Conrail Caboose Photo Archive
The ex-New Haven Classes - N-8A, N-8B, NE-6

 

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 -
NE 5 C510-C534
NE 5 C535-C584 were built in 1942
NE 5 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 Ibs. 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 Ibs. 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 C.l. 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 covered 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 ceiling and bay windows were installed on it's sides.

 

 

 N-8A#

 LOCATION

DATE

 PHOTO CREDIT
 23651  Altoona PA  October 3, 1998  Jeff Lubchansky
   23657  Allentown, PA  April 1978  
23662  Danbury CT
persevered at the
Danbury Railway Museum!
taken shortly after arriving		  December 1997 Danbury Railway Museum 
 23662  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
 23662   Danbury CT  August 21, 1998  Jeff Lubchansky
   23664

near GREENSBERG PA 
clearly out of service

being moved for preservation?

Sept 18, 2004 Freddy S 
 23667  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
 23679  South Bend IN Nov 6, 1977 Dick Leonhardt
23679  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
 ??  Poplar Bluff MO
303 is the street address
anyone know it's CR number?		  July 2000  Jim Hebner

N-8B

 

 N-8B#

 LOCATION

DATE

PHOTO CREDIT
 23620      
 23632  Altoona PA
former CR 23505		  October 3, 1998  Jeff Lubchansky
23632  Columbus Ohio
at Buckeye Yard		  May 29, 1999  Jim Hebner
23632  Columbus Ohio
at Buckeye Yard		  May 29, 1999  Jim Hebner
 23644 Reading PA
Belt Line Jct 		 Feb 10, 1988   HE Grouse
         
23511  Akron OH
Built April 1940 as NH # 518		  pre 1996  Roger Kirkpatrick
 23511  Altoona PA
out of service? In fairly fresh paint
sort of a late Conrail simplified paint scheme		  October 2, 1998  Jeff Lubchansky
23512  Suffern NY
as Conrail Yard Office?		  1996  Jeff Sumberg
 23512  Hillburn NY  June 3, 2000  Alan Tillison
23514  Dewitt Yard  August 24, 1978  Jim Hebner
 23519  before Conrail painted it blue. before PC hacked it up, this what it looked like in NH paint  1956?  from the
collection of
Gene Fusco
23531  Altoona PA  October 10, 1997  Jeff Lubchansky
 23531  Altoona PA  October 3 1998  Jeff Lubchansky
 23531  Altoona PA  October 15, 1999  Jim Hebner
23589  Elizabethport NJ
reported in a NJ Scrapyard 5/99		  Jan 25, 1998  Jeff Lubchansky
23594  Rutherford PA
Tom has a GREAT Conrail Caboose site		    Tom Wolfgang
23620  Buckeye Yard
Columbus OH		  Nov 24, 1977  Jim Hebner

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 Click here to view others at Walt Gosciminski's caboose site
  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.
  August 21, 1998  Jeff Lubchansky
19805

 ex New Haven 705 has been
preserved ! Click here to view others at Walt Gosciminski's caboose site
  1996  Walt Gosciminski
19805

 ex New Haven 705 has been
preserved ! Click here to view others at Walt Gosciminski's caboose site
  1998  Walt Gosciminski
19805

 ex New Haven 705 has been
preserved ! Click here to view others at Walt Gosciminski's caboose site
  1998  Walt Gosciminski
23801

 Charlotte NY
  October. 8, 1979  Jim Hebner
23801

 Charlotte NY
the other side
  October. 8, 1979  Jim Hebner
23803

 Buckeye Yard
Columbus OH
  Nov 24, 1977  Jim Hebner
23808

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

 Buckeye Yard
Columbus OH
  

 Jim Hebner
23872

 New Haven 547
before it became PC 19868
then CR 23872

 unknown

 from The
collection of
Albert Pheelp
23879

 Buckeye Yard
Columbus OH

 November 11, 1982

 Jim Hebner

 

Click on the class you want to view
 the N3 ex EL - 24 photos  the N8D class ex DL&W / EL
 the N3A ex EL  the N8 class ex-PRR class - 20 photos
 the N4, N4A and N4B ex Reading and CNJ - 31 photos  
 the N5 class  
 the N5A, N5E, N5F classes  the N6A Transfer Class ex NYC/PC - 9 photos
 the N5B class  the N9 & N9E Transfer Class - 22 photos
 the N5C class - 27 photos  the N11 & N11E Transfer Class - 24 photos
 the N5G class ex PC/LV  
 the N5H class  the N10 class ex Penn Central - 16 photos
 the N5K class ex ATSF/PC  the N12 class ex Penn Central - 14 photos
   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 - 29 photos  the MW Cabooses
 the N7E ex EL - 9 photos  the MGA ex Monogahela cabooses

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