Re: Eight wheel Caboose on C&Sng?

Posted by Ron Rudnick on
URL: http://c-sng-discussion-forum.254.s1.nabble.com/Eight-wheel-Caboose-on-C-Sng-tp488p1958.html

I get the impression that most on this thread are looking for an exotic origin for caboose #302, as ex U&N, KC or D&NO car, and over looking the possibility that it could have been a UPD&G car.
It has never been mentioned that in the late 1880's early 90's that the CC had 3 caboose cars.  The two
4-wheeled bobbers and boxcar #026652.  It is seen numerous times in photos working as box-baggage car in mixed trains on the Sunset route.  All though not listed as a way car, it is serving as such, and as a conductors car, which by 19th century definition, is also a caboose.
When Trumbull took over, the rosters were in total chaos.  The Union Pacific had imported and mixed into the Colorado roads a large number of U&N and KC cars, all of which along with the Colorado cars were lettered "Union Pacific".  No doubt that many of the cars were considerably weathered, making it difficult to see the small lettering that distinguished which road the car belonged to.  Hence we have DL&G box cars #24172 and #24258 as being UPD&G cars.
About the only way one could distinguish the rightful owner was by the car numbers.
Looking at the first UPD&G,  O. R. E. R. roster, 11/94 we see a plethora of road names.   And under the narrow gauge section we find that a number of UPD&G cars are still lettered Colorado Central and still retaining their pre-1885 car numbers.  
All of these cars were isolated up the Sunset branch by the flood of 1894.  
Also note that these include box cars #1608, 1620 and 1650.  My notes indicate that only 1620 was eventually returned to service, an at that time was supposedly renumbered #26561.  I am not sure where I got that from.  
Also note that #026552 is not listed and yet photos reveal that it was abandoned and set off the track at Sunset.  
Box car #26552 was one of 70 cars built for the Colorado Central in 1880.  They were originally numbered in the 1500 and 1600's with the last car #1702 in even numbers.  In the renumbering of 1885 they were assigned #26531 - 26000.  
Counting backwards by ones from 26000 and by 2's from 1702, I come up with box car #26552 as being originally numbered #1608.
Also in the 11/94 roster there are two 8-ton box cars #26500-26505 and #1512 for a total of 3.
The 12-ton box cars total 67 when one includes the above numbered cars isolated by the flood.
The 12/95 roster, when caboose #1782 shows up on the SG section, says the 12-ton cars are still at 67.
However the 1/96 roster, shows narrow gauge caboose #1782 and the count of the 12-ton box cars drops by one to 66.
Which to me opens the door for the possibility that #1782 was formerly a 12-ton Colorado Central box car.  
Why it was first listed as a SG car remains unknown, perhaps it was being used as a conductors car similar to #026552 on the SG, and then later it was realized that it was originally a narrow gauge car.