The Sask. Railway Museum houses four cabooses. These cabooses served as an office, lunchroom, and bunkhouse for train crews. Most have a cupola or raised section of roof that allows crew members to view the entire train and check for problems.
CN #78687 is a wooden caboose currently being restored in the Restoration Shop. It was built as a boxcar in 1912 and converted to a caboose in 1949 by Canadian National shops in Moncton, NB. There is no electricity in the caboose. Cooking was done on an oil stove with an icebox for keeping food fresh.
78687 is currently being restored by museum volunteers. Much of the exterior sheathing has been replaced as required, the roof is being refurbished, new windows have been built and the interior is being meticulously sanded down to the original wood and refinished.
What’s left is to finish up the roof with metal cladding, then adding the distinctive and period correct CN lettering on the side. We hope to have the caboose on display for the public in 2022.
