Conrail Caboose Photo Archive
The ex-New Haven Classes - N8A, N8B, NE6

 
The New York, New Haven & Hartford Railroad became part of Penn Central on January 1, 1969, An ICC mandate
stated that if the PC merger of early 1968 was to remain a valid entity, the bankrupt NH must be included.
It is doubtful that the NH railroad was wanted by any railroad.
The NH contributed two classes of all-steel cupola-style cabooses, the NE-5 and NE-6
Built by Pullman Standard in three groups -
NE5 C510-C534
NE5 C535-C584 were built in 1942
NE5 C585-C634 were built in 1944

The International Car and Railway Equipment Company built the NE-6 class. (C635-709 ) during 1947 and 1948. .
NE-5 cabooses Nos. C510-C534 were welded, and had an average weight of 43,500 lbs. All windows and doors were equipped with metal protection screens.
Sliding windows were used in the carbody
Caboose dimensions for the NE-5 series included a length of 33-feet, chinches between strike plates; a height of 11-feet, 2-15/ 32-inches from
rail surface to top of running board, a cupola height of about 2-feet, 6-inches; and a width of 90-feet, 5-inches between the edges of each end platform.
The 1947 and 1948 orders of all steel NE-6 cabooses, Nos. C635-C709 possessed a few variations on the original theme. The average weight was 47,000 lbs. Cars C635-C639 were fitted
out with 33-inch multi-wear wheels steam heating, and air signal equipment so that they could be used in NH passenger service whenever necessary. The rest of the cars came with 33-inch cast iron wheels and coal stoves.
The NE-5 series has 14 vertical ribs along its sides, but the newer NE6 has five steel panels separated by four vertical ribs on each carbody side.
PC changed the NH numbering and class designation system from the 3-digit NE-5 500 and 600-series and 3 digit NE-6 600 and 700-series to a 5-digit NE-6 19000 and 23000 series

(made up of the former NE-5's and NE-6's lumped into one class) and a 5-digit N-8A (former NE-5's and NE-6's) and N8B (former NE-5's) 23000-series.

Even though you could tell them apart visually, PC lumped them all together as the NE6 class.

PC started a rebuild program, with each caboose in the 23000-series of former NE-5 and NE-6 (Nos. 23505-23620 )
being reclassed (N-8B) and Nos. 23622-23679 (N-8A),

was given a new set of roller bearing trucks; while fabricated bay windows were added to the
carbody sides of these cabooses. The cupola windows were welded over with square steel plates.
As time went by, some of the caboose side windows were also plated over.

The 19000 series NE-6 cabooses, Nos. 19800-19887, and the 23000-series NE-6 cabooses, Nos. 23800-23880, were not modified
When Conrail absorbed the Penn Central Co. in 1976, PC caboose numbers remained the same during the Conrail years.

N-8A
Built in 1948 as a class NE6 for the New Haven, they were rebuilt by the Penn Central into class N8A around 1970.
The windows in the cupola were sealed up, a water tank was suspended from the cupola ceiling
and bay windows were installed on it's sides.
 

 N-8A

 LOCATION

DATE

 PHOTO CREDIT
23620

 Buckeye Yard
Columbus OH

 Nov 24, 1977

 Jim Hebner
 Altoona PA
former CR 23505
 October 3, 1998
 Jeff Lubchansky
 Columbus Ohio
at Buckeye Yard
 May 29, 1999
 Jim Hebner
 Columbus Ohio
at Buckeye Yard
 May 29, 1999
 Jim Hebner
Reading PA
Belt Line Jct 
Feb 10, 1988 
 HE Grouse
  23644      
 Altoona PA  October 3, 1998  Jeff Lubchansky
 
 Allentown PA
 April 1978
  
  23660 Chicago Area? August 1981 Chuck Zeiler
 Danbury CT
persevered at the
Danbury Railway Museum!
taken shortly after arriving		  December 1997 Danbury Railway Museum 
 Danbury CT
Restored to PC 23662 by the
Danbury Railway Museum!
Here she is the restoration crew riding as it is spotted on a different track.		  1998  Edward A O'Lena's
8 year old son
  Danbury CT  August 21, 1998  Jeff Lubchansky

near GREENSBERG PA 
clearly out of service - being moved for preservation?

Sept 18, 2004 Freddy S 
  23665      
 Rochester NY
not the best of scans		  August 1979  Jim Hebner

 23667

 Altoona PA
spray paint indicates that is was classed as scrap in July 1998
NYC marks above number would seem to indicate that it went to CSX

 October 15, 1999

 Jim Hebner
23669  Poplar Bluff MO
  July 2000  Jim Hebner
 South Bend IN Nov 6, 1977 Dick Leonhardt
 Rochester NY    Jim Hebner
23679 Springfield OH
Greenmont Yard		  Nov. 10, 1979  Jim Hebner
23679 Springfield OH
Greenmont Yard
- the other side		  Nov. 10, 1979  Jim Hebner

N-8B - former NE5
 N8B

 LOCATION

DATE

PHOTO CREDIT
  23505 exNH 512    
  23508 exNH 515    
  23509 exNH 516    
 Akron OH
Built April 1940 as NH 518
 pre 1996
 Roger Kirkpatrick
 Altoona PA
out of service? In fairly fresh paint
sort of a late Conrail simplified paint scheme
 October 2, 1998
 Jeff Lubchansky
 Suffern NY
as Conrail Yard Office?
exNH 519
 1996
 Jeff Sumberg
 Hillburn NY
 June 3, 2000
 Alan Tillison
  23513 exNH 520    
 Dewitt Yard
exNH 521
 August 24, 1978
 Jim Hebner
  23518 exNH 526    
  23516 exNH 512    
 before Conrail painted it blue. before PC hacked it up, this what it looked like in NH paint

exNH 527
 1956?
 from the
collection of
Gene Fusco
  23528 exNH 536    
  23530 exNH 538    
 Altoona PA

exNH 539
 October 10, 1997
 Jeff Lubchansky
 Altoona PA
 October 3 1998
 Jeff Lubchansky
 Altoona PA
 October 15, 1999
 Jim Hebner
  23533 exNH 541    
  23536 exNH 545    
  23540 exNH 549    
  23541 exNH 550    
  23544 exNH 554    
  23548 exNH 558    
  23552 exNH 564    
23560

Mansfield OH
still in PC paint

 1977  
  23560 exNH 572    
  23566 exNH 578    
  23567 exNH 579    
  23570 exNH 582
preserved at Tamaqua PA with another N8B		    
  23575 587    
  23576 588    
  23578 590    
  23581 593    
23589

 Elizabethport NJ
reported in a NJ Scrapyard 5/99
ex NH 601

  Jan 25, 1998  Jeff Lubchansky
23594  Rutherford PA
Tom has a GREAT Conrail Caboose site
ex NH 606
    Tom Wolfgang

NE 6
  NE6

Location
 DATE PHOTO CREDIT
19798

 Charlotte NY
 Dec 30,1978  Jim Hebner
19789

 Charlotte NY
another view - same day
  Dec 30,1978  Jim Hebner

19806

 unknown location
you can almost smell the fresh paint

 August 1978

 from the
collection of
Jim Hebner
19843

 Catawissa PA - ex New Haven 605
 1996  Walt Gosciminski
19846

 Danbury CT
Preserved in it's as delivered paint (NH 627) at the Danbury Railway Museum.
 1997  Rick Simpson
19846

 Danbury CT
Another view
(NH 627) at the Danbury Railway Museum.
 Aug 21, 1998  Jeff Lubchansky
19805

 ex New Haven 705 has been
preserved!
 1996  Walt Gosciminski
19805

 ex New Haven 705 has been
preserved!
 1998  Walt Gosciminski
19805

 ex New Haven 705 has been
preserved!
 1998  Walt Gosciminski
Phoenix AZ
Daniel's Moving and Storage Inc.
April 30, 2012
Larry Platt
23801

 Charlotte NY
 Oct 8, 1979  Jim Hebner
23801

 Charlotte NY
the other side
  Oct 8, 1979  Jim Hebner
23803

 Buckeye Yard
Columbus OH
  Nov 24, 1977  Jim Hebner
23805
Carlisle Jct OH
4-7-79
Greg Borgwald
23808

 Mansfield OH
Out of service but still
on the property
March 9, 1997  Jim Hebner
23810

 Buckeye Yard
Columbus OH
 

 Jim Hebner
Dayton OH
May 24, 1977
from The
collection of
Albert Pheelp
23872

 New Haven 547
before it became PC 19868
then CR 23872

 unknown

 from The
collection of
Albert Pheelp
23879

 Buckeye Yard
Columbus OH

 Nov 11, 1982

 Jim Hebner

 
Click on the class you want to view
 the N3 ex EL  the N8D class ex DL&W / EL
 the N3A ex EL  the N8 class ex-PRR/PC class
 the N4, N4A and N4B ex Reading and CNJ  
 the N5 class  
 the N5A, N5E, N5F classes  the N6A Transfer Class ex NYC/PC
 the N5B class  the N9 & N9E Transfer Class
 the N5C class  the N11 & N11E Transfer Class
 the N5G class ex PC/LV  
 the N5H class  the N10 class ex Penn Central
 the N5K class ex ATSF/PC  the N12 class ex Penn Central
   the ex New Haven classes NE-6, N8A, N8B
 the N7, N7A & N7C classes ex NYC  the N20 class ex Reading
 the N7B class ex NYC  the N21 classes The true Conrail Caboose - 42 photos
 the N7D ex EL  the MW Cabooses
 the N7E ex EL  the MGA ex Monogahela cabooses
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