Harry’s Caboose

By Andrew Pouncey

The caboose at Oaklawn Garden (formerly the property of Harry & Becky Cloyes) was a gift of Norfolk Southern for Harry’s observations as a railfan. Harry observed that there was a fire below the passing cars, and he called Norfolk Southern. They stopped the train and extinguished the fire, saving the railroad thousands of dollars. 

They asked Harry, “what would you like Harry?” And Harry said, “I would like a caboose!” In October 1989, a crane lifted the 47,000-pound caboose from its place on the track onto Harry’s property. Norfolk and Western were bought out by Norfolk Southern and never actually rode these rails. It didn’t matter a bit to Harry.