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The Windsor Town Council received an update Tuesday, Jan. 14, on the town’s efforts to move a circa 1927 red Norfolk & Western caboose to Windsor to ultimately be put on display as a tribute to Windsor’s history as a train town.

The council reached a consensus at its Dec. 10 meeting to pursue this process, which involves moving the caboose and renovating it.

The caboose, which is essentially being donated to the town, is currently located in Suffolk on Shoulders Hill Road, with the developer of that property likely hoping to see the train car moved soon.

Town Manager William Saunders indicated at the Dec. 10 council meeting that the cost of moving and restoring the caboose would definitely reach six figures. Some council members were dissuaded from wanting to pursue the caboose at the time due to that amount. 

However, the council reached consensus around the idea of potentially acquiring the caboose and storing it in a safe place for the foreseeable future while taking the time needed to evaluate the costs of renovation and further movement at a later time.

At the Jan. 14 council meeting, Saunders said, “The expectation was that four crane and rigging companies would meet with us; the fourth one did not show. But we have met with three Hampton Roads firms that were recommended to us by different people. 

“It was a little slow getting them out there and getting the quotes back with the holidays, but we’ve gotten two of the three quotes back, so I’d rather not mention the amounts in public since I don’t have them all back yet, but I expect to get the third one any time,” he added.

He also noted that the town has interviewed one potential firm that could perform the exterior renovation of the caboose, and other firms are being sought.

“The estimates so far are kind of in line with my expectations, so that’s good,” Saunders said. “With the pandemic and supply chain and everything else, it’s hard to know what things are going to cost.”

He noted that if the council was inclined, further discussion about the quotes could take place in closed session.

He said it was mentioned that the current weather conditions are likely going to complicate the process of moving the caboose.

“Because they’ve disturbed the site so much developing around it, we may have to wait for things to dry out a little bit, and that’s tough in the middle of the winter,” he said. 

“But anyway, we’ve got a little time,” he added. “The developer hasn’t given us a drop-dead date yet; he knows we’re moving forward on it, so we’re still in a good place.”

Councilman David Adams, who has advocated strongly for obtaining the caboose, noted that he recently took a field trip to see how another Virginia locality handled a similar opportunity.

“I went up to Farmville to see what they had done with their caboose,” he said. “I don’t know if you’ve seen their caboose in Farmville, but they use it as kind of like an office, a community partnership office, and they have a community stage attached to it. So, it just gave some ideas.

“And if you’ve been to Crewe and you’ve seen their train museum, some of that stuff’s pretty neat,” he added. “So, I’m excited for it.”

Then he addressed a possible location in Windsor to store the Norfolk & Western caboose.

“Is it possible to use the water tower on the northwest side of town, right on the edge of town there?” he said to Saunders. “Is there space within that fence? Because I know you were concerned about crossing the train tracks with that.”

Saunders said, “I think if we can determine what firm we’d like to work on the exterior and they have a fenced-in yard, I think I would prefer, at this juncture, to move it to their yard.”

“Yeah, I agree,” Adams said.

Saunders added, “And maybe we can get the exterior work done at their yard, move it back to town, and then maybe we can get people to work on the interior while it’s on display.”