Renovation of ex-EL Caboose Finished

The Conrail Historical Society has completed renovating former Erie Lackawanna caboose 21165 and placed it on display.

Overall, volunteers spent seven years working on the car, which included replacing the oil stove with a coal burning stove, replacing the original worn out wheels with new wheels, cleaning and repairing the interior of the car, replacing the brake shoes on the car with all-new shoes. The caboose was built as EL 368 and was conveyed to Conrail in 1976.  It served Conrail until 1984. The car was sold to a private owner who in 2007 listed it for sale on eBay.

The caboose failed to receive any bids so the owners donated it to Conrail historical group.

Along the way, the car served on the Pennsylvania-based tourist railroad Middletown and Hummelstown.

The caboose now sits in Topton, Pa., where the Conrail group hopes to use it as part of a tourist operation that it wants to develop on the former Kutztown Branch.

Tags: cabooses, Conrail cabooses, Conrail Historical Society, EL caboose, Erie Lackawanna, Erie Lackawanna caboose