Our December return to Southern California’s Mojave National Preserve offered the opportunity to revisit Kelso Depot, the beautifully restored 1924 Union Pacific rail station that now serves as the preserve’s visitor center.

Our 2015 journey through the preserve had been hurried and we were unable to give the depot the time it deserved. During our most recent trip, we spent more time at this magnificent building that offers a history worth telling.

Visitors can thank the Union Pacific Railroad for the depot, the Bureau of Land Management for its rescue from the wrecking ball and the National Park Service for a restoration that returned the depot to its 1924 appearance for a reopening in 2005.

In 1902, the Union Pacific, interested in gaining access to a growing southern California market, acquired ownership interest in a much smaller railroad constructing track between Los Angeles and Salt Lake City.

The UP later gained full ownership of the smaller road and began establishing stations along the route.

The rail line through what in 1994 became Mojave National Preserve included an 18-mile, 2-percent grade from Kelso to a summit now named “Cima.”

The relatively steep incline of more than 2,000 feet required railroad helper locomotives to assist in pulling trains up the grade. Kelso, with a nearby source of water for steam locomotives served as a strategic location for a station.

The initial Kelso depot, plus a post office, engine house and a building for feeding employees and rail passengers, opened in 1905. Facilities were significantly upgraded in the 1920s when UP management decided to compete with the famed Harvey Houses that dotted rail lines of the Atchison Topeka and Santa Fe Railway.

The result was the Kelso Club House and Restaurant (later called “Kelso Depot”) that included rooms for rail crews, a lunch room, telegraph office and more. The depot was designed in the image of late 18th century Spanish missions.

Kelso grew during the 1940s and 1950s, due in large part to a nearby iron ore mine operated by Kaiser Steel.

The community had more than 2,000 residents prior to the mine being closed following World War II. The loss of jobs at the mine combined with the introduction of modern diesel locomotives that didn’t require water spelled doom for the town and, ultimately, the depot.

Union Pacific closed the depot in 1985 with plans to demolish the facility.

Fortunately, a group of interested residents saved the building from demolition long enough for the Bureau of Land Management to gain ownership. Title to the depot passed to the National Park Service with the establishment of Mojave National Preserve.

Driving from Las Vegas, we entered the preserve from the north where the climate at a higher elevation supports an amazing concentration of Joshua trees.

Descending from Cima toward Kelso, the landscape becomes increasingly barren before the depot initially appears as a distant mirage.

While the town of Kelso has pretty much disappeared, the depot is a beauty.

Fronted by green grass and a safety fence separating the depot from the railroad tracks, the peach-colored building appears ready to welcome train passengers.

Unfortunately, the rail line is now used only by long freights that rumble past.

The depot’s main floor includes a National Park Service information area plus a large U-shaped counter that once served as the depot restaurant that was reopened as “The Beanry” for several years following the depot’s renovation. Unfortunately, insufficient business resulted in the lunch room closing and the area is now utilized as a gift shop. Several first-floor rooms serve as exhibit areas including one restored as the ticket and telegraph office.

Second-floor exhibits include two restored employee rooms plus exhibit rooms devoted to trains and Western heritage.

The room we particularly enjoyed was filled with railroad books and old maps. The basement includes an impressive scale model of Kelso that is deserving of a more prominent location.

The second visit to Kelso Depot was as enjoyable as the first. If we only lived closer so we could visit more often.

David and Kay Scott are authors of “Complete Guide to the National Park Lodges” (Globe Pequot). Visit them at mypages.valdosta.edu/dlscott/Scott.html. Read their previous columns at www.facebook.com/DavidKayScott. The Scotts live in Valdosta, Ga.

If You Go

Getting there: Mojave National Preserve is approximately 50 miles southwest of Las Vegas and 70 miles east of Barstow, Calif. Within the preserve Kelso Depot is about midway between Interstate 40 to the north and Interstate 15 to the south.

Hours of Operation: Kelso Depot Visitor Center is open 10 a.m.-5 p.m. Thursday through Monday.

Lodging: No commercial facilities including lodging are available within the monument. Limited lodging is available in the nearby towns of Baker and Primm. Full facilities are in Barstow and Las Vegas.

Food Service: Snacks only are available in the depot. Bring ingredients for a lunch and enjoy the picnic area beside the depot.

Additional information: Visit www.nps.gov/moja, or call (760) 252-6100.