Historic B&O caboose has a new home at Bellaire’s Great Stone Viaduct
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BELLAIRE - After two years of planning, a historic B&O caboose has been placed at the Great Stone Viaduct in Bellaire.
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.
Identified as C-26 Class No. 3825, the caboose 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.
Great Stone Viaduct Education Society trustee Daniel Frizzi said that in 2024 the society purchased the caboose from Dwight Jones for $1 at the Great Sun Viaduct Society Public Library lecture series, at the Bellaire Public Library.
"He presented a presentation on cabooses of the Baltimore Ohio Railroad, and he said that he had a caboose that he owned that he was willing to sell for $1. So for $1, I decided, well, you know, sight unseen, I took $1 up and handed it to him, and he said, 'Okay, that will be your caboose," Frizzi said.
He added that he then asked Jones where the caboose was being stored, and Jones replied Jackson, Ohio.
Frizzi said that during a family bicycling trip in Athens, he decided to make a detour to Jackon in hopes to spot the caboose.
"We went over to Jackson but couldn’t find it, we had no idea where the caboose was located, and we ended up stopping at a yard sale. I asked somebody at the yard sale ‘Do you know where there are any cabooses here?’" Frizzi said.
He added that the person asked if Frizzi meant old cabooses to which he replied that he did. The person then informed him that he was aware of three cabooses in an old warehouse and then showed Frizzi where the old warehouse was located.
Once spotting the caboose Frizzi snapped a few photographs of it to show the committee to ask if it wanted to bring the caboose back to Bellaire.
The committee decided to bring the caboose back to the village and after over a year of the committee restoring the caboose itself it now sits at the Great Stone Viaduct.
To celebrate the inclusion to the viaduct, the Great Stone Viaduct Education Society will be hosting a public event on Oct. 10 from 11 a.m. until 1 p.m.
"We encourage families to come because we’ll have a lot of kids’ activities and games and then of course, we’ll be dedicating the caboose," chairperson Ed Mowrer said. "Our whole goal is to turn this into a gem for Bellaire."
He added that the area will have public access.
"We've already had different groups use our plaza. Bellaire High School has had art shows and we've had class reunions, car shows, and various activities here," Mowrer said. "This is just one more thing to add to our plaza."
He added that Bellaire used to be the gateway to Chicago for the railroads. 10 years ago the committee purchased the Great Stone Viaduct and have since refurbished it.
"We received a $2 million grant from the state of Ohio to build this plaza and put the walking trail up on top," Mowrer said.
He added that the committee also received funds from Belmont County Tourism Council and Belmont Saving Bank to refurbish and transport the caboose to the village.
In addition to the funds received a fundraiser occurred to complete the project.