Jun. 22—The first thing visible were the red and blue flashing lights of a police vehicle jumping up from behind the crest of a small hill.
Close behind, slowly making its way down State Street just outside of Mertztown, was a semitruck pulling a large flat-bed trailer. And on top of the trailer was the star attraction, the item neighbors stared at and photographers pointed their cameras toward.
Painted a muted yellow and emerald green, with "Reading" and "92926" scrawled on the side, was a classic train caboose.
The 1941 Reading Company caboose made a short but tricky journey Thursday morning, traveling from the backyard of a private home a few miles to its new permanent location at Longswamp Township Park.
The car has been purchased by the Longswamp Township Historical Society and will sit next to the group's future museum and headquarters.
Marie Maly, historical society president, said the society has for years been looking for its own place to call home. Formed in 2010, the group has leased space for its offices and museum.
But this year they got word that their current home at a local church needed them to leave. That news left the historical society scattered, with artifacts from the museum ending up in storage at various local businesses.
The situation is only temporary, however. The historical society has plans to re-create the Mertztown train station at Longswamp Township Park and use it as a museum.
That project, which will hopefully begin this fall, includes salvaging pieces from the existing, deteriorating train station and incorporating them into the re-creation.
With the new museum set to be in a train station, members of the historical society jumped at the chance when a real life train caboose fell into their laps.
Terry Schultz had purchased a caboose several years ago, setting it up on a short span of tracks in his backyard in the township. Earlier this year, Schultz passed away.
A neighbor, John Moll, knew Schultz's partner was likely looking to get rid of the caboose as she prepared to sell Schultz's house. Moll, a longtime member of the historical society, inquired about it.
It turned out that it could be had for the right price.
The historical society ended up paying $12,500 to buy the caboose. But that was only the first step.
Next, they had to figure out how to move it.
That project would take a lot of planning, and a big chunk of money. And it had to happen quickly.
Within about 1 1/2 months of buying the caboose a crane was lifting it into the air and dropping it on the flatbed. The wheels had to be taken off first and moved, along with the tracks, separately.