Historic Ada railroad caboose renovated - ceremony Sept. 17 planned

The Pride of Ada - the Pennsylvania Railroad caboose in the Ada depot park was renovated this summer. At 9 a.m. Saturday, Sept. 17, during Ada's Harvest and Herb Festival, the caboose will be re-christened. Here's the story of the caboose.

Its given name sounds like a phone number: Pennsylvania 477779.

It’s 75 years old and after a half-century of hard - all out-of-doors - work, it found Ada – or, Ada found it.

CHECK OUT PHOTOS OF THE CABOOSE IN THE ATTACHMENT BELOW -

It sadly out-lived its usefulness. It became obsolete, and simply turned into a reminder of the good old days of railroading. But, boy, were those good days.

Pennsylvania Railroad caboose 477779 retired in Ada in 1989. Several historic-mind and railroad-loving residents had a vision for Ada’s also retired and proud passenger station – that also avoided demolition.

They believed that a caboose was a fitting object to park beside the depot. Now it’s Ada's little red caboose, the Pride of Ada. And, this summer a refurbishing brings out its shine.

Here’s a photo essay of the caboose, with some before and after photos.