The Long  Island Rail Road - Caboose #14

RMLI Dedication Ceremony  Photo/Collection: Donald Fisher 

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Drawing LIRR Class N52A 
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Builders Photo June 24, 1922 LIRR Class N52A
Source: Cabin Cars of the Pennsylvania and Long Island Railroads - Caboose Data Book No. 2  N.J. International, Inc.

Hack Restored Interior View

Thanks to Gary Frakash input on the diagram - "B" end to the right
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Conductor’s kerosene wall lantern
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The conductor’s desk (office) with end of train air gauge and kerosene wall lamp "A" end.
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End of train air gauge
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PRR caboose stove with heat shields in place
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Water cistern wash sink, wall mounted container for cool water, milk can for bringing hot boiler water back for washing. The sink has no faucet provisions and drains straight through to the tracks. "A" end

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 LIRR caboose #14 
“backing whistle”

 

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Center area ice box below tool cabinets and between crew lockers
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Icebox interior.  Insulated sheet metal box for storage of perishable food stuffs
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Toilet facilities The “dry hopper.”  put it all on the tracks!
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Modified cupola perch for breakfast, lunch and dinner dining.  Modified by previous owners
Bunk View towards "A" end
Conductor table side
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Original, as delivered cupola perch for crew to watch the train.  Doubled as a sleeping berth.
Bunk view towards "A" end 
stove side
 
Thanks to Donald Fisher (RMLI) for the photos/info
LIRR  N52A Wooden Cabooses were the last order of  wooden cabin cars the LIRR would order.  While records indicate that other companies like the Pressed Steel Car Co built some as early as 1916, most of the N-52A’s were built by the American Car & Foundry during the second half of the 1920s. While they were wooden sheathed, they did indeed feature steel framing. They were assigned relatively low roster numbers. The class served well for decades with most seeing retirement in the late 1950’s with No. 14 remaining on the active roster until the early 60's. During 1962, Numbers 12, 14, and 29 were photographed leaving the LIRR. Number 29 had been sold to the Seashore Electric Railway located in Maine.
(1) Roster Numbers 12 and 14 had been sold to the Branford Electric Railway in Connecticut
(2) Number 12 has returned to the Oyster Bay Railroad Museum, Oyster Bay, NY
(3) Number 14 now owned and restored by Railroad Museum of Long Island (RMLI), Greenport, NY

Special Note: The cupola in #12 has full beds while #14 has seats. Gary Farkash

 

LIRR CABIN CAR #14 The Keystone Vol. 37  No. 1
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LIRR Caboose Red
Benjamin Moore C112-20 "Terra Red"
R=102, G=28, B=7
by PRR T&HS Paint Committee

 

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This photo location is the Valley Railroad, Essex, CT. At that time #14 was owned by a Mr. and Mrs. Sefert and they used it as their "motel" when they came to the Valley to work/volunteer. They had the hack painted inside in green and white, installed electric lights, cut down one cupola bunk and made a dining table area up there and had the exterior maintained in the dark red paint you see here.

Upon Mr. Sefert's death, the Railroad Museum of Long Island purchased the caboose and moved it to Greenport, restored it to its 1940's livery and dedicating it on 21 September 2002. Great care was taken by Bob "Ducky" Kaelin and Art Christian in researching the historic colors of the LIRR wooden caboose fleet of the 40's. These colors and text were painstakingly applied during the 2000 - 2002 restoration of the car. In 2015 the exterior of #14 was again stripped, primed and painted with two coats of Terra Red exterior oil base paint. This time a successful Eagle Scout Project of Greenport Scout, Connor Whittle and his Troop.