Sugar Loaf caboose undergoes restoration

Property owner Ed Mullins and his business partner have restored the Sugar Loaf caboose at 1398 Kings Highway, which is the old Lehigh and Hudson River Railway Caboose #10. The structure had been in poor condition for several years, raising speculation that it would be torn down.

In truth, Mullins told The Chronicle he has had his mind set on restoring the landmark since he bought the property in 2008. “Ever since I was a kid I drove by that thing and wanted to own it,” he said. “We’ve been trying to maintain its historical integrity.”

Railroad historian Marty Feldner of Warwick said the caboose was a working caboose on the railroad from 1942 to the early 1970s. It was Walter Kannon, former owner of the since closed Barnsider restaurant, who moved both the caboose and the old East Chester train station to Sugar Loaf after their retirement from service.

The caboose is adjacent on the property to the building that is the former East Chester train station. Since the station’s move to Sugar Loaf in 1971, it has been the site of several businesses, most recently as Anne Marie’s Deli, which closed December 31, 2022.

Mullins said of the deli, “We thought we would bring something to Sugar Loaf that was lacking. A community place where people could stop and get a coffee and talk to their neighbors.”

The deli closed and the property was on the market for the past year, but Mullins did not find any suitors he found appropriate for the site. “We decided to keep it and put it back on the rental market to find a qualified, experienced person to provide a deli.”

The caboose has its own Facebook page, titled Lehigh and Hudson River Railway – Caboose #10. On it Mullins announced the caboose renovations include “the installation of new wooden siding, repairs to support beams, a fresh coat of paint, and fully functional windows... the next phases of the project will include painting the metal, original lettering and a few interior projects.”

Mullins and Feldner both commended Chris Knapp and his team at CGK Carpentry for their work on this project.

Feldner said, “I really am impressed with the job that they’ve done. I know they’ve been wanting to do it for quite a while. The person he hired to do the job has done a fantastic job.”

Chester Town Supervisor Brandon Holdridge was excited to see the structure restored. He said, ”I’ve heard many stories about the caboose from people all over Chester, including my parents and uncles. It’s a great thing to see it so beautifully restored. This town owes a great big thanks to Ed Mullins for putting in the effort to get it done.”

The Sugar Loaf Historical Society released a statement commending Mullins and his partner for restoring the caboose. ”The Sugar Loaf Historical Society is stoked to see that the private owner of the caboose committed his own finances to painstakingly restore the old caboose that sits on his property.”

The Chester Historical Society could not be reached for comment.

Mullins is a retired Warwick police officer who served for 32 years. He moved to Chester in 2000 but said his family “goes way back” in the town. He recalled that when the business on the property had been a bar, he got called to a DWI incident, which claimed a young woman’s life. He said he swore to himself at that moment he’d buy the property and close the bar.