Editing Victoria, Virginia (section)

== Remembering Victoria's rail heritage ==

Early in the 21st century, work was begun to develop a rail heritage park and obtain a caboose to help present the town's rail heritage. After several years of work, one of the last C-10 cabooses built in-house by VGN employees at the company's massive shops complex in [[Princeton, West Virginia]] in the 1950s was located.

Rail preservationist, historian, and photographer Kenneth Miller of Roanoke had purchased Caboose 342 in the 1980s, and working with his father, had carefully restored it over a period of years. Miller, a long-time VGN fan, agreed to let Victoria have what is considered by many to be the finest extant VGN caboose for the new rail heritage park.

To prepare an appropriate display area for Caboose 342, a short stretch of roadbed was prepared, ballasted, and ties and rail were laid by volunteers in Victoria. The initials "H.H.R." and "W.N.P." were engraved as a lasting tribute to the founders of the [[Virginian Railway]], industrialist and financier [[Henry H. Rogers|Henry Huttleston Rogers]] and coal mining manager and civil engineer [[William N. Page|William Nelson Page]].

[[Image:VGN Caboose 342 at Victoria Virginia August 2004.jpg|350px|right|thumb|[[Virginian Railway]] restored and fully equipped caboose # 342 placed on static display in the town of Victoria]]

Late in 2004, [[Norfolk Southern]] carefully transported Caboose 342 from [[Roanoke, Virginia|Roanoke]] to the NS rail yard at [[Crewe, Virginia]] by rail. From there, it traveled overland by truck and was placed on the new rails at Victoria on December 22, 2004. In Victoria, it has been placed on display fully equipped, and has become a popular attraction for school groups and retired railroaders alike.