NE1 Caboose Dispositions

[URR566]

The Bessemer had 20 class NE1 cabooses that were acquired from Greenville Steel Car Company in 1941. These cars were the first all steel cabooses and the first bay window design cars the Bessemer ever acquired. They were phased out of service as the railroad bought newer class NE4 and NE5 cars in the 1970s. After their Bessemer careers ended a number of them found work on other railroads in various service:

Cabooses 1958 and 1963 were sold to the Providence & Worchester railroad sometime in the 1970s:

www.rrpicturearchives.net/showPicture.aspx?id=283884

www.flickr.com/photos/vista-dome/3487540228/

The P&W repainted and renumbered the former 1963 as P&W 3002:

www.rrpicturearchives.net/showPicture.aspx?id=350346

Judging by the ghetto guards over the windows, the B&LE 1963/P&W 3002 was sold off and now sits at Southbridge, Mass:

www.waymarking.com/gallery/image.aspx?f=1&guid=ab5b9063-ac72-4c1b-8705-e826dc2ce3c3&lat=42.876933&lon=-71.950833&t=6

I’m not really sure what happened to the 1958. It may have been sold to Amtrak. Amtrak had a former B&LE NE1 caboose in maintenance of way service. Numbered AMTK 14026, it was painted in their typical MofW orange scheme:

www.hebners.net/amtrak/amtCAB/amt14026.jpg

The car was sold to the Newport Dinner Train and now sits at Newport, RI and wears this very patriotic scheme. Anyone know its former Bessemer number?

www.rrpicturearchives.net/showPicture.aspx?id=1603278

The Detroit & Mackinac Railroad had two former B&LE NE1 cabs. They were numbered DM 209 and 210:

www.rrpicturearchives.net/showPicture.aspx?id=2774225

www.rrpicturearchives.net/showPicture.aspx?id=2856059

I don’t know their former B&LE numbers-does anyone know?

The Vermont Railway had two former NE1’s, numbered 8 and 9 (B&LE numbers unknown). Here’s VTRR #9:

www.rrpicturearchives.net/showPicture.aspx?id=823952

Green Mountain Railway had one as well., their number 50 (unknown Bessemer number). Here are two photos of the GMRC #50:

www.rrpicturearchives.net/showPicture.aspx?id=250186

This last photo shows how the car was modified with roller bearings, and the removal of the ladder and walkways on the roof.

www.rrpicturearchives.net/showPicture.aspx?id=2668626

Former US Steel road Newburg & South Shore had one as well. Again, anyone know its Bessemer number?

www.rr-fallenflags.org/misc-n/nss-c001dsa.jpg

After the Bessemer tore down the Kaylor engine house on the Western Allegheny, they put the "engine pen" in and had a de-trucked NE1 caboose as a yard office. Of course its probably gone now, but does anyone have any photos of it or know its number? Figure someone might as the WA was photographed a lot over the years due to the Fs. (I have several photos of this car but don't know their photographer so I don't want to post them. The photos came from a friends collection.)

Years ago there was one in the southwest end of Pittsburgh along route 51, perhaps east of McKees Rocks. It was possibly being used as an office, perhaps at a used car lot. It was south of route 51 when going west on 51.

Number 1959 was sold to Quebec Iron & Titanium sometime in the 1970's. I have only ever seen one photo of the car under QIT ownership and do not know what ever happened to it.

One car was sold to the Youngstown & Northern Railroad (a sister US Steel road) and was turned into a business car-its bay windows were removed and had four large windows installed on the sides. It was eventually sold to the Union Railroad as their 120 and was used as a dining car on their work train. When the URR retired it in the 1990s, it was sold to Tube City and supposedly scrapped, however its still alive and now owned by a landscaping company in West Elizabeth Pa scroll down to see photos I took of it in January 2013.

Finally B&LE cab 1966 somehow ended up on the Union Railroad, and for years was stored out of service in full Bessemer paint with URR caboose C-1006. Unfortunately both cars were scrapped sometime after 2010. Scroll down to view a few pictures I took of it back in January 2010.

Out of 20 built new for the Bessemer, at least 14 of them found something to do after they were retired by the Bessemer. Out of those 14, there are at least 5 still alive as of 2014. Out of those 5, 4 have a home at which they're not in danger of being scrapped.

[URR566]

Former NE1 caboose 1966 stored on the Union Railroad. The car still wears its full Bessemer paint and markings. Although the paint is faded and chipping, structurally, the car is in good shape.

[URR566]

The reporting marks/number which is found on the end of the car above the door. It's interesting to note that there is similar lettering showing through indicating that the Bessemer painted right over the previous scheme without sanding the car down.

[URR566]

Built May 1941. Again, the same lettering is showing through.

[URR566]

An interior shot of B&LE 1966. You can see a table, chairs, sink, bathroom in the back left corner, and a tank mounted to the roof, which I am assuming would have been used to contain water for the sink/toilet.

[mikeenssle]

To bad we couldent save this car Im sure we could get it cheap or free for that matter.

[URR566]

I was told several years ago by a friend that someone actually attempted to acquire this car and the URR C-1006 that sits with it for a display. The Union refused the offer. Again, this is what I was told, not sure if it was true or not.

[URR566]

Heres another former NE1 survivor, this probably being the least known out of all of the surviving cars. Its Bessemer number is unknown, the car was sold to the Youngstown & Northern Railroad (a one time USX road) where it was rebuilt by removing the bay window, adding large picture windows down the sides, and a small kitchen was installed. It was then used as the Y&N business car (Y&N number unknown). By 1973, the Y&N transferred the car to another USX road, the Union Railroad. The URR renumbered it as their 120 and used it as a dining car for their work train. It served in this role for about 20 years, before being retired and sold to Tube City Iron & Metal. Supposedly it was scrapped, but as you can see, its still alive today. It currently resides in the back lot of a contractor in West Elizabeth Pa. I assume it is used as a storage shed of some sort. I took these three photos 1/27/2013 and they clearly show that this one of a kind car still exists over twenty years after it supposedly met its demise.

[URR566]

The end of the car shows how the Youngstown & Northern modified it to sort of get a "business car" feel.

[URR566]

The other side of the former NE1 cab. A photo of this side of the car under URR ownership can be seen in the Union Railroad In Color book on page 108. By the way, the steps were also modified from their original configuration. Anybody know its B&LE and Y&N numbers?

[URR566]

I am sad to say that B&LE caboose 1966, the one that was stored on the Union Railroad, has been scrapped. A friend told me that it and the URR C-1006 that was with it were cut up on the spot. He didn't say when but he did acknowledge that they are no longer sitting in the spot where they have been in for years. Sad to hear that they're gone. RIP 1966:

canadianfreightcargallery.ca/cgi-bin/image.pl?i=ble1966&o=ble

[bessemercaboose]

Does anyone have good disposition records for the NE-1 cabooses? I own one by way of Amtrak. As does a friend of mine. Can’t find any records beyond that.