Landmark train caboose moves to new home along Butler-Freeport Community Trail
The caboose that stood outside of the former landmark Cooper Station Restaurant in Winfield moved to a new home along the Butler-Freeport Community Trail on Friday.
The caboose had been at the restaurant since 1994, according to Chris Ziegler, president of the Butler-Freeport Community Trail Council. The restaurant closed early last year and Cellar Works Brewing Company took over the location. The brewpub didn’t want the caboose.
As soon as Ziegler heard rumors that the caboose might be up for sale, she said she jumped on the opportunity to bring it to the trail.
“It’s been our secret wish to get the caboose,” Ziegler said.
On Friday, the caboose was loaded onto an oversized-load truck and hauled to the trail. A group of trail volunteers and others from the community watched a crane maneuver the tracks and caboose into position.
The caboose now sits along the trail at the halfway point between Butler and Freeport.
It ties in with the heritage of the trail, which was made along a former railroad bed, Ziegler said.
The caboose, originally from Lehigh Valley, dates back to sometime in the first half of the 1940s. It’s a Phase II caboose, which is identifiable by its two round portals. That makes it even more rare, Ziegler said.
It’s sitting on tracks that were cast in 1929.
Ziegler said she was excited to have the caboose, a community staple, become a landmark for the trail.
“We like to be unique and different,” she said of the trail. “We like to add personal touches.”
Frank Prazenica said he often bikes and runs on the trail.
“I think it’s a great thing for the trail. It’s a nice thing for the community,” he said.
Dale Hilliard, of Buffalo Township, also was there to see the caboose arrive.
“It’s a community thing, a part of history,” he said.
Ziegler said she hopes having the caboose will attract more people to the trail. The trail has already seen a 450% increase in usage this year, which Ziegler attributed to more people seeking safe, outdoor activities during the covid-19 pandemic.
The trail is free to use and is maintained through donations.
Julia Felton is a TribLive reporter covering Pittsburgh City Hall and other news in and around Pittsburgh. A La Roche University graduate, she joined the Trib in 2020. She can be reached at jfelton@triblive.com.
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