Union Pacific Cabooses

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By Don Strack

Spokane International Railway

Union Pacific acquired control of the Spokane International Railroad on October 6, 1958. Spokane International Railroad was formally merged into Union Pacific Railroad on December 31, 1987. UP originally held about 99 percent of SI stock, and gradually acquired the remainder. In 1959, Spokane International's equipment (including the 11 RS-1s and four remaining cabooses) was first leased to UP, then later actual ownership passed to UP.

Spokane International Wooden Cabooses

Spokane International owned at least ten wooden cabooses with steel underframes, numbers C-8 through C-17. SI C-9 was a former GN caboose; SI C-13, C-14, and C-15 were former NP cabooses; C-10 may have been either an ex-GN, or an ex-UP caboose; and C-17 was a former UP CA-1 caboose. These cabooses were all retired between June 1959 and February 1966, with the arrival of the steel ex-UP cabooses.

In outward appearance of Spokane International's wooden caboose fleet, C-1 through C-6 were similar in appearance; C-9 and C-10 were similar in appearance; and C-13, C-14, and C-15 were similar in appearance.

SI C-17 may have operated briefly as SI 3240 (its former UP number) upon its arrival.

Car Number	Date Built (or acquired)	Builder (or acquired from)	Date Retired	Notes
C-1
C-2
C-3
C-3 (2nd)				Home built by SI using a 40-foot flatcar, equipped with Andrews swing-hanger trucks.
C-4
C-4 (2nd)				Home built by SI using a 40-foot flatcar, equipped with Andrews swing-hanger trucks.
C-5		Haskill & Barber		Equipped with archbar trucks
C-6		Haskill & Barber		Equipped with archbar trucks.
C-7				Three windows, end cupola, equipped with archbar swing-hanger trucks.
C-8	1942	Ohio Match Co.	Apr 1961	Three windows, equipped with Bettendorf swing-hanger trucks, rebuilt from ex-ATSF long caboose
C-9	1950	GN	Dec 1962	Three windows, equipped with Andrews swing-hanger trucks
C-10		GN	Jun 1959	Three windows, with one cupola side window, C-9 and C-10 were all alike in appearance, equipped with Diamond swing-hanger trucks. UP equipment record book shows built by UP
C-11		GN	Jun 1959	Short, with four windows and two cupola side windows, equipped with Andrews swing-hanger trucks
C-12	1954	U. S. Army	Jul 1963	Two windows, equipped with Diamond swing-hanger trucks
C-13	1954	NP	Dec 1963	Short, with two windows and one cupola side window, equipped with Andrews swing-hanger trucks
C-14	1954	NP	Jul 1963	(Same as C-13)
C-15	1954	NP	Jun 1962	(Same as C-13)
C-16	1957	U.S. Army	Feb 1966	Four windows and two cupola side windows, ex-ATSF, long caboose, rebuilt from C-4
C-17	Oct 1924	UP 3240	Jun 1962	C-17 was a former UP CA-1 wooden caboose, purchased from UP in August 1959; operated with its UP number from 1959 to 1962.

Spokane International Steel Cabooses

Spokane International Railroad operated four ex-UP CA-3 steel cabooses, C-18 to C-21. Cabooses C-18 and C-19 were purchased in June 1962. Cabooses C-20 and C-21 were purchased in July 1963. The retirement dates of some of the wood cabooses reflect the arrival of these steel cabooses.

Car Number	Date Built	Previous Number	Date Acquired	Date Retired	Notes
C-18	May 1942	UP 25001	Jun 1962	11 Jul 1985	Removed from service on 27 March 1985 at Hinkle, Ore.
C-19	May 1942	UP 25002	Jun 1962	9 Aug 1985	Removed from service on 6 August 1985 at Omaha, Neb.; renumbered back to UP 25002; preserved behind business at 89th & J streets, Omaha, Neb.
C-20	May 1942	UP 25005	Jul 1963	11 Jul 1985	Removed from service on 11 July 1985 at Pocatello, Idaho; donated to City of Stanfield, Ore., April 1986; displayed in Pasco, Wash.
C-21	May 1942	UP 25008	Jul 1963	27 Jan 1984	Removed from service on 23 November 1983 at Pocatello, Idaho; moved to Omaha during 1984; preserved on public property at Sandpoint, Idaho, last seen at that location on July 11, 2004. (Update for 2004 from Sheldon Perry, by way of Robert Ulberg and Roger Kirkpatrick.)

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