MARYSVILLE — The Red Caboose at the corner of Cedar Avenue and Fourth Street, which sustained significant damage from a fire July 19 of last year, left the landscape of Marysville March 22.

City of Marysville Parks and Recreation Director Jim Ballew explained that Jim Shaffer, owner of Shaffer Crane and Equipment in Everett, purchased the caboose for his own private use.

“We surplused the caboose almost a year ago for only $1, but the cost of moving it started at $6,000,” Ballew said. “Everyone from Leavenworth to the Camano Firefighters Museum was interested in purchasing it, but nobody could afford to move it.”

Ballew noted that the area of the caboose, which had previously housed the Maryfest office, was always intended to serve as a “gateway” to the city of Marysville, and in the caboose’s absence he expects that area to be landscaped to make way for a large city map with visitor information.

“We hope to re-landscape that area relatively soon,” Ballew said. “However, because we were uncertain about the removal time of the caboose, we don’t have a set schedule yet.”