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Tehachapi Railroad Depot Museum
Managed By: Friends of the Tehachapi Depot, a 501(c)3 non-profit organization
DAYS OPEN: Thursday thru Monday --- Hours: 11am to 4 pm
Admission: FREE Donations: WELCOME
RENDERING OF THE CABOOSE AND ANNEX PROJECTS BY ALEX S. KOISCH, JR.
A BIT ABOUT ME
Why did they get rid of the caboose?
Until the 1980s, laws in the United States and Canada required all freight trains to have a caboose and a full crew, for safety. Technology eventually advanced to a
point where the railroads, in an effort to save money
by reducing crew members, stated that cabooses were unnecessary.
Depot's 2 Projects
1. Move Caboose from Kohnen's Bakery to
Depot Grounds
2. Annex to store the Artifacts safely
Photo by: Ed Delvers 1998
Internet Site: CA. Captive Caboose List -- This list is accurate as of 01/19/2007
Tehachapi CA SP 1098, Tehachapi Antiques, Tehachapi Boulevard
Union Pacific@
Local Grant Awarded
on September 1, 2022
I was brought to Tehachapi round 1996 after I was retired from the Southern Pacific Railroad around 1984. I believe the first thing I did was to advertise Antiques & Collectibles for sell. Since Tehachapi is known for its apples they were advertised on both sides of the logo.
Later on Hans of Gold Coast Station purchased me and set me beside his store at the end of Kohnen's bakery. Then I was painted with the Black Widow colors, with the Southern Pacific logo. I believe it was 1999 or so I was moved to this area and have set there until 2022.
The City donated the funds to buy the caboose, then FOTD purchased me. FOTD's plan is to move me to enhance the beautiful grounds of the Tehachapi Depot #23. I will be restored to my original Southern Pacific designed.
However, I will need your help financially to get this done. The Depot is so excited to bring it to our grounds as it will
help keep the history of the Caboose alive. It will be restored inside and out to enhance the education of the railroad history in our area. The Depot will continue to present tours and other educational programs to its, long history.
If you or your business would like to participate in this fundraiser you may contact us at fotdtreasurer@gmail.com or click on the Donate button at the top of the page.
You can also send a check, please just note on it that it is a donation for the caboose restoration.
Thank You @UnionPacific,
Your donation is greatly
appreciated.
Central California Rails
Caboose SP 1098 - Southern Pacific #1098. I was used as an advertisement for apples, etc that we grow in Tehachapi.
Service photo of our caboose behind the
cab-forward on the coastal route.
Photo By: Joseph A. Strapacfrom the
SP Review 1981 on Page 6
What is a c-40-3 cupola caboose?
I am a Southern Pacific (SP) C-40-3 VINTAGE of 1940-1942 was in the big class of steel cupola cabooses.
All were built in the Los Angeles SP shops. There were 165 cars in the production run of
C-40-3 steel cupola cabooses. C-40-3's were built by SP for SP and the Texas and New Orleans (T&NO)
railroads between 1940 and 1942. These were cupola types, numbered SP #1050-1234.
They were 16" longer, 7" narrower and 4" lower than the C-40-1's.
Also the C-40-1 have staff type brake handbrakes, and also lack the cooking stove.
The SP #1034 would be in that batch. Ours #1089 has a plate welded in place on the roof covering
that stove vent. Since it is plated over we will be putting a cooking stove back in.
The side closest to the bakery will be restored to 1950s or 69s time frame
since it also has a toilet and its water tank.
The Southern Pacific Railroad operated hundreds of freight trains over thousands of miles of track.
Prior to the 1980s, all of these freight trains needed a caboose at the end of the train for the
conductor, brakemen, and any other crew members.
SP 1089 Tehachapi CA
Currently Located at the Tehachapi Village Marketplace,
125 West Tehachapi Boulevard, Tehachapi, CA
As a SP C-40-3 Caboose #1034
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