Tom’s Raritan River
Railroad Page
www.RaritanRiver-RR.com
Cabooses
of the
Click on the links to see the images full size.
Most have a ton of details that can only be seen by seeing them full size!
Caboose Roster of the
|
No. |
Year Obtained |
From |
Type |
Notes |
|
1 |
1916 |
DL&W |
4 wheel wood |
Scrapped 1936 |
|
2 |
1916 |
DL&W |
4 wheel wood |
Scrapped 1936 |
|
3 |
1916 |
DL&W |
4 wheel wood |
Sold 1919 to Fox Films |
|
4 |
1916 |
DL&W |
4 wheel wood |
Destroyed 1918 - Fire |
|
5 |
1937 |
DL&W |
8 wheel steel underframe |
1968 ran off |
|
6 |
1937 |
DL&W |
8 wheel steel underframe |
1980 Sold by Conrail, Burned and Scrapped by Grafton & Upton RR 1994 |
|
7 |
1951 |
DL&W |
8 wheel steel underframe |
1965 to Pine Creek RR at |
|
7 (2nd) |
1965 |
(ex-Rutland) |
8 wheel steel underframe |
1980 Sold by Conrail |
|
8 |
1954 |
DL&W |
8 wheel steel underframe |
1980 Sold by Conrail, privately owned and located in |
|
9 |
1969 |
Penn Central (ex-New Haven) |
8 wheel - steel |
1980 Transferred and used by Conrail as No. 19795 |
|
10 |
1969 |
Penn Central (ex-New Haven) |
8 wheel - steel |
1980 Transferred and used by Conrail as No. 19796 |
No.1
www.RaritanRiver-RR.com/Cabooses1/No1/bobber.jpg
Raritan River Engine No.10 pulls a hopper full of coal, probably making a local delivery in South Amboy, pulling either Caboose No.1 or No.2, in the early to mid 1930s. Joe Basara found this gem at a railroad show.
www.RaritanRiver-RR.com/Cabooses1/No1/rr001.jpg
National Railway Historical Society Picture
No.2
www.RaritanRiver-RR.com/Cabooses1/No2/rr002.jpg
A shot of Raritan
River Caboose No.2 attached to
This was one of the
40 ton gondolas the
Before the 1930s,
this was the main business on the
The first 4 Cabooses were purchased for union compliance, as well as demands of the First World War.
Cabooses No.3 and No.4 were of the same type as No.1 and 2, and were both gone by the end of the war in 1919.
I have no pictures of them. Cabooses No.1 and No.2 were eventually scrapped by 1936.
No.5
www.RaritanRiver-RR.com/Cabooses1/No5/Cab5_rr007.jpg
Raritan
River Railroad caboose No.5 in
After Cabooses No.1
and No.2 were scrapped in 1937, No.5 was the first of the
This shot could be late 1930s to late 1940s. Note the absence of red window trim or black window boarders.
This may be the first official paint scheme.
www.RaritanRiver-RR.com/Cabooses1/No5/Cab7_Cab5_CabU_1954.jpg
This picture was taken in 1954 which is when the 4th caboose (No.8 – not in view) was purchased, used, from the Delaware Lackawanna and Western and added to the collection.
Cabooses No.5, No.6, and No.7 painted Yellow with RED around the window panes. This may have been the second official color scheme.
It would appear that the first three cabooses got a new coat of paint at that time too!
www.RaritanRiver-RR.com/Cabooses1/No5/Cab5_5c_1a.JPG
Eventually, the red window panes of the 50s would change to yellow and now the window boarders are black.
It should also be noted that the sides are now covered with a smooth veneer, covering the wood strips.
The bright yellow paint has also faded or changed to a lighter yellow by now. The Parlin station is behind Raritan River Caboose No.5.
www.RaritanRiver-RR.com/Cabooses1/No5/Cab5_rr011a.jpg
Cabooses No.5 and No.6, with red window trim, in the South Amboy shops area.
Note the old shop building in the back right of the cabooses.
This is where the original shops were before the current shops and round house were built in 1919.
Also note the cab of engine No.11 is visible to the left of the cabooses.
www.RaritanRiver-RR.com/Cabooses1/No5/Cab5_rr012.jpg
Caboose No.5, with red windows, in the Sayreville Junction Yard.
Note the pole seen in the photo. This pole, which still stands in the empty yard in 2010, has helped identify many shots!
Note the rare
www.RaritanRiver-RR.com/Cabooses1/No5/Cab5_rr011c.jpg
No.5 in the South Amboy Shops area, with the side of the roundhouse visible in the back right.
www.RaritanRiver-RR.com/Cabooses1/No5/Cab5Yellow.jpg
Old photograph of Raritan River Railroad Caboose No.5 (with red windows) in South Amboy.
www.RaritanRiver-RR.com/Cabooses1/No5/Cab5_FL000024.JPG
Raritan River
Railroad Caboose No.5, in its final paint scheme of red and white, after being
pulled out of the
She would be burned and scrapped after taking this plunge.
Note that you can see the original yellow wood under the red painted veneer under the name.
For more information on this exciting wreck:
http://raritanriver-rr.com/ForgottenHistory_SouthRiver.htm
No.6
www.RaritanRiver-RR.com/Cabooses1/No6/CabNo6_1951.jpg
George Votava photo/Rosenbaum collection
Caboose No.6, with red windows, in 1951, possibly at Crossmans or Sayre and Fisher.
No.6 would show up
with No.5 in 1937. From 1937 to 1951,
the
www.RaritanRiver-RR.com/Cabooses1/No6/Cab6Yellow.jpg
No.6 in South Amboy Shops area with Engine No.
www.RaritanRiver-RR.com/Cabooses1/No6/rr013b.jpg
Two shots of No.6 in South Amboy, with red windows. Note the fact that engine No.11 in visible in the back left.
Also note the late 1940s automobile.
www.RaritanRiver-RR.com/Cabooses1/No6/3d_1.jpg
By the 1960s the windows received black trip paint.
www.RaritanRiver-RR.com/Cabooses1/No6/Caboose6_1966.JPG
Here is No.6 in front of the 2nd No.7 taken in the South Amboy shops area in 1966. By now the yellow paint is faded and looking bad.
www.RaritanRiver-RR.com/Cabooses1/No6/rr-c6abp_edited.jpg
By the late 1960s the cabooses would get a new red and white paint scheme to match the engines.
www.RaritanRiver-RR.com/Cabooses1/No6/Cab6.jpg
Eventually, a decade later in the late 1970s, this paint would begin to peel. By this time, the remaining workable steel under frame cabooses (No. 6 and No. 7) were having a hard time with the newer heaver cars.
The newer all steel ex-NH cars No.9 and No.10 would be used on most runs now.
www.RaritanRiver-RR.com/Cabooses1/No6/Cab6Cab81980.jpg
No.6 and No.8 (by this time a MOW car) sit in the back of the South Amboy Yard as a young Joe Basara takes their picture in about 1980.
www.RaritanRiver-RR.com/Cabooses1/No6/Cab6_GU_1994.jpg
In 1980 Conrail sold No.6. Eventually it landed on the Grafton and Upton Railroad, and was scrapped in 1994.
The car was
photographed in the Hopedale,
Source:
No.7 First
www.RaritanRiver-RR.com/Cabooses1/No7/Cab7_Cab5_CabU_1954.jpg
The first No.7 showed up in 1951. It was probably immediately painted into the yellow and red paint scheme. This shot was taken in 1954 when the new EMD Sw900s would show up.
www.RaritanRiver-RR.com/Cabooses1/No7/Cab7_1st_Yellow_older.JPG
In the late 1950s or early 1960s No.7 would also loose the red paint and get black window trim.
www.RaritanRiver-RR.com/Cabooses1/No7/Cab7PineCreekRR.jpg
In 1965, the Vermont
Railway would send the
No.7 Second
www.RaritanRiver-RR.com/Cabooses1/No7/RRRRCaboose7_2nd_yellow.jpg
Ex-Rutland caboose
No.35 built in 1924, was traded in a 3 way trade, that
would get the
Its interesting to see that for a brief time, the 2nd No.7 caboose was painted in the yellow and black paint scheme.
www.RaritanRiver-RR.com/Cabooses1/No7/Cab7Red.jpg
Eventually, like the other cabooses, the 2nd No.7 would be painted in the red and white paint scheme.
www.RaritanRiver-RR.com/Cabooses1/No7/122879_edited.jpg
Being a newer and better caboose, the 2nd No.7 was used more often then the older DL&W cabooses in the 1970s.
www.RaritanRiver-RR.com/Cabooses1/No7/Cab7Red2.jpg
No.7 sits in the South Amboy yard. By this point, the all steel (and much stronger and safer) ex-NH cabooses had showed up and would be used on the daily runs. No.7 would be used, only as needed.
www.RaritanRiver-RR.com/Cabooses1/No7/Cab7_2nd_red_newer.jpg
A nice shot of No.7 in
the South Amboy shops area. Note the
debris and scrap lying around. As the decade of the 1970s ended, maintenance
and yard cleanup were hard to justify.
It should be noted that for the years 1977 and 1978, the
www.RaritanRiver-RR.com/Cabooses1/No7/Cab7-1980.jpg
Joe Basara takes the last picture of Raritan River Caboose No.7 in 1980. By this point, traffic levels had fallen greatly, and No.7 was probably not used anymore.
She would be sold by Conrail immediately in 1980, possibly to the Grafton and Upton RR, just like No.6.
More details and source:
http://railroad-line.com/forum/topic.asp?TOPIC_ID=21569
No. 8
www.RaritanRiver-RR.com/Cabooses1/No8/1954_8.jpg
This is a great shot of No.8, taken in 1954. She just arrived and was just painted in the yellow and red scheme. In fact, if you click on the line, it looks like the paint is still WET on the top!
www.RaritanRiver-RR.com/Cabooses1/No8/Cab8Yellow2.JPG
No.8 still in the yellow and red paint scheme, although by now beginning to show her age.
www.RaritanRiver-RR.com/Cabooses1/No8/Caboose8_1966.JPG
This shot of No.8 in the shops area in South Amboy taken in 1966.
The “hack track” area still looks clean and neat, with green kept to a minimum.
This shot is part of a larger panoramic shot that was taken in 1966:
http://www.raritanriver-rr.com/SouthAmboyYardPanoramic.htm
I accidentally
discovered this panoramic shot when looking through the collection of Bob Kipp’s slides (Last VP and GM of
The slides were not in order, and I got lucky when I realized that the crane pic lined up with the caboose pic, then I had to find the rest!
It is absolutely worth the time to download the large version and look at the cabooses and all the detail from 1966.
www.RaritanRiver-RR.com/Cabooses1/No8/Cab8Red.jpg
www.RaritanRiver-RR.com/Cabooses1/No8/Cab8.jpg
Very close to the time it was painted red and white, Caboose No.8 was involved in an accident, and lost its coupler.
The
www.RaritanRiver-RR.com/Cabooses1/No8/Cab8_CNJ.jpg
This is the most famous
shot of No.8 on the Gillespie Branch.
Used on a
www.RaritanRiver-RR.com/Cabooses1/No8/Cab8SRbridge1973.jpg
The inspection train
with Caboose No.8 takes a stop for a photo on the freshly painted
This is the last
manual swing bridge in
See more info on this great little bridge here:
http://www.raritanriver-rr.com/SRbridge1.htm
www.RaritanRiver-RR.com/Cabooses1/No8/Cab6Cab81980.jpg
Eventually as the 1970s passed, No.8 would get sidelined and would loose its number. Joe, again, takes the last picture.
www.RaritanRiver-RR.com/Cabooses1/No8/RRRRcab6a.jpg
Conrail would quickly
sell No.8 in 1980, and by 2004 it would land in
No. 9
www.RaritanRiver-RR.com/Cabooses1/No9/Cab9Red.jpg
In 1969 the Raritan River acquired two all steel cabooses from the Penn Central and numbered them 9 and 10, They were ex-Hew Haven cars and were significantly better then the Raritan’s dilapidated fleet of ex-DL&W cars. They were quickly painted red and white and put into service as the primary cabooses. As per the old DL&W cars, No.5 was gone by this point, No.6 was sidelined, No.8 was labeled as a MOW car. No.7, the ex-Rutland caboose would be the backup to No.9 and No.10, if needed.
www.RaritanRiver-RR.com/Cabooses1/No9/1380_edited.jpg
Engine No.2 and Caboose No.9 get ready to pull a small train from the Sayreville Junction yard.
Note the
Note the pole in the yard.
In 1980 Caboose No.9 would get renumbered into the Conrail System as 19795.
Current location unknown.
No.10
www.RaritanRiver-RR.com/Cabooses1/No10/Cab10kennypete_edited.jpg
Engine No.2 and Caboose No.10 switch cars in Sayreville Junction in the late 1970s.
Note that No.10 had a special RR logo on the side.
Note the high grassed in the yard.
Quite a different view as compared to the shot of No.5 in the same yard 20 years earlier.
www.RaritanRiver-RR.com/Cabooses1/No10/JohnSobotkacollectonCab10.jpg
www.RaritanRiver-RR.com/Cabooses1/No10/JohnSobotkacollectonCab10SA0379.jpg
Two shots from the John Sabotka Collection
www.RaritanRiver-RR.com/Cabooses1/No10/Cab3-6_edited.jpg
Engine No.5 and No.6 pull out on the South Amboy interchange with Caboose No.10.
Very quickly in 1980, No.10 would also get renumbered into the Conrail System as 19796.
www.RaritanRiver-RR.com/Cabooses1/No10/DSC00822.JPG
www.RaritanRiver-RR.com/Cabooses1/No10/DSC00819.JPG
Rich Wisneski from the Tri-State NRHS Chapter (http://tristaterail.org/ )
emailed me to give me the missing pieces of Raritan River Caboose No.10:
Tom,
I enjoy your
In doing some research I tried to determine the
heritage of the car; I knew it was a
The two cars are ex New Haven C559 and C682.
The total price was $1,400 to acquire the two cars, and $2,000 in freight costs
plus repairs, for a total cost of $3,400.
559 is an NE-5 Class car, which became
The 559 was built at the
C682, a class NE-6, became
Hope this is of interest
Rich Wisneski
Update from Rich, June 2010:
The RR #10 has not yet been
lettered. The Caboose committee recently completed the lettering and
herald on the LNE 580, so I expect they will work on the RR car later this
year and into next year.
It is located in Whippany. It generally is borrowed by
the
Maybe our next
Miscellaneous Cabooses on the
www.RaritanRiver-RR.com/Cabooses1/Other/6_1958.jpg
The
www.RaritanRiver-RR.com/Cabooses1/Other/rrrr1parlin1_edited.jpg
Very quickly after Conrail took over in 1980, the old cabooses were off the property, either sold or renumbered, and more modern Conrail cabooses were brought in. Here, a number of Raritan River Engines sit on the Dupont spur next to a Conrail caboose, directly in front of the Parlin Station.
www.RaritanRiver-RR.com/Cabooses1/Other/RRRR_Sayerville.jpg
Bill Burke Collection
www.RaritanRiver-RR.com/Cabooses1/Other/RRRR_1953_SoRiver.jpg
Bill Burke Collection
I believe these to be
water colored. What a great
picture! Engine No.20 and a yellow
caboose pulling to
By 1954 this image would be lost, as the EMD sw900s would show up, and the steam engines would get scrapped.
Questions?
Comments?
Here is an entire forum dedicated to
discussions of the
www.railroad-line.com/forum/forum.asp?forum_id=2