Lewes celebrates National Train Day
On May 13 more than 150 years ago, a golden spike in Promontory, Utah, symbolically connected the east and west coasts of North America. In 2008, May 13 was declared National Train Day.
The Lewes Junction Railroad and Bridge Association celebrated National Train Day this year with a special presentation on Lewes’ recently restored 26-ton Little Red Caboose and honored the efforts of those who made the restoration possible. Nestled between the Lewes Public Library and Margaret H. Rollins Community Center, the 1917 Pennsylvania Railroad Caboose at Lewes Junction is the newest attraction in Stango Park. May 13 marked the first time the caboose was open to the public since it was placed on the track in December 2022.
LJRBA volunteers worked tirelessly in the heat and occasional rain to chip away rust, rotted wood and any other blemishes. Their efforts allowed not only the restoration of Pennsylvania Railroad 477123, but a lovely coat of red paint on the exterior, black paint on the roof and lighter color inside to improve interior lighting.
LJRBA board members told the story of their earliest days, which included a name too long to print, and the amount of work that went into the project. Board member Rich Applebaum explained the importance of the railroad along the Delaware beaches and how integral it was for Fort Miles.
LJRBA President Randy Voith accepted a Delaware Senate proclamation from Sen. Russ Huxtable, D-Lewes. Huxtable said his family has always made a point to travel by train or visit important train sites to gain an appreciation for how they helped people and supplies move across the continent.
Former Lewes Mayor Ted Becker said he met Gary Wray at the Historic Lewes Farmers Market to discuss saving the swing bridge and other sets of railroad tracks around Lewes. Eventually, Russ Tatman joined in on those early conversations and helped get the project moving. Unfortunately, Wray and Tatman died before they could see their work completed.
LJRBA board member David Ludlow concluded the presentation and led the crowd from the Rollins Community Center to the caboose. Reminiscent of a scene from the late 19th or early 20th century, attendees cheered as Councilwoman Candace Vessella, a U.S. Navy veteran, christened “Little Red.” Seemingly straight out of a spaghetti western, the attendees then circled around the piece of track where a golden spike was driven into the ground.
Bill Carpenter dedicated his spike strikes to the memory of his best friend, Tatman.
Rep. Stell Parker Selby, D-Milton, paid homage to the book “The Little Red Caboose” and Lewes’ Little Red Caboose by dressing in all red for the event. She emphasized how important it is to continue to tell the history of the railroad in Delaware. During her strikes, she showed what it means to speak softly and carry a big stick.
For its next restoration project, LJRBA is hoping to restore a speed locomotive that is the last of its style remaining in the country. Weighing 88 tons, the locomotive has been gifted to LJRBA; however, the group must raise the funds needed to relocate the train engine from Wilmington and restore it to display condition. The organization is hoping to acquire and place artifacts around the tracks and train cars, and provide a scene of what life around the railroad was like in the 1900s.
More information about LJRBA can be found at lewesjunctionrr.org.
