Post by URR566 on Feb 7, 2013 15:29:08 GMT -5
The Bessemer & Lake Erie NE3 class cabooses were originally built by International Car Company in 1956 for sister U.S Steel road Elgin Joliet & Eastern, being numbered in the EJ&E 500-549 series. Starting in 1966, the B&LE leased nine such cars from the "J", renumbering them as B&LE 1981-1989.
This list shows the Bessemer number on the left, and the former EJ&E number on the right:
1981-513
1982-518
1983-535
1984-545
1985-527
1986-544
1987-500
1988-502
1989-510
The Bessemer added a horn on the cupola roof, two red flashing lights on each end of the car, and a toolbox/spare knuckle box under the frame, other than that they were pretty much left alone from the way they were on the EJ&E.
The cars were painted in the Bessemers traditional red scheme:
www.rr-fallenflags.org/ble/ble1985akg.jpg
Car number 1981 was chosen to be the Bessemers bicentennial caboose:
www.rr-fallenflags.org/ble/ble1981n.jpg
These cabs were ran until the 1980’s, when they were retired. Four of them still exist today:
Number 1985 is on display at the Greenville Railroad Park:
www.rrpicturearchives.net/showPicture.aspx?id=2145571
Number 1986 was converted for maintence of way duty, and renumbered A333:
www.hebners.net/caboose/ble/bleA333L.jpg
The car has since been sold to LTEX, and sits at McDonald Ohio:
www.flickr.com/photos/conrailman75/5063579560/
Number 1987 is owned by a private individual, and is kept on the Middletown & Hummelstown Railroad:
www.rrpicturearchives.net/showPicture.aspx?id=208731
www.rrpicturearchives.net/showPicture.aspx?id=2583248
Here is a link to read more about the former B&LE 1987:
sluggyjunx.com/rr/journal/1999/04_25_99-railfan_md-wv/index.html
Number 1989 is owned by the Hoosier Valley Railroad Museum:
www.rrpicturearchives.net/showPicture.aspx?id=1449750
This list shows the Bessemer number on the left, and the former EJ&E number on the right:
1981-513
1982-518
1983-535
1984-545
1985-527
1986-544
1987-500
1988-502
1989-510
The Bessemer added a horn on the cupola roof, two red flashing lights on each end of the car, and a toolbox/spare knuckle box under the frame, other than that they were pretty much left alone from the way they were on the EJ&E.
The cars were painted in the Bessemers traditional red scheme:
www.rr-fallenflags.org/ble/ble1985akg.jpg
Car number 1981 was chosen to be the Bessemers bicentennial caboose:
www.rr-fallenflags.org/ble/ble1981n.jpg
These cabs were ran until the 1980’s, when they were retired. Four of them still exist today:
Number 1985 is on display at the Greenville Railroad Park:
www.rrpicturearchives.net/showPicture.aspx?id=2145571
Number 1986 was converted for maintence of way duty, and renumbered A333:
www.hebners.net/caboose/ble/bleA333L.jpg
The car has since been sold to LTEX, and sits at McDonald Ohio:
www.flickr.com/photos/conrailman75/5063579560/
Number 1987 is owned by a private individual, and is kept on the Middletown & Hummelstown Railroad:
www.rrpicturearchives.net/showPicture.aspx?id=208731
www.rrpicturearchives.net/showPicture.aspx?id=2583248
Here is a link to read more about the former B&LE 1987:
sluggyjunx.com/rr/journal/1999/04_25_99-railfan_md-wv/index.html
Number 1989 is owned by the Hoosier Valley Railroad Museum:
www.rrpicturearchives.net/showPicture.aspx?id=1449750
