Rick Rowlands had a video on the Ahead of the Torch (AOTT) website today, talking about a bobber (4-wheel) standard gauge caboose that the group has saved. The plan is to use it as an office. Now, bobber cabooses are rare these days in their own right, but what makes this one EXTREMELY rare, is that it was built as a bay window car! The short line Lake Erie, Franklin & Clarion built it in 1944 where it was LEF&C #592. There are some surviving "flat roofed" bobbers around and even some with cupolas. Might this be the only surviving 4-wheel bay window hack? I'm pretty sure that not a lot were built in the first place. Congrats to the J&L Narrow Gauge for saving this car. Here's hoping it makes it safely to their Youngstown, Ohio site.

Les

Here's a link to the video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=A2dswxlfLqk

Our crew was in Clarion yesterday and got the first step in moving it to Youngstown completed by jacking the car up and getting it onto a rubber tire dolly. Next week when we go back it will be moved ahead and hopefully moved into position to be loaded onto a detachable semi trailer.

The day I filmed that video, we got it jacked up but due to the soft ground under the car, the cribbing failed and the car landed back down on the ground. This time we brought larger steel plates and more tie butts and everything went according to plan.

Rick -

Good to hear that progress on the caboose is moving forward. Keeping my fingers crossed that the move goes well.

Still have not heard about other bay window bobbers being around, or if in fact, any others were ever in service besides this LEF&C example. Silence on that may mean that there WERE no other examples.

Les

The Lake Erie, Franklin & Clarion Railroad had four bobber cabooses on their roster at one time, including two that had bay windows. Three of the four are known to still exist.

Caboose #5 - former PRR Class ND, Built 6-8-13, rebuilt without cupola and with bay window at unknown date, on Wolf Farm Road (between Kane and Lantz Corners, PA along Route 6)

Caboose #6 - former PRR Class ND, Built 8-16, disposition unknown

Caboose #7 - former PRR Class ND, Built 8-16, at Spartansburg (OH) Community Fair
spartafair@spartansburg.org

Caboose #592 - Re Built 5-24-44, at J&L Narrow Gauge Railroad