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 Burlington, according to previous Sentinel reporting . The purchase and restoration work for the railcar has been paid for through fundraising, donations and grants. Larry Kemp, along with other volunteers, prepared the depot for the car in September 2023, and they have not stopped working to restore 6154 all summer.
Kemp, who is a Peterborough native and lives in Dublin, has built a strong rapport within the train community of enthusiasts and people in the industry. He is an active member of the Monadnock Model Railroad Club and volunteers with the Boston & Maine Railroad Historical Society. Chaffee said Kemp has been “instrumental” in the process.
“We’re extremely blessed to have him.” While Kemp did not have a professional career involving trains, he worked on the North Conway Scenic Railroad for 18 years, and when he moved back to Southern New Hampshire after retiring he was searching for a new project. He describes 6154 as a “local project you can get tangled up in.
” His numerous contributions have included applying the new blue and white B&M decals — referencing when the train was used by the Boston & Maine Railroad — and creating a model of the railcar along with a mini Cheshire Railroad Depot. Chaffee stressed that none of this would be possible without the support of local businesses and the volunteers. "For me, it’s been a very eye-opening experience and [proof] there’s still really amazing people around here,” Chaffee said.
Looking to the future, Chaffee said the next projects are to get the floor of the train retiled and put in new windows. She said she hopes to be “somewhat” done by December, but she knows the work will not be completely finished by then. The end goal for 6154 is to restore the seating halfway through the train and leave the second half open for historical presentations, according to Chaffee.
While The Troy Historical Society wants to maintain the classic look of the railcar, members do plan to add modern touches like air conditioning, LED lights and eventually solar panels. Despite the additions, Chaffee said she wants to showcase the train's past. "Our goal is to preserve history.
" The Cheshire Railroad Depot is open on the first and third Saturdays of the month from 10 a.m. to noon.
People can register for the Oct. 5 fun run at bit.ly/3ACQOMQ .
.
