TROY — After months of work by dedicated area residents, the Cheshire Railroad Depot is almost ready for its closeup. The Troy Historical Society has been restoring a stainless steel railcar, referred to as 6154, to its former glory since February. Volunteers have washed the train, removed the old seating, replaced the number plates, scraped the graffiti, removed the light fixtures and most recently added shiny new decals to either side.
And on Oct. 5, the historical society will celebrate that progress with the second-annual Depot Day. The event is hosted by the Troy and Fitzwilliam historical societies and will feature food and vendors at the Troy train depot and in Fitzwilliam, with a 5-mile fun run between the towns on the Cheshire Rail Trail starting at 10 a.
m. “It’s a beautiful time of year, and there’s so much history between [Troy] and Fitzwilliam," said Kim Chaffee, the chairperson of The Troy Historical Society and Cheshire Railroad Depot. Built in 1957, the railcar arrived at the depot in November 2023 and volunteers have hopped right on board, offering their time and energy to restore the antique.
The Budd Rail Diesel Car can be found next to the fully restored 177-year-old depot at 24-54 Water St. in Troy. The 118,000 pound, 85 foot railcar originally fit 90 passengers and traveled through Cheshire County for two years.
The railcar was bought with $6,000 raised through donations, and a grant provided the $20,000 to move 6154 from Vermont Rail in Burlingto.