NLMRR Museum Caboose

The Caboose Arrives
	This Great Northern Railway caboose was renovated by the Association with help from the Great Northern Railway Historical Society. Check back for more information and photos about the process. The caboose arrives on a flatbed truck where the wheels sit on the tracks of its future home.
The future home of the caboose begins to take shape with the junction building seen to the right and a signal tower just to the left. This is a 300 foot section of standard gauge track being installed.
	The caboose is being lifted off the flatbed and getting ready to be set on the track. Crane services were provided by Vic's Crane Service of Rosemont, Minnesota. It took two cranes to lift the caboose and position it over the wheel assemblies. Click the image for a larger photo.
The caboose is off the truck and being lowered onto the wheel assemblies which can be seen on the track underneath. Click the image for a larger photo.

	Here is a photo of the caboose with most of the outside work complete. Several doors and windows have been restored while others were replaced. Parts of the exterior still need work, and work is beginning on restoring the interior.
John Schoener stands at the back end of the reconditioned caboose. He is explaining how the brakeman would operate the valves and how the caboose was connected to other parts of the train making the whole train a system.

Views of the unfinished interior
	Much of the interior is just as it was when the caboose was taken out of service. It is fairly spartan inside compared to the days when it was new, it was not uncommon for cabooses to be made with finely detailed woodwork and craftsmanship.
Another view of the interior looking up into the gondola. Signs of structural damage are apparent on close inspection requiring the support members of the gondola to be replaced. Other parts of the interior are in pretty good shape including the icebox and storage cabinets. Several windows and doors are in the process of being replaced or repaired.