This caboose sits in the dunes by Ludington, MI State Park, a house sits to the right of it, I wasn't sure if it was abandoned (the house)or not so I had to photograph it from the side of the road, and couldn't get any detail shots, but I was wondering if anyone could put a date to it or who's it was, I'm not sure if the brake wheel arrangement gives any indication as far as the year? there are no tracks anywhere in the area so I assume it was transported there years ago by truck maybe?
http://www.railpictures.net/viewphoto.php?id=494853

Thanks
Bill

Funny, just reading the title, I knew immediately which caboose you must have been talking about.

The caboose is Pere Marquette #A616. It has been sitting there, just outside the state park since the 1970s. Photos I have seen of it in service show it having been used at various times out of Benton Harbor and Muskegon (Michigan).

This caboose was the subject of an early 1930s article in the Hearst papers' "American Weekly" Sunday supplement, titled "Mrs. Robin Redbreast and Her Private Car". In the story, this caboose was taken out of service at Benton Harbor for a number of days when a robin's nest was discovered in the framework beneath the floor, and the crew set it aside long enough to let the eggs hatch.

I probably have its build date in my Great Big Folder of PM Caboose Information, which I don't have readily at hand at the moment. Cabooses were built to this plan over a stretch of twenty or so years, from about 1890 on.

Is there anything in your Great Big Folder of PM Caboose Information about a steel center cupola PM cab at the Shawnee Trading Post near Oakland, Maryland? The owner is oblivious as to its history and heritage and as a result it is painted B&O.

I would love to add that one to my collection.

I don't have any record readily at hand of a PM cab in that location, but there are a few I knew of in West Virginia that seem to have disappeared from the last location I had for them. The only one I knew of in Maryland was in a camp near Thurmont.

Wow! and I just thought it would be a long shot that anyone would have any information on it, Thanks so much Fritz
hope you don't mind if I use the info for the photo, since now we know who she is, with credit of course

This is the caboose at Deer Park, Maryland. it is presumed to be PM D2006

Well, the railings, ladders, brake wheel, windows and trucks all strongly suggest a caboose from the PM's A901-A925 series. All PM cabooses were numbered beginning with the prefix "A" for "accommodation".

I've found the entry for it - it is former PM #A908, built in Sept. 1937, retired in 1983, and donated to the City of Oakland, MD that year. I'm going to guess that at some point later, it no longer fit with the City's plans and it ended up at the Shawnee Trading Post.

Fritz -

Since there is an earlier comment in this thread from wm303 that indicates that the owner painted the A908 for the B&O since the original railroad was not known, it indicates that he might be willing to repaint it in its authentic PM paint scheme. I found this on the internet that would show him the Pere Marquette lettering:

http://www.railroadmichigan.com/cabpma909a.jpg

The lettering scheme looks authentic to me, but you might know if it really is.

Les

Every year we would camp at Ludington State Park and this was always the landmark that said to us "Your vacation has now begun". A handful of years back this caboose was in sad shape. Working its way toward being U shaped. Then we showed up one spring and it was straightened out, many of the siding boards were replaced, and there was fresh primer on it. I thought "Hey, they're gonna restore that thing". That was 10-12 years ago, and nothing has been done since. I still like to see it there.

EWrice -

Hey, thanks for posting this! When I first saw the photo, I thought that it looked like the old caboose body going up toward Ludington Park, but no, that can't be it because that one had a definite "U shape" to it. So, you have now explained it. Thanks very much! Now, I wonder who we have to thank for that restoration?

Les

Thank you, Fritz!!!

I spoke with the owner yesterday afternoon. He painted it that way because his father worked for the B&O and there were no other discernable markings on it at the time of his acquisition. I also got the impression that it wasn't going to be painted back into PM livery any time soon.

I finally had a chance to dig out the GBFoPMCI, and A616 is shown with a built date of December, 1923, so I should probably stretch my estimate of how long this type of caboose was built to at least 35 years.

Here is a shot of A616 in better days.



PM A616 in service in mid-1947 at Muskegon, Michigan - Art Million Collection, PMHS Archive

Thanks for sharing that Fritz, and I'm glad to see the history alive with your documentation. I was comparing the two photos to see what has survived, like the grab irons on the Cupola, ladders, brake wheels and the window arrangement is the same.

Thanks Again
Bill