Cabooses
by William Eric McFadden

click to enlarge
Something the Ohio railfan doesn't often see: a caboose still in revenue service! (NS #555057 on a coal train on Paragon flood load tipple spur near Appalachia, Virginia on August 8, 1999.)

Contents



Cabooses Restored, on Display, or in Revenue Service, by State (return to top)

Alaska

Kentucky

Indiana

Maryland

Michigan

Missouri

North Carolina

Ohio

  • Two views (1 | 2) of the PRR Class N5B caboose in Ada on September 7, 2008. This caboose was built in the Altoona, Pa shops in 1941.
  • Virginian #315 (painted as N&W #530315) center-cupola caboose in Ashville on October 5, 1997. This caboose was built in Princeton, WV in 1957.
  • The wood-sided caboose at the Barnesville Depot on October 14, 2017; historic photos show this caboose to have been lettered for the B&O.
  • B&O wagontop caboose #C2424 at the Mad River & NKP Railroad Museum in Bellevue on September 9, 2007.
  • Nickel Plate Road bay-window caboose #423 at the Mad River & NKP Railroad Museum in Bellevue on September 9, 2007.
  • Nickel Plate Road center-cupola caboose #700 at the Mad River & NKP Railroad Museum in Bellevue on September 9, 2007.
  • NW center-cupola caboose #518397 at the Mad River & NKP Railroad Museum in Bellevue on September 9, 2007.
  • L&N bay-window caboose #1002 in Bellevue on September 9, 2007.
  • NKP #463 painted as B&O #C3994 (ex-N&W #557563) bay-window caboose in Belpre in August, 2001.
  • C&O #903204 (painted as C&O #3204) steel wide-vision caboose at the C&O depot in Canal Winchester on September 20, 2002.
  • C&O #903204 (painted as C&O #3204) steel wide-vision caboose at the C&O depot in Canal Winchester on December 23, 2011.
  • Southern X525 bay-window caboose at the C&O depot in Canal Winchester on September 20, 2002.
  • Southern X525 bay-window caboose at the C&O depot in Canal Winchester on December 23, 2011.
  • NS center-cupola caboose #555671 at the rear of a work-train in Chauncey on May 17, 2010.
  • B&O wooden center-cupola caboose #C2115--needing a coat of paint--at Yochtangee Park in Chillicothe on May 2, 1997.
  • Two views (1 | 2) of B&O center-cupola wooden caboose #C2115 at Yochtangee Park in Chillicothe on June 4, 2010. This caboose is now open to the public as part of the Chillicothe Railroad Museum. According to the brochure, caboose C-2115 was built in April, 1927 in Washington, Indiana as a Class 1-5.
  • B&O #903893 (painted as B&O #C3893) bay window caboose at Yochtangee Park in Chillicothe on May 2, 1997.
  • Two views (1 | 2) of B&O #903893 (painted as B&O #C3893) bay window caboose at Yochtangee Park in Chillicothe on June 4, 2010. This caboose is now open to the public as part of the Chillicothe Railroad Museum. According to the brochure, C-3893 was built in April, 1975 by International Car Co. in Kenton, Ohio. The caboose entered service in Chillicothe on July 4, 1975. It moved to Lima, Ohio, in September, 1980. Between June, 1984 and August, 1987 the caboose serviced the Columbus, Ohio, area. It was retired from active service in October, 1989.
  • NS #1 center-cupola caboose on display at the NS Cincinnati Terminal on June 4, 2010.
  • NS #1 center-cupola caboose on display at the NS Cincinnati Terminal on August 16, 2014.
  • Two views (1 | 2) of Central Vermont RR wooden caboose C.V. 4007 at the Depot Event Center (link: the-depot.org) on Old Henderson Road, Columbus, on September 26, 2015.
  • Center-cupola caboose at Greenwood Lake Camp & Conference Center in Delaware on July 4, 2008.
  • Conrail center-cupola caboose #CN23374 painted as B&O #8662 in Delaware on December 8, 2013.
  • Ohio Central center-cupola caboose #554 in Dennison on July 31, 2004 and in Byesville on November 11, 2006.
  • Ohio Central center-cupola caboose #1880 in Dennison on July 31, 2004.
  • Nickel Plate Road bay-window caboose (un-numbered) in Dennison on July 31, 2004. This caboose is part of the permanent display at the The Dennison Railroad Museum.
  • B&O #C2127 painted as B&O #C2122 wooden center-cupola caboose at the Warther Museum in Dover, on September 30, 2000. Here's the text from a sign at the caboose:
  • Class S5 Built in 1927 and was in service on the Willard-Holloway run until 1974.

    At the end of every freight train is the little red caboose. It is an office on wheels
    for the freight conductor. Here he keeps records of each car, its contents, and destination.
    He is responsible for the train and its crew.

    The brakeman sits in the cupola while the train is in motion to watch for trouble.
    Spare parts and tools are carried for break downs.

    Conductors were assigned a caboose and have the right to live in it, and some did.
    Such was the case of John (Curly) Cadden and when his train stopped in Dover for coal
    and water, this caboose 2122 was close to this spot on the main track.

    Dave Warther, during his high school years, had a knife shop here and sold his hand-made
    knives to Curly as well as other conductors and personnel on the rail line.

    Roger Kirkpatrick tells me that this caboose is actually a class I5--the B&O had no class S5 cabooses.

  • Erie bay window caboose #C21093 in Harrods on September 7, 2008.
  • C&O wooden center-cupola caboose #A800 in Hilliard on May 24, 2003.
  • C&O Extended Vision caboose #903292 (painted as C&O #3292) in Jackson on March 29, 1998.
  • Detroit, Toledo, & Ironton Extended Vision caboose #142 in Jackson on March 29, 1998.
  • Chessie System center-cupola caboose (C&O A989 ex-PM A989 built 1941?) at the Buckeye Central Scenic Railroad near Jacksontown in August, 1998.
  • Baltimore & Ohio wagontop caboose #C2473 in Harmar (Marietta) on April 18, 2013.
  • Chesapeake & Ohio #903301 (painted as C&O #3301) extended vision caboose in Harmar (Marietta) on August 14, 2000, November 11, 2006, and April 18, 2013.
  • Erie bay window caboose #306 (ex-CR 21125, painted as Erie-Lackwanna #C306) parked at Marion Union Station, being shown by a very young railfan, on August 8, 1996.
  • Erie bay window caboose #306 (ex-CR 21125, painted as Erie-Lackwanna #C306) parked at Marion Union Station on Fabruary 18, 2018.
  • Hocking Valley center-cupola caboose #555542 painted as Snow Fork Line at the Murray City depot on July 11, 2010.
  • C&O center cupola caboose #90211 (painted as #90200) owned by J. A. Riddle, at the Hocking Valley Scenic Railway in Nelsonville on July 11, 1996, and painted as Chesapeake & Ohio #90211 in Sugar Grove on July 2, 2004. According the sign, this caboose was built in 1949 for the C&O Railroad.
  • Detroit, Toledo, & Ironton #100 center-cupola caboose owned by Dwight Jones, at the Hocking Valley Scenic Railway on in Nelsonville July 25, 1996.
  • Nickle Plate Road #732 (ex-W&LE #0232, painted as Norfolk & Western #557732, built 7/14/49) center-cupola caboose, at the Hocking Valley Scenic Railway in Nelsonville on July 25, 1996.
  • B&O Time Saver Service transfer caboose #2550 owned by Dwight Jones at the Hocking Valley Scenic Railway in Nelsonville in September, 1998.
  • Two views (1 | 2) of re-painted B&O transfer caboose #2550 owned by Dwight Jones at the Hocking Valley Scenic Railway in Nelsonville on May 6, 2018.
  • L&N bay-window caboose #6108 (ex-SBD 16108) owned by Larry Blake at the Hocking Valley Scenic Railway in Nelsonville in October, 1998. According to David Mikulec, this caboose was built in the L&N South Louisville Shops in Louisville, Kentucky. (And here is a photo of this caboose prior to restoration painted as SBD #16108 parked on the northern end of the Hocking Valley Scenic Railway right-of-way near Logan on July 27, 1996.)
  • SCL #0947 (painted as Burlington Northern #20947) center-cupola caboose owned by Ralph Calvert at the Hocking Valley Scenic Railway in Nelsonville in October, 1998.
  • Two views (1 | 2) of center-cupula caboose painted as B&O #20947 owned by Ralph Calvert at Fossil Rock Raiders Model Train Barn in Shade, Ohio on November 19, 2022.
  • Un-lettered historic wood-side center-cupola caboose (C&O #90921?) at the Hocking Valley Scenic Railway in Nelsonville in September, 1998.
  • Historic C&O #90704 wood-side center-cupola caboose at the Hocking Valley Scenic Railway in Nelsonville in November, 1998.
  • J.J. Hunter's C&O #903321 (painted as B&O #BGF-1971) steel center-cupola caboose at the Hocking Valley Scenic Railway in Nelsonville.
  • Bay-window caboose owned by Dwight Jones: on one side it's B&O "Sentinel Fast Freight Service" #C2553; on the other it's HVSR #C27A. Photo made March 27, 2005 at the Hocking Valley Scenic Railway in Nelsonville.
  • Bay-window caboose owned by Dwight Jones: on one side it's B&O "Sentinel Fast Freight Service" #C2553; on the other it's HVSR #C27A. Photo made May 6, 2018 at the Hocking Valley Scenic Railway in Nelsonville.
  • SCL #01022 (painted as SCL/L&N Family Lines #01022) center cupola caboose owned by William Evans at Hocking Valley Scenic Railway in Nelsonville on May 6, 2018. This caboose was built in 1942 as a boxcar and was converted into a caboose in 1964.
  • B&O center-cupola caboose #C137 in Oak Hill on September 2, 2006.
  • Two views (1 | 2) of C&O center-cupola caboose #1834 in Oak Hill on August 10, 2019. Is this a re-paint of B&O #C137?
  • N&W #518383 (painted as CCC&L) caboose in Sharonville on August 3, 2001.
  • B&O caboose #903775 (painted as B&O C-3775) in Shawnee on February 5, 2000 and on October 7, 2017 (two views: 1 | 2).
  • PRR #478591 wooden bay-window caboose in Urbana on April 16, 2010.
  • B&O center-cupola wooden caboose #90363 at Unusual Junction in West Lafayette on November 3, 2015
  • B&O center-cupola wooden caboose #90364 at Unusual Junction in West Lafayette on November 3, 2015
  • B&O center-cupola caboose #90922 in Xenia on December 23, 2020.

Pennsylvania

South Carolina

Virginia

West Virginia

Cabooses In Need of Loving Restoration, by State (return to top)

Indiana

Maryland

Michigan

North Carolina

  • An un-numbered bay-window caboose in Carrboro, now a retail establishment called Crazie Mae's, on September 4, 2004
  • Two bay-window cabooses serve as the Dillsboro depot for the Great Smoky Mountain Railway (1 | 2). Photographed on August 27, 2004.

Ohio

Pennsylvania

West Virginia

Many thanks to Roger Kirkpatrick for his kind assistance in identification of some of these cabooses.