Museum adds wooden, 1895 caboose to collection

 

VOLO — A 40-ton, wooden caboose built in 1895 is embarking on a 350-mile journey from Michigan to Illinois, where it will hold a place of honor in the Volo Auto Museum’s Evolution of Transportation exhibit.

 Museum founder Greg Grams said the eBay find was too “jaw-dropping” to pass up; original wooden cabooses from that era are exceptionally rare.

 “It’s completely restored,” he said. “The inside is beautiful. It has the original ice box in it, the old cast-iron stove …”

 Long known for its extensive collection of classic, antique and Hollywood cars, the museum’s new undertaking will feature everything from covered wagons and stagecoaches to a roadside cottage, a 1950s pull-behind camper and more.

 Evolution of Transportation is scheduled for a summer 2016 debut, Grams said, adding that he considers the caboose to be an essential feature.

 “What united the country was the railroad system,” Grams said. “It’s significant.”

 Bringing the Grand Trunk Western caboose No. 77030 to the museum grounds is no easy feat. It is 45 feet long, 9 feet wide and roughly 16 feet tall to the peak of its cupola, Grams said. Employing 90-ton cranes at each end, crews will disassemble, transport by semi tractor-trailer and reassemble it on its bed of ties and track.

 Just moving it from Roadside Attractions in Metamora, Michigan, to Volo is a $25,000 investment, Grams said.

 “It’s not like calling Autobahn Transportation and saying ‘Hey, go pick this up for us,’” added Brian Grams, museum director. “They built a building around this thing in Metamora, and now we have to pull a wall out to get it out. We will be doing the same thing — building a building around it.”

 The caboose is expected to arrive late morning on Thursday, Oct. 22, at the Volo Auto Museum, 27582 Volo Village Road. The press is cordially invited to view the unloading and reassembly, which will commence on arrival.

 The Volo Auto Museum is open 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. daily and features roughly 400 classic, antique, muscle and Hollywood cars. Admission is $14.95 for adults, $8.95 for children ages 5 to 12 and free for children 4 and younger. For other information, visit volocars.com, call 815-385-3644 or find Volo Auto Museum on Facebook.