A Little History

Between 1912 and 1923, the D&RG(W) Railroad rebuilt five 1880s style short cabooses in order to help maintain a small fleet of durable and up to date “crummies”. Eventually consisting of road numbers 0503, 0505, 0517, 0540, and 0574, these “rebuilds” were more or less new cars that utilized the hardware of the old cabooses. These cabooses are referred to as “Class 5” by Dr. Robert Sloan in his book “A Century Plus Ten of D&RGW Narrow Gauge Freight Cars 1871 to 1981”.

Favored by railroad crews, the car bodies were 25 foot in length and sported wider platforms than their sister long cabooses in use at that time. Featuring the more traditional “round” roof style, these cabooses were seen all over the D&RGW narrow gauge system up to the end of operations. Interestingly, the 0540 was the very last caboose to be used by the D&RGW narrow gauge working out of Durango, Colorado in 1980.

Today, all five cabooses of this class remain and three are currently operable. The Durango and Silverton Railroad operates the 0505 and 0540, while the Friends of the C&TS are currently rebuilding the 0503 for continued use on the Cumbres and Toltec Scenic Railroad. The 0574 is nicely restored and survives at the Colorado Railroad Museum, while 0517 sits on display with other narrow gauge railroad equipment in Fairplay, Colorado.

Five Road Numbers, Eleven Versions

Blackstone Models is releasing different versions of each road number to ensure you have the caboose that will fit your favorite era. We greatly encourage your reservations in order to assist us in determining our quantities in this production run. Please note that while we will produce quantities somewhat over the initial demand, we have found that certain road numbers move quickly. Ordering now will ensure your favorite version will be yours!

Order By December 31, 2008

Delivery Expected September 2009