WILEY RAILROAD RELIC GARDEN in the foothills of the Blue Ridge Mountains, Lynchburg, Va

From collecting small datenails found in discarded railroad crossties to actual railroad structures, the passion for railroad history is manifested and displayed in our garden which is shown below. For us, the collection and arrangement of three dozen pieces from seven railroads makes our own Railroad Relic Sculpture Garden. Having 10 plus acres helps keep normal life and the railroad collection in perspective. Our goal is to stimulate our visitors to want to learn more after leaving.

Tuesday, January 17, 2012

VIRGINIAN Ry Caboose Stove

Weighing a few hundred pounds, this cast iron stove was used in a Virginian Railway wood caboose of the C-1 class and built between 1906 and 1924. The donor caboose had been purchased from the N&W in 1960, a year after the VGN/N&W merger, and placed beside a private lake in Nottoway County, Virginia. After arriving at our Relic Garden in 2011, it has been repaired, cleaned and treated so it can continue to be useful for many more decades. It addition to cooking outdoor meals it is used by Charlotte as a wood fired kiln for her pottery work.