Equipment Information

Milwaukee Road X5001 is an all-steel caboose rebuilt for use as a superintendent’s car. It was originally built by the railroad as number 01612, a drover’s caboose and one of the first all-steel cabooses the railroad built. Drover’s cabooses were larger than normal cabooses and were intended to carry not only the train’s conductor and brakemen but also drovers, which were men who cared for livestock being transported on the train in stock cars. In the 1970s, this drover’s caboose was rebuilt first as an instruction car and then as an office car for the Lines West Superintendent. It ended its career with the Soo Line, where it was also used as an office car and numbered X5001.

Milwaukee Road X5001 Details

Builder: Milwaukee Road
Year built: 1929
Length: 41ft
Width: 11ft 1in
Height: 14ft 10in
Weight: ??
Brakes: ??
Trucks: ??
Description: Steel Caboose / Rebuilt as Superintendent Car / ex-Milwaukee Road 01612
Arrived: 2001
Condition: Complete / restored / operational

Ownership History

1929-c1970 – Chicago Milwaukee St. Paul & Pacific #01612
c1970-1986 – Chicago Milwaukee St. Paul & Pacific #X5001
1986-2001 – Soo Line #X5001
2001-present – Illinois Railway Museum, Union, IL

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