February 16, 2006

By Robert Mihalek

Village Council agreed during its meeting Feb. 6 to move ahead with restoring one of the yellow railroad cabooses and disposing of the other.

Council members asked Village Manager Eric Swansen to investigate methods, including funding mechanisms, to renovate and maintain one of the cabooses.

Swansen said that the caboose will be relocated next to the Yellow Springs Train Station in Hilda Rahn Park.

He also said the Village wants to establish a method, such as a trust, to receive preservation funds for the project, including paying for the caboose’s restoration and upkeep. This would be done with a “minimum use of public funds,” he said.

The caboose would be used to display a historic exhibit on the role railroads played in communities like Yellow Springs, Swansen said. The exhibit would be “static,” he said, and likely would not be open except on special occasions.

In addition, Council members said that they wanted to pursue the disposition of the other caboose. Swansen indicated that there are many possible ways the Village could structure a deal to dispose of a caboose.

Council member Bruce Rickenbach suggested that if the Village sells one of the cabooses, the government should insist that the railroad car not be involved in commercial activity or compete with an existing business if the caboose is relocated within two miles of Yellow Springs.

Council’s agreement on the cabooses is in line with the recommendations of the Caboose Task Force, an ad hoc group Council formed to investigate and recommend possible uses for the two yellow cabooses. The task force issued a report to Council on its recommendations in December.

During last week’s meeting, Council member Karen Wintrow reported that the Yellow Springs Historical Society is interested in participating in the restoration project, perhaps as an umbrella group for a restoration committee. She also said Young’s Jersey Dairy is interested in purchasing one of the railroad cars.

The Village purchased the two cabooses from Wright-Patterson Air Force Base in 1980.

The cabooses, which for over a decade housed bicycling and skating equipment businesses, have stood empty along the bikepath since 2004, when Caboose Bike & Skate liquidated its inventory and moved out.

Council members agreed to name Mike Triplett to a committee that will assist in restoring one caboose.

Others interested in participating in the effort should contact the clerk of Council, Deborah Benning, at 767-9126 or dbenning@yso.com.

Contact: rmihalek@ysnews.com