How do you rebuild a centuryold caboose? With a little help from your friends! Project Manager David "DJ" DePanicis takes us on a tour of the finished restoration of Wabash Railroad caboose no. 2534, one of only two wooden Wabash cabooses in existence.

Learn more about the restoration here: https://fortwaynerailroad.org/2021/01... and watch Part 1 of this video here:    • Historic Restoration Saves a Rare Wab...  

Once on display in Fort Wayne's Swinney Park in 1957, the caboose and Wabash steam locomotive no. 534 were part of a monument installed by the TriState Railroad Community Committee, a consortium of area railroad employees. In 1984, the display was relocated to the FWRHS in New Haven.

With donations from members and the general public, in addition to assistance from the Wabash Railroad Historical Society, DePanicis and a team of over a dozen regular volunteers steadily disassembled and rebuilt the caboose over three years and committed over 5,000 hours to the effort. 90% of the structure was replaced and over 1,000 pieces of new lumber were used in the effort, including several curved and arched beams that were handmade for the interior roof.

Wabash caboose no. 2534 will continue to serve in an educational and entertainment capacity, hosting families aboard the organization's popular Santa Train and other seasonal events. The caboose's counterpart, steam locomotive no. 534, is currently undergoing preparation for a restoration of its own sometime in the future.

#restoration #carpentry #historicpreservation