Operation : Caboose Rescue
| Overview
In early spring of 2005, the Mangan family agreed to donate ex-Rutland Railroad wooden caboose #45 (formerly VTR #3) to the Rutland Railway Association. The caboose was marooned on the southern leg of the former 'Addison Branch' in Leicester Junction. The Rutland Railway Association built trackage and removed the caboose from its former location and transported it to Center Rutland depot, where it now rests on a new panel track. Caboose Background Let's let John Mangan tell you... "This caboose was built for the Rutland Railroad in June, 1924 as #95. It was later renumbered to #45 on 11/21/24. It saw most of it's service on the Rutland Railroad on the Ogdensburg Subdivision. Sold to the Vermont Railway around 1964, and renumbered to VTR #3 in March of 1965. It was retired in the mid 1970's and stayed in the Burlington yard until it was "sold" to my father, Paul P. Mangan, and moved to it's current location in Leicester Junction, VT." Thank You's The Rutland Railway Association would like to express its thanks to Omya for its continued generous support of the RRA and its immense help in funding the move of the caboose from its former location to Center Rutland! Thank you also to Castrol Lubricants for their generous donation of journal oil! We would also like to thank our members for their thousands of hours of hard labor, especially Dan Cross, Roland Fay and Jim McKinnell. You made this possible! A special thanks to the Vermont Rail System and their employees for their assistance and technical support prior to and during the move! |
 (c) 2007 Cassandra Hotaling / Rutland Herald Dan Cross (left), member of the Board of Directors for the
Rutland Railway Association and Ron Butterfield, President of the
Rutland Railway Association
on-board the caboose on its new panel track at Center Rutland Depot.  Ex-Vermont Railway #3 (formerly Rutland #45) caboose in service.  In its former location in Leicester Junction, Vermont.  Surrounded by brush and swamp on the Addison Railroad. |
Updates
Mission accomplished! Thanks to the hard work of our track crew and the generosity of Vermont Railway and OMYA, the caboose is now at its new home at the Center Rutland Depot. The caboose is buttoned-up for the winter. Over the course of the winter, we will be deciding upon a course of action for restoration to begin in the Spring of 2008. Our carpenter, Chris Slade, has begun replacing rotted steps on the caboose. On Labor Day, a small work crew put our track speeder onto the panel track next to the caboose. It'll now be easier to work on the speeder for restoration. Lots of wood that needs to be replaced and a few sheets of canvas to be replaced. During Spring, Summer and Fall of 2008, we will be performing stabilization and restoration of the caboose. A new panel of track will be being has been built near the depot to display the caboose. Donations Wanted As Spring of 2008 nears, the Rutland Railway Association is seeking donations from businesses and individuals for supplies needed for stabilization and restoration of this worthy caboose rescue project. Your donation will be tax-deductible! We need:
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