ROANN, Ind. – The story of the Little Red Caboose began a little over a year ago when Dick Siders of rural Roann decided he would like to donate his Nickel Plate caboose No.1142 to the Roann Lions Club and the Roann Heritage Group. Siders had owned the caboose for several years and used it as his office in Disko for his business.
After all the paperwork was completed for the new owners, the next step was to decide where the caboose would sit in the town. After several suggestions, the Roann/Paw Paw township library board agreed for it to be parked on the library grounds. But the outside of the caboose was to be restored before it was moved to town.
The caboose remained on Siders’ property for the work to be done. He enjoyed seeing the caboose being restored and also helped to move the caboose a couple times for the work to continue. The goal was to move the caboose to its new location for the Roann Covered Bridge Festival. However, the work crew discovered that a couple of the big beams on the underneath side needed to be replaced, and other additional repairs. This particular caboose which was built in 1908 is rare in its kind.
Rick Morris President of the Lions Club contacted Don Glass who is a part of the Nickel Plate Historical Society in Ohio. He plans to make a sign for each side of the caboose with the No.1142 Nickel Plate Rail on it for the train car.
Many people and companies have donated materials, wood, paint, and time to the Lions Club and this is how the Lions Club was able to get the restoration done. The second phase will be restoring the inside.
A celebration ceremony and fundraiser dinner will take place on Saturday November 3, 2-4 p.m. with the ribbon cutting at 2p.m. at the caboose near the Roann library and the spaghetti dinner (which costs $5 per person) will be from 3-5 p.m. at The Little Cathedral on South Chippewa Road in Roann. Those who have donate to this project will be invited, and organizers also invite the rest of the public to the program.