Duncan Caboose Restoration Project

The Summer Festival Office has been housed in the train caboose, located in Charles Hoey Park, in Downtown Duncan for many years. This is the actual caboose that rode the line between Victoria and Lake Cowichan/Youbou; hauling logs to port in the early 1900’s.

In 2008, the City of Duncan began a restoration project to bring the caboose back to its original design. Many corporate donors and volunteers got involved in the project, as well. In late 2009, the Duncan-Cowichan Festival Society received a grant from the BC 150 and Heritage Legacy fund of British Columbia to take on phase two of the caboose restoration and complete the work to save this important historical record. This grant also funded the cosmetic restoration of the inside of the office. This project is expected to be completed by the end of June.

The Festival Society would like to thank the generous donations of our donors, supporters and heritage buffs. Special thanks also goes to the Public Works crew of the City of Duncan for their labour and research for this project. Your dedication has ensured we have a vibrant, welcoming office for years to come.

Thank you to the following contributors for making the Caboose restoration a reality:
B+L Lumber Products, Cowichan Lake Concrete, Dobson's Paint, Stone Pacific Contracting, Michael Jansson, Ken Harkness, Gino Wesson.

Logos - City of Duncan, BC150, Heritage Legacy Fund.

The History of the Caboose

by Len Thew, City of Duncan Operations Manager

The Esquimalt and Nanaimo Railway was opened in 1886. The inaugural train bearing Prime Minister Sir John A. Macdonald and timber baron Robert Dunsmuir, made an unscheduled stop here at William Duncan’s farm known as Alderlea. A crowd of 2000 had gathered.

Children from the local school sang “Welcome to you all” and the local farmers petitioned Dunsmuir, the builder of the railway, for a station here. At the last moment, as the train pulled out, “old Bob” shouted “You will have a station there boys!”

Duncan may not have been were it not for rail, and this car spent her life rattling away on those very tracks that made us what we are today.

The post war period was a very busy time for Vancouver Island railway operations. After an extensive refit in 1953, #79124 was used on freight trains between Victoria and Youbou over the former Cowichan Subdivision, and also log and lumber trains between Youbou and Cowichan Bay.

By the late 70’s, truck logging was predominant and Canadian National only required one caboose on this line. In 1982, #79124 was declared surplus and was acquired by the City of Duncan to be placed at the Train Station where it remains to this day.

After falling into disrepair, A full restoration of the exterior of #79124 was begun in 2008. Every effort has been made to depict this caboose as it would have been during the zenith of its her career running the rails of the Cowichan Valley. Historically correct colors and markings were researched, and original plans have been used as a guide in ensuring authenticity.