Preliminary Work Underway To Transport L&N Caboose From Cookeville To Baxter

Work has begun to move the L&N Caboose from Cookeville to Baxter.

Cookeville City Council approved the donation of the caboose to the Friends of the Baxter Depot in May.

Friends of the Baxter Depot President Glenn Jones said they plan on use a crane company to start the transportation.

“We’re going to try to pick it up where it is in Cookeville and sit it on the rail,” Jones said. “Then we’re going to try to get the railroad authority to roll it to Baxter because it rolled there. We’re hoping it will still roll.”

Jones said that work for the foundation is almost complete, and that there are still several steps before the caboose itself can be transported.

“We’re going to form up the sidewalks to 40 feet long and 10 feet wide,” Jones said. “Kind of like a driveway. It’s going to be poured there with some rebar in it. Then we’re going to do rails and bolt them down on it.”

Jones said they are looking at about a month for the construction and transportation process to be completed.

Should the car not roll on the tracks as originally planned, Jones said their plan B will be to use a low-rise trailer to transport the car.

Jones said he’s excited that the caboose will be able to stay in Putnam County. He said they even have future plans to develop the area further.

“Our future plan is to build a little freight station right next to it,” Jones said. “And have a covered stage where when we have our Harvest Festival we can have hte abnd underneath a roof and it’ll be sitting right next to the caboose. It’ll all work together good for our festivals and whatever anything else the city of Baxter would want to do with that stage.”