Spokane International Cabooses
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This page was last updated on November 11, 2023.
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Overview
Union Pacific acquired control of the Spokane International Railroad on October 6, 1958. Spokane International Railroad was formally merged into Union Pacific Railroad on December 31, 1987. UP originally held about 99 percent of SI stock and gradually acquired the remainder. In 1959, Spokane International's equipment (including the 11 RS-1s and four remaining cabooses) was first leased to UP, then later actual ownership passed to UP.
(Read more about Spokane International Railway)
Spokane International Railway operated four ex-UP CA-3 steel cabooses, C-18 to C-21. Cabooses C-18 and C-19 were purchased in June 1962. Cabooses C-20 and C-21 were purchased in July 1963. The retirement dates of some of the wood cabooses reflect the arrival of these steel cabooses.
Research suggests that these four steel cabooses operated only on the Spokane International, except as they were being moved around after being retired. They were retired in preparation for cabooseless operations on UP's former Spokane International lines.
The Oregon Public Utilities Commission granted a waiver to UP allowing cabooseless operations in early September 1985. Following the waiver, the first cabooseless mainline train on Northwestern District was on September 8, 1985, from Hinkle to Spokane, bound for interchange with Canadian Pacific. The same train initiated cabooseless operations over the former Spokane International on the same day, between Spokane and the Canadian Pacific interchange at Eastport, Idaho.
Wooden Cabooses
Spokane International owned at least ten wooden cabooses with steel underframes, numbers C-8 through C-17. SI C-9 was a former GN caboose; SI C-13, C-14, and C-15 were former NP cabooses; C-10 may have been either an ex-GN, or an ex-UP caboose; and C-17 was a former UP CA-1 caboose. These cabooses were all retired between June 1959 and February 1966, with the arrival of the steel ex-UP cabooses.
In outward appearance of Spokane International's wooden caboose fleet, C-1 through C-6 were similar in appearance; C-9 and C-10 were similar in appearance; and C-13, C-14, and C-15 were similar in appearance.
SI C-17 may have operated briefly as SI 3240 (its former UP number) upon its arrival.
| Car Number |
Date Built (or acquired) |
Builder (or acquired from) |
Date Retired |
Notes |
| C-1 | ||||
| C-2 | ||||
| C-3 | ||||
| C-3 (2nd) | Home built by SI using a 40-foot flatcar equipped with Andrews swing-hanger trucks. | |||
| C-4 | ||||
| C-4 (2nd) | Home built by SI using a 40-foot flatcar equipped with Andrews swing-hanger trucks. | |||
| C-5 | Haskill & Barber | Equipped with arch bar trucks | ||
| C-6 | Haskill & Barber | Equipped with arch bar trucks. | ||
| C-7 | Three windows, end cupola, equipped with arch bar swing-hanger trucks. | |||
| C-8 | 1942 | Ohio Match Co. | Apr 1961 | Three windows, equipped with Bettendorf swing-hanger trucks, rebuilt from ex-ATSF long caboose |
| C-9 | 1950 | GN | Dec 1962 | Three windows, equipped with Andrews swing-hanger trucks |
| C-10 | GN | Jun 1959 | Three windows, with one cupola side window, C-9 and C-10 were all alike in appearance, equipped with Diamond swing-hanger trucks. UP equipment record book shows built by UP | |
| C-11 | GN | Jun 1959 | Short, with four windows and two cupola side windows, equipped with Andrews swing-hanger trucks | |
| C-12 | 1954 | U. S. Army | Jul 1963 | Two windows, equipped with Diamond swing-hanger trucks |
| C-13 | 1954 | NP | Dec 1963 | Short, with two windows and one cupola side window, equipped with Andrews swing-hanger trucks |
| C-14 | 1954 | NP | Jul 1963 | (Same as C-13) |
| C-15 | 1954 | NP | Jun 1962 | (Same as C-13) |
| C-16 | 1957 | U.S. Army | Feb 1966 | Four windows and two cupola side windows, ex-ATSF long caboose, rebuilt from C-4 |
| C-17 | Oct 1924 | UP 3240 | Jun 1962 | C-17 was a former UP CA-1 wooden caboose purchased from UP in August 1959; operated with its UP number from 1959 to 1962. |
Steel Cabooses
Spokane International Railroad operated four ex-UP CA-3 steel cabooses, C-18 to C-21. Cabooses C-18 and C-19 were purchased in June 1962. Cabooses C-20 and C-21 were purchased in July 1963. The retirement dates of some of the wood cabooses reflect the arrival of these steel cabooses.
| Car Number |
Date Built |
Previous Number |
Date Acquired |
Date Retired |
Notes |
| C-18 | May 1942 | UP 25001 | Jun 1962 | 11 Jul 1985 | Removed from service on 27 March 1985 at Hinkle, Oregon. |
| C-19 | May 1942 | UP 25002 | Jun 1962 | 9 Aug 1985 | Removed from service on 6 August 1985 at Omaha, Nebraska; renumbered back to UP 25002; preserved behind business at 89th & J streets, Omaha, Nebraska. |
| C-20 | May 1942 | UP 25005 | Jul 1963 | 11 Jul 1985 | Removed from service on 11 July 1985 at Pocatello, Idaho; donated to City of Stanfield, Oregon, April 1986; displayed in Pasco, Washington; still there as of July 2023. |
| C-21 | May 1942 | UP 25008 | Jul 1963 | 27 Jan 1984 | Removed from service on 23 November 1983 at Pocatello, Idaho; moved to Omaha during 1984; donated to Bonner County History Museum, Sandpoint, Idaho; moved to Spokane, Washington, before December 1984; moved to Sandpoint, Idaho, placed for display on a section of track at Lakeview Park on June 7, 1986; still there in July 2004; restored by Bonner County History Museum during 2017, and returned to public display in early December 2017. |
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