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Jim Scott choked-up when a reporter asked him what he hoped comes out of his efforts.

"... stop child abuse..." he said, haltingly.

Scott has good reason to be upset. His two-year-old granddaughter, Codi Michele Aston, was killed in February. She suffered trauma to the head, while in the care of a family friend. That woman has since been charged with second-degree murder.

So volunteers at the miniature Wabash, Frisco, and Pacific Railroad, north of Eureka, decided to help Scott channel some of his grief down some tracks he knows very well. They decided to dedicate a car, on one of their one-quarter-size trains, to the prevention of child abuse.

Laura and Ellen Fritschle helped paint the car, for Scott. Their father is a fellow railroad hobbyist.

"Mr. Scott, he was the one who planned it out," said nine-year-old Laura. "And he wanted to design it. And he wanted us to help, because he wanted help from kids. And we just had a lot of fun, painting it."

Eleven-year-old Ellen picked-up where her sister left-off.

"Some of the things that are on it are childish things, like teddy bears, little stick figures, and hearts."

The people who turned-out at the railroad, Sunday afternoon, had no idea they were in for an unveiling.

But that didn't matter to Scott.

"Officially in service..." he said to some relatives as the brightly-colored train car was pulled out of a garage.

People politely applauded as members of Codi's family took their places in the car, with Grandpa Jim behind the controls in the miniature locomotive.

"We're all family," said Scott. "My family, and Codi's family."

"And I think it's wonderful that they all came out. I hope all the rest of the people understand what this is all about," said Scott, with a relieved chuckle. "Yes, this is the inaugural trip, putting the car in service."