The rear-end crew of a freight train, usually consisting of a conductor and brakeman, rode in the caboose.

This one was built for the Santa Fe Railway in April 1978 by the International Car Division of PACCAR. Its "wide-vision" cupola has side extensions so the crew can see around taller freight cars in the train. In 1982 it was transferred to subsidiary Toledo, Peoria & Western Railway until that company merged into the Santa Fe system in 1984. In 1986 it returned to mainline service in the West.

This caboose saw service in the Phoenix area. After its retirement, it was donated to the museum by the Santa Fe Railway. It arrived in March 1992 following an appearance in the movie "Stay Tuned."

PACCAR (the former Pacific Car & Foundry Company) took over long-time caboose maker International Car Company of Kenton, Ohio, in 1975, and built this 40-foot center-cupola caboose as one of 50 in the Santa Fe class Ce-8 design. Originally numbered 999741, the number was changed to TP&W 741, then back to ATSF 999741 after the merger. Like most cabooses, it had a desk, crew seating, bunks, stove, and a toilet, and carried spare parts and equipment.

Cabooses were replaced by end-of-train devices in the 1980s. These monitored the braking system and the integrity of the train using advanced technology. The conductor and brakeman could now ride at the front of the train.

In early 1992 the Santa Fe moved the caboose from Mobest Yard in west Phoenix to the Southern Pacific yard. From there it went on the SP′s Magma Turn to Magma Junction where it was picked up by the Copper Basin Railway and taken to Hayden. It was then used in the movie "Stay Tuned" which was filmed on the Copper Basin east of Florence.

Following the movie work, the SP′s Magma Turn picked it up again at Magma Junction and delivered it to the museum′s temporary storage track near Pecos Road on March 11, 1992. After the Armstrong Park switch was installed in 1993, the museum′s Plymouth locomotive moved the caboose onto the museum grounds at Erie Street in 1994. It was moved south by the now Union Pacific Railroad to the museum′s new Tumbleweed Park location on Ryan Road, along with the rest of the fleet, in 2006. (The Union Pacific acquired the Southern Pacific in 1996.)

	ATSF 999741 on a cloudy day at ARM, 12/7/2021.
	Interior of caboose showing stove/heater.
	Interior of caboose showing Conductor's desk.  The Conductor could review and plan for the days deliveries and pickups.
	Interior view of the cupola seat.  The Conductor (and/or the Brakeman) could watch the train for any signs of trouble.
	Photo of caboose on 2-27-13.
	Photo of caboose on 2-27-13.
	ATSF 999741 at old ARM display yard.
	ATSF 999741, at Phoenix, 4/27/91.  Photo by: Bob Trennert
	Santa Fe Class CE-8 Data Sheet.

---

Back to ARM Home Page

Have questions, comments then please
E-mail the Museum Webmaster.