Name/Title
CabooseDescription
Caboose 4023 was operated by the Southern Pacific Railroad Company, serving from 1961 to 1986, when it was purchased by the South Coast Railroad Museum. Built in 1961 the caboose functioned as an S-10 series caboose before being remodeled in 1973. Prior to the rebuild, Caboose 4023 was an S-10-4 or S-10-5 make. A hundred and twenty-three cabooses of the C-40-4 class were upgraded from Southern Pacific cabooses numbered 1400-1599, starting in 1973. Pacific Car and Foundry Company expanded the standard features of the 14xx-15xx series of a taller bay than the C-30-x class to include a more luxurious and practical purpose. These new features included double 'frog-eye' roof mounted marker lights, an external fuel tank, roller bearing trucks, roof walks and end ladders, and the addition of more windows. Most notably, caboose 4023 now had chemical retentive toilets instead of the normal sewer chute. Other details include the Athearn-like smoke stack and the new mineral red exterior color with orange bays and end walls. The improved radio communications equipment and the absence of an axle-hung generator replaced by a notched sill generator allowed the caboose to operate efficiently in its practical functions as an ordinary caboose. The luxurious features exhibited by the caboose are improved toilet plumbing, more windows, and the Athearn-like smoke stack. These luxurious upgrades, including the practical upgrades mentioned above, provided a smoother and more comfortable experience to any caboose operator.
Caboose 4023 ended its career with the Southern Pacific Railroad in 1986. It is unclear whether the caboose played a larger role in the Southern Pacific Railroad, and the original number of caboose 4023 is unknown; all newly remodeled cabooses were numbered not in sequence with their previous numbers, but were numbered by the next available number, according to the locomotive rebuild programs.
-- Research conducted by Ross Colburn, intern 2/2004 (minor editorial changes by Gary Coombs, 12/2004).