CPR Rolling Stock

Caboose "Van"

3015 Conductor's Van. One of the earliest styles of caboose used. Note C.P.R. the correct way with periods.

History of this one-of-a-kind van.

3522 on tail end of mixed train in flood at Lumsden, Assiniboia, NWT. April 1, 1904.
Note elevator Bready Love & Tryon No. 10.

6172 with what appears to be a unique style of bay window in addition to normal cupola.

436468 Another view of a van with bay window. Note straight style of lettering.
By this time vans were being numbered and renumbered with 43 prefix.

435471 wood SUF 35'5" van on local job eastbound at Bathurst Street. August 1956 Jim Parker

435810 Bayshore, Saint John, NB Digital restoration: Gordon Kennedy.

435857 35'5" van. Less than 100 of these all wood vans were still being used on local jobs while nearly 800
others had been given a Steel Under Frame in random order as they were shopped every 7 years for overhaul.

436503 was later preserved (twice). First at Eston, SK and 2003 at Manyberries, AB
along with ex CPR station etc. as private residence on original abandoned right-of-way!

436958 on the tail end of a freight train including 288544 a wooden reefer. Armstrong, BC November 18, 1941

437040 Steel Underframe (436980-437264 series) 34 feet 10 inches over strikers.

437040 in a later view. Note the brighter red paint on end of van including cupola to improve its visibility.
B.F.Cutler/Keith Sirman Collection

437110 one of only two (437111) SUF vans shortened 10 feet (24' 10") to allow one additional load to be handled on switchback on steep grade to mine at Trail, BC

437129 in script lettering. Brownville Junction, Maine. August 1, 1964 George F. Meloin

437168 by the 1970's these vans had their tongue and groove wood covered by sheets of plywood as a quicker and less expensive method of repair. However, water got behind the plywood and rotted the wood beneath! Jim Booth

437266 one of only 3 (437265-7) bay window vans. Length 36' 9". Built 1948.

437270 Steel caboose series 437268-437404 (137) 1948-49 35' 11" Canadian Pacific Railway

437322

CP 434000 modernized (including genset) and renumbered in random order. (437268-437404)
July 1986 Kermit Geary Jr.

This picture was taken on the south side of the CN, CP, BC Hydro tracks looking north at Columbia and Front Street in New Westminster. The old CP station, which is now a Keg restaurant, is just to the right of the photo on the far side of the tracks. The van is on the BC Hydro (now SRY) track just west of Mile 0.0 on their line. The New Westminster Skytrain Station is the building behind the caboose with the green awning.

437442 one of fifty built in 1954 these unique turret-style cupola steel vans were the latest thing.
Their use included the East Pool out of Lambton Yard (Toronto) to Trenton.

437449

437499 steel caboose with center cupola. Series 437405-437504 (99) 33' 2" over end sills. 1953-54

438709

438803 a modernized steel van renumbered from 437501. 8800 series was for Eastern run-through service.
9800 were Western run-thru service. Toronto Yard June 27, 1968

434108 (ex 437405 series) modernized. 3/05/1988 Smiths Falls Kermit Geary Jr.

434903 shows evidence of being renumbered. Springfield, MA 8/20/79

Note: "Sister" van 434900 became OSRX 4900.

434919 "saddleback" Saint John, NB October 20, 1990

Subsequent owner; NBSR 434919 see below.

434493 with 7075 in Port Coquitlam, BC April 1976

E & N 1700 standard CPR wood caboose. Duncan, VI 1957

TH&B 80 one of four acquired, identical to CPR vans, interior finished by CPR Angus Shops.
National Steel Car provided shell with trucks. Wt. 56,200 New 11-73 Smithville. July 4, 1974 Doug Kroll
NOTE: CPR referred to these wide cupola extended vision vans as "saddlebacks."

Engineering Services Maintenance of Way Transporter CP 420990 (formerly caboose CP 434509)
one of several used to move employees to work sites. Peter's Trains

Definitely not the "Little Red Caboose" of children's story book fame, New Brunswick Southern
caboose is ex CP 434919, at Mc.Adam, NB July 10, 2000. Ted Ellis

Read more about cabooses as well as their replacements.