By GREG JORDAN
PRINCETON — Starting this morning, a piece of railroad history that clocked many miles by rail may start its journey to a new home.
The caboose, which once served the Virginian Railroad, was donated to the City of Princeton by the Norfolk-Southern Corporation and dedicated in January 1991. For years the red caboose has been situated near the Princeton Municipal Building, but starting at 10 a.m., the caboose will be taken to the Princeton Railroad Museum.
“It will be going from the municipal building, down Stafford Drive, then go past Douglas Sporting Goods and left onto Industrial Avenue,” said architect Todd Boggess, who conducted the project’s bidding for the City of Princeton.
A space for the caboose was included in the museum site’s plans when the property was being laid out, Boggess said. Oversized ties and rails that were donated by Norfolk Southern are now in place. A crane will be used to hoist the caboose into position when it arrives at museum’s Mercer Street location.
A $78,280 federal Transportation Enhancement Grant is helping to pay for the caboose’s relocation and restoration, said Connie Shumate of the Princeton Railroad Museum. A city matching grant is paying the remainder of the $99,100 project.
Once the caboose is situated at its new home, the next step–restoration–can begin, Boggess said.
“They will come in and get everything cleaned up, repainted, roof repaired, just upgraded and remodeled,” Boggess said.
“Absolutely. That’s the whole purpose of having it down there,” Shumate said. “It will be restored to its original glory.”
The grant is being paid in two phases; the first part funded the caboose’s move. The second will cover its restoration, she said.
“The second phase will be bid out after it’s moved,” Shumate explained. “We don’t have a date yet.” Bill Earps of Improvements Unlimited is handling the move.
Once installed outside the museum, the caboose will become part of its exhibits. There are no current plans to locate and bring more railroad cars or other rolling stock to the museum; besides the moving and restoration costs, maintaining such exhibits is expensive; especially, when they are outdoors and exposed to the weather. Most major railroad museums keep their locomotives and railcars indoors or under sheds.
“That might be an idea for the future,” Shumate said.
— Contact Greg Jordan at gjordan@bdtonline.com
