Oct 1, 2008

Red Barn rebuilt as railroad boutiqueBy Jenni MintzVenturaCountyStar.com

CA — Thousands of daily commuters traveling along the stretch of Highway 126 east of Santa Paula will soon have a new reason to stop.

At least, that’s what the new owners of roadside business Loose Caboose, the landmark formerly known as The Red Barn, are hoping.

The six-acre property, which includes a fruit stand and garden center, was purchased Sept. 3 by the Fillmore & Western Railway Co. It is now being restored and expanded.

Loose Caboose will open Saturday, with a pumpkin patch dubbed “Ichabod” on the far west end of the property. Local arts and crafts vendors, bounce houses, face painting and hayrides will be available through October.

The Fillmore company also is introducing the “PumpkinLiner,” a new train ride to Loose Caboose that will run on weekends during October. Tickets are $15 for adults, $8 for children, ages 4 to 12, and $6 for children, ages 2 to 3.

“It used to be a thriving business, and we want to return it to that,” said Kathleen McCreary, director of sales and marketing for Fillmore & Western Railway Co. “We think we can capture a lot of the daily traffic on the 126.”

The purchase made sense for Fillmore & Western Railway Co., McCreary said. The company offers chartered train rides to Santa Paula, Fillmore and Piru, and Loose Caboose serves as a natural stop for the train. The tracks bisect the property.

The company will continue to do its regular train rides — this is just an added attraction — McCreary said.

One of the major operational changes is that the Red Barn closed from October to April, whereas Loose Caboose will stay open year-round, seven days a week.

Read complete article.