A century-old relic of Canadian rail history was hoisted up and gently swung into place at its new resting place on a farm near Eckville on Saturday.
Once known simply as #78366, the caboose is now the prized possession of Ernie Beskowiney, who plans to turn it into the control booth for a scale rideable railroad he has envisioned for his land a few kilometres southeast of Eckville.
The caboose was donated to him by the Canadian Northern Society, which is dedicated to preserving Prairies railroad history and oversees railway stations sites at Big Valley, Meeting Creek and Camrose.
For years, it sat next to the Big Valley station. But time and the elements have taken their toll, and the caboose was donated to Beskowiney, who plans to undertake a full restoration and make it the centrepiece of his miniature railroad.
His caboose comes with a movie star pedigree. It was seen in the Clint Eastwood Oscar winner Unforgiven among a number of big screen appearances. Brad Pitt was also filmed in it.
“I’ve been looking for years for something,” Beskowiney said, shortly after his new acquisition was lowered onto its wheels on a short piece of track he had put in place to receive it just a stone’s throw from his home.
“One day I was told the caboose was mine.”
He wanted to make a donation to the society, but they wouldn’t take his money, he said.
The society was just happy that it went to someone with both the enthusiasm and the restoration know-how to restore the caboose to its former glory.
Beskowiney was trained as a journeyman and has been involved in a number of ventures, including owning his own business manufacturing precision downhole measuring instruments.
As a hobby, he became an expert automobile restorer taking top prizes at car shows, before turning his attention to creating scale steam engines fit for a seven-inch (38-cm) wide track.
He is currently building multiple versions of the 6060 series U1F Mountain type 4-8-2 locomotive that is operated by the Rocky Mountain Rail Society out of Stettler. It was one of the engines used on the popular train trips offered through Alberta Prairie Railway Excursions.
He has recently been working with the society on the full-size 6060, which is need of some repair work.
The caboose was built by Canadian Car and Foundry, a Montreal-based company formed in 1897.
It manufactured rail cars out of Montreal and Amherst, N.S. and Beskowiney’s was made sometime between 1910 and 1913.
In 1942, it was refitted as a caboose and served for several more decades. At one point, it wound up in a siding in Jasper as an exhibit before being moved to Big Valley.
Beskowiney estimates restoring the caboose will be a two- to three-year project. All of the original wood siding, which has rotted and the red paint has faded and peeled, needs to be replaced.
The interior remains in good shape, right down to its original potbelly stove.
Once restored, he hopes to build a shelter above it to protect it from the elements.
His long-term plan is to lay out 1,500 metres of track and to give the public rides on the miniature train similar to those found in amusement parks.
Two big fundraising events would be held each year to benefit Alberta’s two children’s hospitals.
Outside those events, the site will be open to the public on a drop-in basis and for educational purposes.
He expects to begin laying track this summer and hopes to have the railroad open in three years.
pcowley@www.reddeeradvocate.com