Photo provided A replica caboose displayed at the Belmont County Tourism Office in the Ohio Valley Mall shows what a restored B&O caboose will look like when it is moved to Bellaire this summer, thanks to efforts by the Great Stone Viaduct Historical Education Society.

BELLAIRE – A bright blue caboose that once trailed the rails of the Baltimore & Ohio Railroad will soon find new life in Bellaire — not as a relic, but as a centerpiece of the community’s past and future.

The B&O Caboose Restoration Project is an initiative by the Great Stone Viaduct Historical Education Society to bring a historic B&O caboose to Bellaire and place it on track recently purchased near the Great Stone Viaduct plaza.

And while a caboose typically signals the end of a train, Great Stone Viaduct Chair Ed Mowrer sees it as a beginning.

“We hope this is a catalyst,” he said. “Bellaire is definitely a town that needs a little TLC. We hope this leads to more community and economic development in the village.”

The Great Stone Viaduct Historical Education Society takes its name from the Great Stone Viaduct, the iconic 19th-century stone arcade bridge that defines Bellaire’s riverfront skyline and reflects the community’s deep railroad history.

Built in 1871, the 43-arch structure once served as the western approach to the Baltimore & Ohio Railroad bridge spanning the Ohio River. Today, the viaduct — which resembles a Roman aqueduct — stands as a lasting symbol of industrial engineering and local heritage and is listed on the National Register of Historic Places.

Often referred to as the “Great Short Line to the West,” the viaduct helped advance westward expansion during the post-Civil War era. The structure has also been viewed as a symbol of unity, with each arch containing 37 ring stones representing the 37 states in the nation at that time.

Over the past decade, the society has led a major revitalization effort at the viaduct site, transforming it from a long-vacant industrial structure into a public destination. That work reached a major milestone in October 2022, when a 20-arch portion of the viaduct reopened as a half-mile elevated walking and bicycle trail, with a plaza below and an observation deck overlooking the community.

The project also includes a parking area, interpretive features and plans for continued expansion of surrounding green space — 2.3 acres that recently underwent environmental remediation. The goal is to repurpose the property into what the viaduct has always been: a symbol of the blue-collar strength that built the village and a meeting place for those who have called — and still call — Bellaire home.

The viaduct even inspired the poem “Meet Me at the Viaduct” and continues to serve as both the backdrop and backbone of Bellaire. Now, the space that has been preserved can be used for community events.

“The viaduct is the life of this community and the heart of this village,” Mowrer said. “It’s always been a meeting place, and it still is. We wanted to preserve that for Bellaire. If you have an event, we have the space. We want to share it with the community. The caboose is just another extension of that. It’s something to display and share.”

The caboose, identified as C-26 Class No. 3825, is one of the last of its kind built for the B&O and remains in relatively good condition despite its five decades of wear and tear. The railcar is equipped with seating, bunk beds, a table, stove, sink, toilet and storage areas – reflecting its original use by train crews.

Organizers say the project is intended to provide Bellaire with a tangible piece of railroad history as the B&O Railroad, recognized as America’s first public railroad, played a significant role in the region, including becoming the first railroad to enter Belmont County in 1854. Bellaire later developed into a major railroad hub connecting multiple lines.

Proposed uses for the caboose include a welcome center, society office, gift shop or traveling exhibit space. Currently, only Barnesville and Holloway have cabooses preserving B&O heritage in Belmont County.

“Right now, the plan is to get the caboose to Bellaire,” Mowrer said. “We have other ideas, and eventually we want to restore the interior. But once the exterior restoration is complete and we place it on the track we purchased, it will be used for educational purposes until a permanent use is decided and the interior is restored sometime in the future.”

The project is being completed in three phases. The first phase — transporting the caboose from Jackson, Ohio, to the Age of Steam Roundhouse in Sugarcreek — has been completed. The second phase, which includes restoring the exterior and windows to the original B&O paint scheme and markings, is nearing completion. The final phase will involve moving the restored caboose to its permanent home in Bellaire, where it is expected to arrive by the end of summer.

Other initiatives led by the organization — whose mission focuses on creating meaningful learning opportunities through projects, public programming and partnerships — include its Winter Lecture Series, co-sponsored by the Bellaire Public Library.

It was during one of those lectures that the idea of bringing a caboose to Bellaire first took shape. Speaker Dwight Jones, a railroad historian and author, happened to specialize in cabooses.

“One of our speakers, Dwight Jones, was an expert in cabooses, particularly B&O cabooses, and he said, ‘You guys need a caboose. I will sell you one for a dollar,'” Mowrer said. “And that’s what we did. We bought one for a dollar.”

For the past two years, the society has been raising funds to bring the caboose to Bellaire. Total project costs are estimated at about $60,000, with transportation accounting for nearly two-thirds of that amount.

Those efforts include rail-related trips, the latest set for June 20 when they visit the Ernest Warther Museum and Gardens in Dover and the Age of Steam Roundhouse in Sugarcreek, where the caboose is currently being restored. The cost is $160 for sustaining and charter members and $170 for nonmembers. Reservations can be made through Uniglobe Ohio Valley Travel.

The society also continues to seek community support, with donor recognition levels ranging from $100 to $1,000 or more.

Funding for the viaduct project has come from a mix of public and private sources. This includes a $2 million Ohio Department of Transportation CAP grant that helped fund construction of the plaza and trail, as well as additional state grants and environmental remediation funding in 2024.

“We’ve been blessed by the support because none of this would be possible without it,” Mowrer said. “Belmont Savings Bank made a significant contribution, and the land bank helped have the site designated as a brownfield, which paid for the environmental work. JB Green Team also just awarded us a $5,000 grant for park benches and recycling receptacles at the site.”

Looking ahead, the society is advancing new initiatives to further interpret Bellaire’s railroad heritage and enhance the site as a regional destination. In addition to the caboose, plans include expanding educational and interpretive features at the viaduct park, along with additional park space and recreational access.

Today, the Great Stone Viaduct stands not only as a restored landmark but as the centerpiece of a broader community-driven preservation effort — one that continues to evolve through education, restoration and new projects aimed at connecting future generations to the region’s rail legacy.

It is also drawing visitors to Bellaire, and that, Mowrer said, fosters the future as much as it honors the past.

“People visit from all over — not only the Ohio Valley or the region, but from across the country,” Mowrer said. “We’ve had visitors from Maryland and Indiana stop by. When they do, they spend time here. They grab lunch at Gulla’s and visit other places in town. It puts us on the map, draws tourism and gives this town a little more life — maybe another chance.”

For more information on the Great Stone Viaduct or to contribute to the caboose project, visit the society’s website at reatstoneviaduct.org.