SAN ANGELO – The San Angelo Railway Museum suffered a double blow over the weekend as there was an attempted break-in which damaged windows on the historic caboose then a vehicle crashed into the mini caboose dragging it 15 feet from it's original position.
The following is information released Monday by the Railway Museum of San Angelo:
Operations have been chugging along with living history tours, Second Saturday events, updated lighting, and a new HVAC system. Being in the public spotlight produces positive attention for visitor engagement, however sometimes it can also attract attention from unfavorable guests such as vandals.
Unfortunately, on Saturday July 30 the museum discovered a shattered window on the door of the outdoor historical Santa Fe Railroad caboose. The damage appeared to be intentional and possibly an attempt for breaking & entering.
This is not the first time the museum has repaired damages to this caboose, and it isn’t the only type of harm it has received. On the morning of Monday, August 1 , Board President Suzanna Valenzuela received a call from a neighbor stating the mini caboose located at the corner of Chadbourne and Hardeman Pass had been knocked over.
Destruction at the Railway Museum (Contributed: Railway Museum)
Destruction at the Railway Museum (Contributed: Railway Museum)
Destruction at the Railway Museum (Contributed: Railway Museum)
When Mrs. Valenzuela arrived at the scene, she was shocked to see the amount of destruction caused to not only the mini caboose signage but presumably to the culprit’s vehicle. Apparently, someone drove off the Chadbourne Street path headed South and struck a tree and the caboose, severely damaging the caboose and dragging it about 15 feet away from its original location.
Tire marks, pieces of the vehicle’s bumper, and a great amount of oil spill were uncovered. Indeed, the San Angelo Police Department was immediately notified for both incidents and thorough investigations are currently in progress. What’s next? These two unexpected disasters taking place in the same weekend has put the Railway Museum of San Angelo in an adverse financial position. The broken window must be replaced, and the mini caboose may be beyond repairs or cost a pretty penny to restore.
The Railway Museum will have additional surveillance mounted around the property to capture future trespassing activity. If you or someone you know has any leading information, please contact the San Angelo Police Department Anonymous Tip line: 325-658-HELP / 325-658-4357. If you would like to help the museum with repairs, donations are always welcomed.
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