Conrail Caboose Photo Archive

The ex NYC/PC N7, N7A, N7C Classes

N7

Conrail's N7 class were built in 1948 by the New York Central Despatch Shops in East Rochester, NY.
The NYC used Lot numbers rather than classes. These first three were Lot 778 cabooses and were numbered 20200, 20201 & 20202.
It would seem that these three were a test of a new design. They were the first steel cabooses the NYC built.
Under Penn Central they became N7 class 21511, 21512 and 21537

In 1949 the second group built by the New York Central Railroad Despatch Shops in East Rochester was Lot 782.
There were 100 cars in the Lot. 95 of them went to the NYC and 5 went to the Boston & Albany (a NYC subsidiary).

Their original B&A car numbers were 1300-1304. When the NYC absorbed the B&A they were renumbered NYC 20498-20502.
Penn Central renumbered them 21516, 21721, 21734, 21793 and 21795 in 1968.

The 95 Lot 782 NYC cars were numbered 20203-20297.

Penn Central's 1968 renumbering seems confused. It would seem that since the N7 and N-7A were similar
(could the only difference be the builder and Lot number??) they were renumbered as repainted with no thought of original classes.
The next one painted probably got the next number

The caboose numbers of the N-7 class

21500-21505, 21507-21510, 21515, 21517, 21518, 21520, 21522-21525 21533-21535, 21539, 21545-21552, 21562,
21566, 21569, 21582, 21585, 21594, 21605, 21610, 21615, 21619, 21621, 21622, 21630, 21641, 21643, 21647,
21648, 21651, 21653, 21654, 21657, 21658, 21669, 21671, 21673, 21679, 21680-21685, 21687, 21690, 21695, 21696,
21698, 21702 21703, 21705, 21708, 21713, 21720, 21726, 21736, 21740, 21741, 21745, 21748, 21751, 21753-21756, 21758,
21759, 21763, 21765, 21768, 21785, 21791, 21792
This list may have errors.

 

Conrail had 91 N7 cabooses.

 N7

 Location & Information

 Date

 Photo Credit

21503

 Jim Hebner

 21507

 Buckeye Yard
Columbus OH

 Jim Hebner
21507      
21545
Cicero IL
BN's yard
October 1980
Chuck Zeiler
 Springfield OH

 Jim Hebner
21726

wrecked by 9/79
reported on a flatcat in
Youngstown OH

 Reedville MA
Aug 21, 1981
 from the
collection of
Albert Phleep
 Columbus OH
Buckeye Yard

 Jim Hebner

 21754

 Shohola PA

Preserved by Shohola Railroad & Historical Society. Located on PA Route 434 near the Shohola-Barryville Bridge over the Delaware River. Painted as a Erie caboose, it was placed on its current site on March 19, 1991, NYC built it in January 1949
Aug 2009
Richard Cunningham

N7A

Built in 1952 by the St. Louis Car Company as NYC Lot 827. These were virtual copies of the original N-7 design. NYC numbers
were 20298-20497 (200 cars). There were 196 of these ex-NYC bay window cabooses on the Conrail roster.
Conrail numbers 21506-21798 , but not consecutive.

Penn Central renumbered Lot 827 into the N7A 21506-21798 series, grouping the N7 and N-7A together
Probably the next one painted got the next number. Conrail used the same system.

If anyone can explain it please let me know.

The caboose numbers of the N7A class

21506, 21513-21514, 21519, 21521, 21526-21532 , 21538, 21540-21544, 21553-21561, 21563, 21565, 21568, 21567,
21570-21581, 21583, 21584, 21586, 21593 21595-21604, 21606-21609, 21611-21614, 21616, 21618, 21620, , 21629,
21631-21640 21642, 21649 , 21644-21646 21650, 21652, 21656, 21655, 21659, 21660, 21668 , 21670, 21672, 21674-21678 ,
21686, 21688, 21689 , 21691-21694 21697, 21699-21701, 21704, 21707, 21706, 21709-21712, 21714, 21721-21725, 21737-21739,
21742, 21744 21747, 21746 21749, 21750, 21752, 21757, 21760, 21762, 21764, 21766, 21769-21784, 21719, 21727,
21735, 21767, 21786-21790, 21793-21798
This list may have errors.

Conrail used the Numbers.

.

 N7A
 LOCATION
 DATE
PHOTO CREDIT
 Buckeye Yard
Columbus OH		  Sept 1976  Jim Hebner
 Orrville OH  
 from the
collection of
Jim Hebner
 Steubenville OH
in Marina Park
 Sept 13, 1997
 Jim Hebner

21541
 Used on the Black River & Western
at Ringos NJ
 August 8, 1997
 Dan Vaccarella
 Ringos NJ
August 16, 1996
 David Simmons

 21552

 Buckeye Yard,
Columbus OH
   Jim Hebner
     Sold by Conrail in 1987
is used in regular freight service on the Owego & Harford Railway in Owego, NY		  June 2001  
 21573   Feb 1981  
Cresson PA  July 1998  Paul McGrane
 Altoona PA  October 3, 1998  Jeff Lubchansky
 North Elizabeth NJ  8-7-76  Harv Kahn

21607
 Conneaut OH
 August 198?
 Jim Hebner

21644
 Dewitt Yard
   Jim Hebner

21678
 Buckeye Yard
Columbus OH
   Jim Hebner
 
 21678
  Ferrona PA    
 
21709
 Minerva OH
jumped on the main and
hit on #3 track		  Feb-10-78  Chip Syme
 Dewitt Yard    Jim Hebner
Springfield OH
east end of
Greenmont yard		 Oct 14, 1979  Jim Hebner
Springfield OH
detail		 Oct 14, 1979  Jim Hebner
Springfield OH
the other side		 Oct 14, 1979  Jim Hebner

Unity OH

ex NYC 20394
July 25, 2010
not shared
Unity OH
July 25, 2010
not shared
27747
Moved in September 2022 to J&L Narrow Guage Museum in Youngstown Ohio. It will be used as a giftshop there

21778
 Springfield OH
as it appeared in a local
scrap yard
reported to have been
moved to
Dayton Ohio in 1997
 Sept 1996
 Jim Hebner
 
21784
  Minerva Yard 7-3-77  collection of
Chip Syme
 Arlington VA April 1979   Dick Leonhardt
 Minerva OH
Displayed at the
W&LE station		 May 5, 1994  Chip Syme
 
21784
  Minerva OH
Displayed at the
W&LE station		 May 5, 1994  Chip Syme

21784
 Minerva OH
preserved next to
the station
 Sept 1997
 Jim Hebner

21797
 Minerva OH
  Sept 1997
 Jim Hebner

21798
 ???
   

N7C
Four N7C bay window cabooses, Nos. 21496-21499, were built in 1965 by the International Car Company of Kenton, Ohio, for the
NYC subsidiary, Peoria & Eastern . The N7C was the final evolution of the NYC bay window caboose with a welded car body,
a more sculptured bay window and cleaner body style.

When built the cars were painted NYC jade green and wore the NYC cigar band emblem and Road to the Future logo on each side.
Small P&E lettering was below the bay window, just above the car number and also just above each of the end doors. At least one, 21498,
wore this paint scheme into the Conrail era.

Dimensions:
36 feet, 7-1/4 inches long between platform end sills
11-feet, 9-5/8 inches high from rail head to running board
10-feet, 7-1/4 inches wide between bay window edges

Weight was about 48,600 Ibs.
N7C
LOCATION
DATE
PHOTO BY
21496
21497
A New York Central bay window caboose trails on a Conrail freight at Leetsdale, Pennsylvania. The P&E ownership may have been what saved it from receiving Penn Central marks during the PC days.
April 1977
Chris Tokarcik
Robert Tokarcik
 Dennison OH
out of service
current location unknown
 March 1992
 Mrs. Wm Probert

 Collinwood Yard
Cleveland OH
 March 3, 1986
 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
 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
 the N5B class  the N9 & N9E Transfer Class
 the N5C class - 27 photos  the N11 & N11E Transfer Class
 the N5G class ex PC/LV  
 the N5H class  the N10 class ex Penn Central
 the N5K class ex ATSF/PC  the N12 class ex Penn Central
   the ex New Haven classes
NE-6, N8A, N8B
 the N7, N-7A & N-7C classes ex NYC  the N20 class ex Reading
 the N7B class ex NYC  the N21 classes The true Conrail Caboose
 the N7D ex EL - 29 photos  the MW Cabooses
 the N7E ex EL - 9 photos  the MGA ex Monogahela cabooses

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Updated November 7, 2022