Detroit & Mackinac Railway Caboose, circa 1912

Summary

The caboose was the conductor's office, the crew's quarters, and -- from the elevated cupola -- a place to spot problems on the train. By the 1980s, the caboose was made obsolete by new technologies and smaller crews. This car served on Michigan's Detroit & Mackinac Railway, which operated a 200-mile route between Bay City and Cheboygan along the Lake Huron shoreline.

The caboose was the conductor's office, the crew's quarters, and -- from the elevated cupola -- a place to spot problems on the train. By the 1980s, the caboose was made obsolete by new technologies and smaller crews. This car served on Michigan's Detroit & Mackinac Railway, which operated a 200-mile route between Bay City and Cheboygan along the Lake Huron shoreline.

Artifact

Caboose

Date Made

circa 1912

Creators

Unknown

Greenfield Village
 On Exhibit

at Greenfield Village in Railroad Junction District

Object ID

79.15.5

Credit

From the Collections of The Henry Ford. Gift by the Detroit and Mackinac Railway and Mr. & Mrs. Charles A. Pinkerton, Jr.

Material

Wood (Plant material)
Steel (Alloy)

Color

Red
Yellow
White (Color)

Inscriptions

painted on side: DETROIT & MACKINAC on caboose: W 52

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