is necessary. If you would like to find out more about volunteering and playing with fun model trains, just contact Judi Greene at The Living Desert at 760-346-5694, ext. 2503.

To learn more about how to Adopt A Train at The Living Desert, click here.