Lewes railroad project chugs along

The next piece of rolling stock that will join the red caboose in Lewes is taking shape.

The Lewes Junction Railroad & Bridge Association is having a coal tender built from scratch, using original Pennsylvania Railroad plans from the 1920s, by the Mellinger Manufacturing Co. in Willow Street, Pa.

It is now expected to arrive at the track in Stango Park early in 2025, according to David Ludlow of LJRBA. A steam locomotive, which is being restored in Wilmington, will follow at a later date.

LJRBA is also planning to put up several railroad artifacts around the tracks, although it has scaled back its original plans to reduce clutter.

LJRBA and the city signed a memorandum of understanding in 2021, agreeing to details of the exhibit. One of the provisions was a security fence around the train.

But LJRBA has been campaigning to have the requirement removed, claiming a fence would ruin the view and spirit of the exhibit and create more clutter.

Ludlow has been making the rounds to city committees and commissions to try and win a recommendation that mayor and city council scrap the fence.

The parks and recreation commission voted unanimously Oct. 21, to recommend the fence be removed from the MOU.

“I think if you put up a fence you’ll shrink this area and actually detract from Stango Park,” said Commissioner Bill Adelman, who oversees the park along with Commissioner Christine Besche. “I think the less stuff you put there, the safer it is,” he said.

Assistant City Manager Janet Reeves said to her knowledge, there have been no reports of safety issues or vandalism regarding the caboose or the track.

Mayor and city council will consider the recommendation to drop the fence at a future meeting.