Caboose Fund Seeks $100,000 for Restoration

The nonprofit is raising money to restore the Little Red Caboose, a wooden railroad car that has sat outside Mount Vernon Community School in Alexandria since 1973.

Updated on Nov. 9, 2026 in Philanthropy

A weathered wooden railroad caboose with peeling red paint sits on a grassy lawn beside a brick school wall under overcast skies. — The nonprofit Caboose Fund is seeking about $100,000 to restore the Little Red Caboose, a 1919 wooden railroad car that has sat outside Mount Vernon Community School in Alexandria since 1973. AI Illustration. Upload story photo >

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Should your community spend public money preserving historic local landmarks like this caboose?

The Caboose Fund needs about $100,000 to restore the Little Red Caboose, which was built in 1919 by Norfolk and Western in Roanoke, Virginia. The wooden car shows wear, rain leaks through its window frames, and restoration requires metal work, painting, and significant carpentry.

Why it matters

Without restoration, the caboose will likely have to be moved and may be scrapped. The effort aims to preserve a long-cherished community landmark in Alexandria's Del Ray neighborhood.

The Caboose Fund estimates restoration will cost about $100,000, a figure tied to metal work, painting, and carpentry. The source does not say how much has already been raised or when the work would be completed.

The players

Caboose Fund

A nonprofit organization started to save the Little Red Caboose from deterioration and removal.

The details

The Caboose Fund, a nonprofit formed to save the railroad car, is consulting specialists for the work and seeking to add a ramp and an HVAC system. Donations can be made by scanning a QR code at the caboose or through the Caboose Fund's website.

1919: Norfolk and Western builds the caboose in Roanoke, Virginia.
1973: The caboose is placed outside Mount Vernon Community School.
50 years ago: A community effort brings the caboose to the Del Ray neighborhood.

Legacy Preservation

The caboose's 1919 construction by Norfolk and Western in Roanoke links the current restoration to a century-old railroad car. Restoring it extends that history into present-day Alexandria, where the car has stood outside Mount Vernon Community School since 1973.

Alexandria residents can help save the caboose by scanning the QR code posted at the car or donating through the Caboose Fund's website. The restoration would also add accessibility features, including a ramp, so more people can visit the car.

The takeaway

Small community donations can preserve local landmarks that would otherwise be lost. Residents who want to help can contribute at the caboose or online.