PENN CENTRAL
Caboose Photo Archive

The ex-PRR N8 Class


Pennsy's last new caboose design was the 199 car N-8 series of 1950-1951. They originally carried PRR Nos. 478020-4752l9

At the PC merger, the 161 remaining cabooses were renumbered 23200-23402 .
18-20 N8's were sold to the Illinois Central Gulf by PC
The N-8 had a small streamlined cupola, and was particularly notable for its sidemounted handrails which were attached to steel
carbody extenders that were about 4-feet high and jutted out about
2-feet over the end platforms to provide extra protection for brakemen standing outside the cabin. This was extra
protection for a trainman hooping up orders.

Dimensions:
35 feet 11-1/2 inches between strikers
9 feet 8 inches between side steps
13 feet 6-9/16 inches from rail head to the cupola top
Weight about 56,300 lbs


  Number

 Location & Information

Date

Photo Credit
Rochester PA 
 November 1973
 George Alberti 
Herkimer, NY
Eastbound freight
on the mainline
1977
Michael Fullerton
Little Ferry NJ
April 1974
Andy K
 Vanport PA
July 1973 
 George Alberti 
 
 July 1977
 Jeff Finch
 Enola Yard
 April 1972
 Jim Hebner
 As it appears today - preserved as PRR 478144 !
 1996
 Walt Gosciminski
 
 23203
 Rochester, NY
red "P"
 June 1973
 Jim Hebner
 
23261
Chicago IL
1970
  
23301
Miamisburg OH
July 1976
Greg Borgwald
 
 April 7, 1975
  
 Columbus OH
Buckeye Yard
 Sept 1976
 Jim Hebner
 Cleveland OH
 June 21,1975
 David H. Hamley
 Vanport PA
This image was pulled from a VERY dark slide. It does give some idea where the lettering was
 July 1973
 George Alberti
 westbound freight near
Van Dyke PA
1975? 
John Sieber
 at some point at least 12 sold to ICG
  
 from the
collection of
Albert Phleep
  199102      
199102     from the
collection of
Albert Phleep
199106 Champaign IL Oct 5, 1980 Donald E Faris
    Illinois Central Gulf Railroad caboose 199108 at Rockford, Illinois on January 15, 1986, Kodachrome by Chuck Zeiler. The COTS label states this car was built 1-51. It was former PRR class N8 478116, later PC 23274, purchased by the ICG in 1974. Jan 15, 1986 Chuck Zeiler
199108 After ICG used it all up    
  199114      
199116

Carol Stream IL

 April 1982 Chuck Zeiler
  199116 At the Virginia Weldon Park in Martin, Tennessee, sits ICG caboose 199116. This rolling stock was built in 1951 by the Pennsylvania Railroad as PRR 478071. It later became Penn Central PC 23282 before being purchased in 1974 by the Illinois Central Gul Railroad. A determined young man, Ryan Robinson, spearheaded the restoration of this caboose to its current gleaming look.   MJ Scanion
 Cleveland Ohio
this dark slide does show the farily rare stripe scheme. To bad that pole leaped in to the photo
 March 1976
 Jim Hebner
         
         
         
         

 

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Contributions welcome and credited.

Most of the photos on this site are from original photos/slides or submissions. Some photos are from the web - I have tried to get
permission to use on all of them, but a few may have slipped through. Please, let me know if that has happened.
 
 
This archive was first accessed August 1996