The little red caboose that has greeted generations of schoolkids outside Mount Vernon Community School in Alexandria's Del Ray neighborhood is rusting, rotting and in need of roughly $100,000 in repairs, according to the nonprofit now trying to save it. Built in 1919 by Norfolk and Western in Roanoke, Virginia, the railcar has stood as a neighborhood fixture for decades, but rain is getting in through its window frames and the wood construction shows serious wear and tear.
A Neighborhood Icon Showing Its Age
As reported by NBC4 Washington, Gian Macone described the caboose as an enduring icon of the community, while also warning that it may have to be moved or scrapped if it cannot be preserved. The group working to prevent that outcome, the Caboose Fund, is a nonprofit started specifically to save the railroad car, and it estimates the restoration cost at about $100,000. Separately, The Zebra reports that rust pits the roof and water rots the timber supports beneath the chassis, and that the group is chasing historic preservation grants, skilled trade help and community donations.
Exactly when the caboose landed in Del Ray is a bit murky. Mount Vernon Community School's own history page states it was brought to the school in 1973, while The Zebra reports the railcar arrived from Roanoke around 1974, trucked in by the school PTA. Whichever date is right, the caboose had been closed to the public for years before opening for the 2026 tour for the first time in more than a decade, and it is owned by Alexandria City Public Schools.
What It Will Take To Fix It
Evan Wilson, with the Caboose Fund, said restoration requires metalworking, painting and significant carpentry, and the group is consulting specialists to perform that work. Wilson also said moving the rail car in its tight location presents logistical challenges, and the caboose may require relocation for the restoration work to happen at all. The Caboose Fund's own website states the group is currently engaging a company to do a full assessment of what the caboose needs to remain safe and beautiful for the future, per the Caboose Fund.
Beyond structural repairs, the group hopes to add an accessibility ramp outside the caboose and install an HVAC system. Wilson said the Caboose Fund wants the caboose available to all Alexandria residents and the public, with the nonprofit's stated goal being a fully restored caboose that is safe, accessible and open for students, families and community events, according to the Caboose Fund's website.
Fundraising Already Underway
The effort has already picked up some momentum. The Del Ray House & Garden Tour in May brought in more than $27,000 for local causes, with ticket proceeds designated in part for caboose restoration, according to Alexandria Brief. Visitors can also donate by scanning a QR code posted at the caboose itself, or by giving directly through the Caboose Fund website.
Del Ray isn't alone in trying to rescue a rusting rail relic. In Wabash County, a local museum says it has already raised $25,000 toward restoring its own little red caboose and is aiming to match that with an additional $25,000 for interior renovations, per Grow Wabash County. In Virginia's Norge community, meanwhile, a caboose restoration project reached its final stages last October while remaining open to the public, the Virginian-Pilot reported. For Del Ray, the hope is that community support, grants and specialist labor can add up to a similar happy ending for a caboose that has sat outside the same Alexandria schoolyard for more than five decades.
