Train depot

Built in 1859, the Vienna Depot, located at 231 Dominion Road NE, has been home since 1977 to the Northern Virginia Model Railroaders Club. From 1-5 pm on the third Saturday of most months and during some of the Town’s most popular events, the club hosts an open house, inviting the community to come in and see its HO-scale depiction of the Western North Carolina Railroad (WNC) that ran from Salisbury to Asheville.

The NOVA Model Railroaders Club says: “At our open houses, visitors can observe realistic train movements as small switcher engines move cars around Spencer Yard to assemble trains. Each train is then connected to a larger locomotive that then rolls down the mainline track to other rail centers in distant towns, finally arriving in Asheville at the end of the day. At each town, WNC trains will drop off and pick up cars using procedures and following train orders just like the real WNC did back in the 1950s.”

The Vienna Depot was constructed by the Alexandria, Loudoun & Hampshire Railroad, predecessor of the Washington & Old Dominion (W&OD) Railway. It served the Town for 109 years until 1968 when the W&OD ceased operation.

Red caboose

Unveiled as part of the Town of Vienna’s 100th anniversary celebration in 1990, the Red Caboose is a reminder of the importance of the railroad industry in Vienna’s history. Plus, kids just love climbing on the caboose, located along Church Street across from the Freeman Store and Museum.

Currently maintained by the Optimist Club of Greater Vienna, the caboose is open from 1-5 pm the third Saturday of most months and during some of the Town’s most popular events.