Rio Grande Cabooses

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This page was last updated on November 10, 2024.

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Rio Grande Wooden Cabooses -- Information about D&RGW's standard-gauge wooden cabooses.

Rio Grande Steel Cabooses -- Information about D&RGW's steel cabooses.

Rio Grande Steel Caboose Paint Schemes -- Information about the various paint schemes that have been used on D&RGW's fleet of steel cabooses, including a listing showing each caboose, its paint scheme and the date of the photo.

Rio Grande Western (RGW) Cabooses -- Information about the RGW standard gauge cabooses of 1890-1907.

D&RGW Cabooseless Operations

February 1985
The use of cabooses ended on the Utah Division, from Grand Junction to Salt Lake City, on February 5 and 6, 1985. (CTC Board, April 1985, page 3; Pacific Rail News, Issue 258, May 1985, page 25)

October 1985
The use of cabooses on the Colorado Division ended on October 1, 1985, along both the Moffat Tunnel route and the Royal Gorge route, but not on the Joint Line. Cabooseless operations on coal trains on the Colorado Division, between Craig and Denver, were tested during late July and early August 1985. (CTC Board, August 1985, page 15; CTC Board, September 1985, page 3; CTC Board, October 1985, page 3)

Cabooses continued to be utilized in Utah on branches beyond 1985. The Tintic Branch locals, based out of Provo, used Rio Grande cabooses until July 1986 (after Geneva Steel shut down). The Roper based "Midvale Tramp" used Rio Grande cabooses on both the Bingham Branch and the Garfield Branch until 1993. (James Belmont, email dated February 15, 2016)

Notes

As of January 31, 1950, there were 59 all-steel cabooses in the 01400-series in service. There were eight cabooses of all-wood construction including three converted box cabooses, and 81 wood cabooses listed with steel underframes from various series. Of the 38 cabooses with wooden bodies and steel underframes, there were 21 cars in the 01140 to 01189 series, and 17 listed in the 01120 to 01139 group.

Also in January 1950, there were 16 former Denver & Salt Lake cabooses, including 12 of wooden construction and four being all-steel in the 01390 to 01393 group.

By January 1955 there were only two all-wood cabooses, one of which was a converted boxcar (014294) and 53 wood with steel underframes, along with 69 steel cabooses in the 01400 series. There were only five former D&SL cabooses: two of wooden construction and three all-steel.

In January 1960 there were 11 wood cabooses with steel underframes in various number series, and 89 all steel cars in the 01400 series, and only the three all-steel former D&SL cabooses.

D&RGW Standard Gauge Caboose Roster (1890 - 1993)

Series Interior Length Builder Built Design Notes
RGW 1-10 note   Before 1892 Wood, 4 and 8 wheel 4-wheel (15'-3"), 8-wheel (22'-0")
RGW 11-25 note   Before 1895 Wood, 4 and 8 wheel 4-wheel (15'-3"), 8-wheel (22'-0")
RGW 26-45 note   Before 1802 Wood , 4 and 8 wheel 4-wheel (15'-3"), 8-wheel (22'-0")
150-153     Before 1885 Wood possibly rebuilt with longer frames
0201-0249 note     Wood, 4 and 8 wheel 4-wheel (15'-3"), 8-wheel (22'-0")
0800-0827 32'-0"   Before 1888 Wood, offset cupola, side doors Rebuilt without side doors
0828-0849 32'-0"   Before 1891 Wood, offset cupola, side doors Rebuilt without side doors
0850-0871 32'-0"   Before 1894 Wood, offset cupola, side doors Rebuilt without side doors
0872-0888 32'-0"   Before 1902 Wood, offset cupola, side doors Rebuilt without side doors
0889-0917 30'-0" D&RGW 1906 Wood, offset cupola  
0918-0931 30'-0"   1909-1910 Wood, offset cupola  
0932-0933 24'-0" B&S 1904 Wood ex D&SL 10000, 10002
0936-0938 29'-0" Danville Car 1909 Wood ex D&SL 10006-10008
0939-0945 29'-0" Pullman 1913 Wood ex D&SL 10010-10021
0950-0959 30'-0"   1909 steel underframe, wood body, offset cupola  
01100-01131 22'-0" Ex RGW   Wood, offset cupola ex RGW, 32 cars; six cars by September 1929
01120-01139 (2nd) 29'-10" D&RGW 1928 steel underframe, wood body, offset cupola  
01140-01189 29'-10" H&B 1913 steel underframe, wood body, offset cupola  
01190-01199 29'-10" D&RGW 1927 steel underframe, wood body, offset cupola  
01200-01209       Wood drover coach
01300-01303 30'-0" D&RGW 1937 steel underframe, wood and steel body, end cupola drover caboose
01320-01325 36'-0" Rebuilt Oct 1964 steel underframe, wood sheathed transfer caboose; ex Outfit Cars X2725-X2734; built as 62000-series boxcars
01350-01359 29'-10" D&RGW 1937 steel underframe, wood and steel body, end cupola  
01390   D&SL 1947 Steel, welded, end cupola Ex-D&SL 10063
01391 29'-4" D&SL Feb 1936 Steel, riveted, end cuploa Ex-D&SL 10060
01392 24'-0" D&SL Feb 1936 Steel, riveted, off center cupola Ex-D&SL 10061; to X-301 weed spray car in March 1951
01393   D&SL 1940   Ex-D&SL 10062
01400-01409 29'-10" D&RGW 1940 Steel, riveted, end cuploa  
01410-01419 29'-10" D&RGW 1941 Steel, riveted, end cupola  
01420-01429 29'-10" D&RGW 1942 Steel, rivited, end cupola  
01430-01439 29'-10" D&RGW 1944 Steel, riveted, end cuploa  
01440-01449 29'-10" D&RGW 1944-1945 Steel, riveted, end cuploa  
01450-01459 29'-10" D&RGW 1947 Steel, riveted, end cuploa  
01460-01469 29'-10" D&RGW 1951 Steel, riveted, end cuploa  
01470-01479 29'-10" D&RGW 1955 Steel, welded, end cuploa  
01480-01490 29'-10" D&RGW 1959 Steel, welded, end cuploa  
01500-01514 30'-7" ICC 1966 Steel, welded, offset wide-vision cuploa  
01515-01524 30'-7" ICC 1976 Steel, welded, centered wide-vision cupola  
011200-013851   Rebuilt   Wood box car caboose; two lengths, 31'-6" and 34'-6"; 20 cars in June 1905
12067 31'-6" Rebuilt   Wood box car caboose; one car October 1926 and in September 1929
014107-014601 group   Rebuilt   Wood, with side door, offset cupola box car caboose; two lengths, 33'-5" and 37'-0"; 54 cars (16 in October 1919; 12 in October 1926 and September 1929
(Known cars in this series: 014107, 014166, 014187, 014198, 014238, 014292, 014294, 014306, 014353, 014361, 014380, 014381, 014406, 014412, 014426, 014429, 014477, 014572, 014601)
060101-061474 group 36'-0" Rebuilt   Wood box car caboose; 48 cars (11 in December 1921, October 1926, and September 1929
(Known cars in this series: 060101, 060185, 060360, 060413, 060710, 060917, 061337, 061405, 061416, 061427, 061474)

H&B = Haskell & Barker (caboose builder)

ICC = International Car (caboose builder)

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