A little piece of Hoosier nostalgia was up for grabs this week, but that opportunity has been put on pause.
Here’s a quick history lesson. Since the 1970s , a Broad Ripple train caboose — aka The Little Red Caboose — has been parked along the Monon Trail. Built in 1904 , the train car was originally part of the New York Central Lakeshore Lines until the late 1960s, when it was transferred to the Monon Rail System — which is now the Monon Trail we know today.
Currently, the caboose belongs to the city, which was hoping to send it home with the highest bidder. That’s because a couple of years ago, the city announced it had plans to widen the Monon Trail, but it can’t proceed full steam ahead until the train is removed.
The train was up for auction until Sunday, March 30 with the most recent bid at $3,125. That is until yesterday, when an Indy Parks spokesperson said that they would halt the sale to “reengage stakeholders and explore additional options.” We’ll keep you updated as the story continues to roll forward.