B&O / Chessie System caboose C-3986 - Ellwood City, PA
N 40° 51.550 W 080° 17.115
17T E 560239 N 4523369
The B&O / Chessie System caboose C-3986 is found in an empty lot along 4th St, adjacent to the CSX tracks in Ellwood City, Pennsylvania.
Waymark Code: WM16857
Location: Pennsylvania, United States
Date Posted: 05/29/2022
Views: 1
From the Ellwood City Ledger, January 11, 2021:
ELLWOOD CITY – When the long-awaited railroad car caboose arrived in Ellwood City on Thursday morning, it didn't make the trip from Richmond, Va., in its usual position at the end of a train. It arrived on a flatbed trailer.
The All Aboard Committee members and volunteers were waiting for it at the group's home on Fourth Street across from the former VFW building.
Ray Santillo, committee president, said there was just no other place to put it, but he was excited to have it.
"This is all about honoring our past, our history, because the growing rail system was the reason Ellwood City was founded and developed," Santillo said. "This caboose is a living memorial to Ellwood City's history, and it will be a part of Ellwood City revitalization."
The car arrived marked with graffiti and the doors off. The committee and many volunteers immediately went to work to get the car locked up and safe. The graffiti was removed and the doors repaired by Paff Welding of Ellwood City and put in place.
The next phase will be refurbishing and painting to get the car back to its original condition and color.
Nick Genova, vice chairman of the committee, said they had many delays and challenges, so it was a great day when the caboose arrived.
"It cost $7,000 to bring the caboose here, and work will continue on it, so we need donations and support," he said.
To donate, make checks payable to ECCE and mail to All Aboard Ellwood City, c/o ECCE, 806 Lawrence Ave., Ellwood City, PA 16117. Donations are tax-exempt. For more information, call Genova at 724-333-6623.
Santillo and Genova expressed their gratitude to CSX, which donated the caboose, Amerikohl, Lutz and Myers, the borough and all the volunteers and donors for their help and support.
As a sub-group of the Ellwood City Community Enrichment (ECCE), All Aboard believes the rail car will supplement existing cultural initiatives such as the many events held at the Ellwood City Area Public Library, Ellwood City Area History Center and the community plaza concert series, farmers market and storytelling festival. It also supports Lawrence Country Earth Day, Oktoberfest, Winter Fest and the annual Arts, Crafts and Entertainment Festival and Christmas in the Park.
An additional partner of All Aboard Ellwood is the Ellwood City Area Chamber of Commerce, which hosts Christmas Light-up Night, Chef Wine and Ale and the Ellwood City Fall Festival and Car Cruise. The chamber also sponsors a walking tour of historic Ellwood City and Park-Palooza for fifth- and sixth-graders from the Ellwood City Area and Riverside school districts.
Harry Gaydosz of Ellwood City, a railroad enthusiast, said the caboose is a Baltimore & Ohio class C-27 caboose built in 1978 by Fruit Growers Express in Alexandria, Va. It was originally numbered B&O C-3986, delivered in the yellow, blue and vermilion paint scheme of the Chessie System Railroads complete with Chessie Cat logos. The caboose kept that paint until the late 2000s when it received the current gray scheme applied by CSX Transportation.
The caboose appeared to be in local train service with the CSX up until the late 2010s, when they stopped using cabooses. They stopped manufacturing them in 1980.
"There's a very good chance that the caboose came through Ellwood City," Gaydosz said.
Current Use:
static display
Type Of Caboose: Bay Window
|
Visit Instructions:
Please visit the location of the caboose, brake van, or guard van, provide visit details through photo or narrative.