Railroad Services

Railroad Services. . Railroads brought many changes to rural life, providing access to roadless areas. Depots were built in towns like Leonia, Meadow Creek, and Addie. Passenger cars carried people comfortably on business and pleasure trips, dramatically reducing travel time. Local residents packed picnic lunches to enjoy on Sunday rail excursions. , Trains also provided mail service. Post offices opened, sometimes located in homes or mercantile. Trains picked up mail at regular stops or used the "on-the-fly" method of catching a mail bag with a hook from a stationary pole beside the track. At the same time, the railroad crew tossed the incoming mail bags from the train. , The railroad boosted domestic trade by transporting local fruit, grain, and dairy products. The locals sent their milk and cream cans into town on rails and retrieved their empty cans on the return trip. Trains hauled logs from logging operations to local mills and delivered finished lumber to markets. Ore concentrates from the Continental Mine were delivered to the valley and then carried by the railroads to distant smelters. , Eventually the rails of the KVRR were abandoned, but two lines continue to operate. Many of the places along the railroad have faded away, leaving only memories of the days when railroads helped settle and develop the area.