Mahwah caboose is one of only two left of its kind. An effort is underway to repair it
The Mahwah Museum and the Mahwah Historic Preservation Commission have launched a "Save Our Caboose" campaign to finance an estimated $100,000 in repairs and shelter for the museum's 1929 red Erie Railroad car.
The caboose has stood at the township's Old Station Museum since 1970, but water damage has kept it closed to visitors for several years. The campaign is also intended to finance a permanent shelter over the caboose to prevent further damage.
An initial $70,000 estimate for the two projects has "skyrocketed" due to COVID-related labor and material shortages to $100,000, said commission chair Anne Powley.
"Our job is to ensure that the caboose is here for future Mahwah residents to enjoy," Powley said.
To jump-start the campaign, the DeSilva family and the Liberty Auto Group have offered to match up to $50,000 for donations toward the "Save Our Caboose" campaign.
"As a family who has been in town for 45-plus years, we understand the historical significance and its importance to the residents of Mahwah," said Rick DeSilva.
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Museum trustee Robert Adler says Erie Caboose 04940 — as it is officially called — can be traced to a 25-car shipment manufactured by the Major Car Co. in Clifton. It is one of only two cars from that order still in existence. The other is at the Whitewater Valley Railroad in Connellsville, Indiana.
Cabooses, originally called the "conductor's car," took on the Dutch/German derivative of "kabuse," or "cab house," in recognition of their function as a conductor's office and sleeping quarters at the end of the train. From this vantage point, employees could more easily spot shifting loads and overheated axle bearings or "hot boxes" that could cause fires or derailment.
The view was improved in the 1860s when freight conductor T.B. Watson devised a windowed box, or "cupola," over a hole in the cab's roof that sheltered the conductor from wind, rain and overhanging objects. The Mahwah caboose has a ladder leading to a centered cupola, but some models had a cupola at one end.
Cabooses were phased out in the 1980s as digital warning systems and computerized data eliminated the need for human supervision. However, their red color and unique shape continue to make cabooses among the most recognized and popular elements of railway exhibits.
Museum President Diane Stripe said the goal is to have the caboose reopened for an upcoming traveling exhibit of trolley line artifacts from the North Jersey Electric Railway Historical Society, and in time for its centennial celebration in 2029.
"We want to see the caboose restored and open for visitors again," Mayor James Wysocki said. "The township has funding set aside for this project, which is an important part of Mahwah's history."
The museum is offering $20 "Save Our Caboose" lawn signs that can be preordered by May 25 as part of a multi-prong effort to finance repairs. To purchase a sign, go to mahwahmusem.org/product/save-our-caboose-lawn-sign by May 25. Future fundraisers will include T-shirt and memorabilia sales and a car rally.
Marsha Stoltz is a local reporter for NorthJersey.com. For unlimited access to the most important news from your local community, please subscribe or activate your digital account today.
Email: stoltz@northjersey.com
Twitter: @marsha_stoltz
This article originally appeared on NorthJersey.com: Mahwah NJ Museum: Fundraiser kicks off to fix 1929 Erie caboose
