Erie caboose C262

QUICK FACTS

Model: welded “Dunmore” cupola caboose (later CR class N-3A)
Built: March 1946
Builder: Erie Railroad Dunmore Shops, Dunmore, PA
Past Railroad Owners: Erie, Erie Lackawanna, Conrail, New York & Greenwood Lake
Current Owner: TOYX, Inc.

Caboose No. C262 was built in March of 1946 by the Erie Railroad’s Dunmore, Pennsylvania shops. The car was originally Erie Railroad C262, and became Erie Lackawanna C262 in 1960. Throughout its Erie and Erie Lackawanna careers, this caboose served almost exclusively between Port Jervis and Croxton Yard in Secaucus, New Jersey. The car was transferred to Conrail in 1976 and became Conrail class N-3A No. 19664.

The No. 19664 was purchased by the Lancaster Northern Railway around the time that the railroad began operating in 1995. It was relettered as LANO No. 756, seeing service in the area of Ephrata and Sinking Springs, Pennsylvania. The Lancaster Northern became part of the Penn Eastern Rail Lines in 1997, which was in turn merged into the East Penn Railroad in 2007. The No. 756 was transferred to Reinholds, Pennsylvania. In 2008, the caboose was resold to the New York & Greenwood Lake Railway. Its friction-bearing caboose trucks were swapped for roller-bearing freight car trucks to facilitate the car’s movement to Passaic, New Jersey, where it arrived on August 27, 2008. It was partially restored over the next few years.

After the New York & Greenwood Lake ceased operations in the early 2010s, the car was stored in Passaic. This car was acquired by a property developer, Passaic Street Properties (PSP), which donated the car on September 12, 2020. PSP also donated the movement of the car out of Passaic.

This car was moved on October 3-4, 2020 to temporary storage between Lackawaxen and Hawley, Pennsylvania. It was moved to Port Jervis on November 17, 2023. This car will be restored to its as-delivered Erie paint scheme. The caboose may also be used on Operation Toy Train’s annual Toys for Tots collection trains for additional volunteer capacity.