If it weren’t for the two sites in Oneonta, a caboose in Neahwa Park, and a historic marker on Roundhouse Road, recent newcomers to the city wouldn’t have much of a clue that Oneonta was a major railroad town.
In 1983, we almost lost one of those visible reminders — Oneonta’s Little Red Caboose.
It was just around 40 years ago when the Smithsonian Institution had its eye on acquiring the caboose and taking it to Washington, D.C.
Oneonta residents didn’t like the idea one bit and worked hard to get the Smithsonian and the United Transportation Union to abandon their efforts.
After all, the caboose had been an iconic figure in Neahwa Park since 1924, where it was said D&H workers met at the caboose and formed the Brotherhood of Railroad Trainmen back in the 1880s.
The tug-o-war, of sorts, finally came to an end and The Daily Star of Aug. 2, 1983 reported, “United Transportation and Smithsonian Institution officials say they will drop efforts to remove Oneonta’s Little Red Caboose … because of steadfast local opposition.
“‘That (Little Red Caboose) looks like one I’ll have to scratch off my list,’ said John White, curator of transportation for the Smithsonian. ‘If the people don’t want to cooperate there’s not much I can do about it.’”
The Smithsonian had made a good case for acquiring the caboose. In recent years the caboose had been a repeated target of local vandals, and there would be no such problem with it being in a museum setting.
Oneontans had been preparing however, as The Star continued, “Meanwhile, workmen from Ace Glass Co. in Oneonta received a building permit Monday from the city and prepared to start construction today on an aluminum and plexiglass, burglar-alarm guarded enclosure to protect the caboose from vandals and the weather.
“‘It’s good news,’ said James Loudon, president of the Leatherstocking Railway Historical Society, which is holding a fund drive for the $10,000 cost of the enclosure. ‘I hope the Smithsonian is sincere.’” As it turned out, it was.
The railroad in Oneonta continued making news that month, as The Star of Aug. 22 reported, “Local railroad fans Saturday enjoyed two sights that have not been seen here for some time — the arrival of a passenger train and a destination sign outside the Oneonta (former D&H) depot.
“Saturday also brought the completion of the long-awaited enclosure for the city’s historic Little Red Caboose.
“Members of the Leatherstocking Railway Historical Society put up a replica destination sign…just before an Amtrak train filled with about 300 members of the Mohawk and Hudson Chapter of the National Railway Historical Society pulled into the station on a special excursion.
“The Amtrak train was the first passenger train in many years to come to Oneonta, which was a bustling passenger stop in the 1920s when the D&H ran 12 passenger trains daily between Albany and Binghamton. The last Binghamton local run came in 1963, and by that time, the depot already had been shut down.
“The visiting railroad buffs as well as local residents were able to get an inside look at the Little Red Caboose in addition to viewing the completed enclosure.
“‘It’s a feeling of relief because now we finally can rehabilitate the caboose to the condition it should be, and it will be safe,’ Loudon said after the structure was completed.”
With the famous caboose now secure in Oneonta, it was worthy of a big celebration. The LRHS planned and executed a Red Caboose Festival in Oneonta during the opening weekend of September.
Over the weekend thousands came to Neahwa Park for the festivities. One of the major features was a train excursion from Oneonta to Cobleskill. More than 1,200 signed up for one of six excursion trips on Sunday afternoon. Fireworks capped the weekend that night.
This weekend, some joy and some sorrow in Norwich in August 1923.
Oneonta City Historian Mark Simonson’s column appears twice weekly. On Saturdays, his column focuses on the area before 1950. His Wednesday columns address local history 1950 and later. If you have feedback or ideas about the column, write to him at The Daily Star, or email him at simmark@stny.rr.com. His website is oneontanyhistorian.com. His columns can be found at www.thedailystar.com/opinion/columns/.