Restored 1949 C&O Caboose #90219
This typical steel caboose was built by
American Car & Foundry Company in St
Louis in 1949 as part of an order by C&O
for 100 cars to supplement its fleet and
replace many older, wooden cars. It
remained in service until the early 1980s,
when cabooses were eliminated from
freight trains. It was used for some years in
yard service before being retired and donated
by CSX to the Society.
The car has been restored to its exact 1949
appearance using original drawings and
photos. This work included new windows
on the sides and in the cupola to replace
modern windows installed in the 1970s,
scratch-built berth chairs, cupola chairs,
and ice box (which had been replaced with
a rest room in the 1960s). The paint and
lettering is based on original specifications
and drawings.
Cabooses served as the conductor's office
and a place for the rear brakeman. With
modern railroad technology the rear crew is
no longer needed. The conductor rides with
the engineer in the locomotive now, and
there are no brakemen.
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Replica C&O Tool Shed and Restored Hand Car
This is an exact replica of a standard C&O Section Tool House, used by
section crews to store their tools and motor cars, hand cars and other
equipment. Sections ranged from four miles in double track territory to
6- 10 miles in single track lines and on branches. Each section was
assigned a foreman and three to fifteen laborers depending on the traffic.
The crew or "gang" kept their section of track in top condition, cleaning
and tamping ballast, keeping track bolts tight, watching for damage,
cleaning brush and weeds, and maintaining anything to do with the roadbed.
In the steam locomotive era the roadbed was heavily worn by the "pounding"
or throwing downward of the engines' huge reciprocating weight. Modern
diesel-electrics with their smooth torque cause much less wear on
roadbeds, and track work is done on a scheduled periodic basis by larger
mechanized gangs. Our replica structure, built to original
specifications, houses our replica hand car, original Quadracycle, and
original velocipede. As we progress in the development of the Heritage
Center, the interior will be set up inside exactly as an original. It was
built for the Society by the Jackson River Vocational and Technical
School.
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Restored C&O Dining Car Gadsby's Tavern
When the George Washington named train was inaugurated in 1932, three fairly new
C&O dining cars (built in 1922) were selected to be rebuilt for use on
the train: Nos. 963, 964 & 965. Of the three original diners only Gadsby's
Tavern survives today. It was used in regular C&O train service until
1967 when it was sold to private owners. After passing through several
hands it was purchased by the C&OHS in 1986. During the next several
years the car was completely refurbished and rebuilt under the expert
guidance and work of C&OHS member and director Tod Hanger with
help from a wide variety of volunteers.
The car's dining room was restored to its 1932 appearance as nearly
as possible using a number of resources, mainly photographs and
drawings from our own archives. Recently, it has been in service on
the potomac Eagle tourist railroad operating out of Romney, W.Va.
We look forward to returning this beautiful treasure to Clifton
Forge so that visitors to the Heritage Center can once again experience
the magic of "Dining on the Rails".
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Restored C&O Combination Car #458
Built by Bethlehem Shipbuilding Company in 1926 at a cost of $27,564.52,
this steel passenger train car is called a "Combination Car," because it
had more than one purpose. It has a compartment for passengers and an
open space for carrying baggage, express, and mail. Cars such as this
were used on mainline passenger trains mainly to carry baggage. They also
found much use on branch line and local trains where traffic was light and
it was not necessary to use separate cars for baggage, mail, and express.
No. 458 seated 22 passengers and had 56-1/2 feet of open working space
with 4-foot wide side doors. In 1950 it was equipped with new reclining
seats (which restricted the leg room) and four seats were removed to
provide a storage locker space. During the last 20 years of its life it
was assigned to Clifton Forge for use on the Hot Springs line. Mixed
freight/passenger trains picked up through sleeping cars from New York and
other points that were dropped by mainline trains at Clifton Forge, and
took them up the 25-mile branch from Covington to Hot Springs, carrying
patrons to the Homestead Hotel. This service ended in 1970. The car was
given to the B&O Museum, and subsequently acquired by the C&O Historical
Society, which refurbished it to an early 1950s appearance.
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Phase II will Include a C&O Standard Station #1...
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and a C&O Standard Signal Tower
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