Cabins

The Pennsy called its cabooses "cabins". I haven't the faintest idea why.

Originally the PRSL had a number of 4 wheel wooden ND cabins. These were replaced with a total of 25 steel cabins from the Pennsylvania RR. 22 of them were of the N5 class all built between 1916 and 1925 and rebuilt for the PRSL in 1950. In March 1949, the PRSL had actually ordered 19 N8 cabins from the PRR but due to financial constraints this order was changed to rebuilt N5(s) in February, 1950. The last 3 cabins obtained by the PRSL in 1969 were the ugly N11e transfer cabins. Since this layout is to be in the 1950s, I can ignore them.

I have 6 Bowser N5(s) and 3 N5c(s) in my collection. Only two of the N5(s) are labeled for the PRSL so I'll have to get more, if I can find different numbers. My collection also contains Precision Craft N5, N5C, and N8 cabins, all labeled for the PRR.

PRSL Cabins 233 & 222

Doing PRR cabin research I came up with the information listed below from various sources.

The N5 was the most popular cabin in the Pennsylvania Railroad fleet and the first all-steel caboose used by any railroad. The Pennsylvania Railroad "Lines East" started building the N5 series in 1914. They originally had arch bar leaf spring trucks, the "K" brake system, brake levers on each end platform and no crash bars. They were later updated with Ajax brake wheels replacing the brake levers, the AB brake system, new end sills, and crash posts. While it was referred to as a center cupola, the N-5 cupola was actually 12.5 inches off center. The stove and chimney were moved from the end of the car closer to the cupola. There were a total of 616 cars built. Modifications of existing N5’s created the N5a, N5d, N5e and N5f cabin cars.

The 200 N5B cabin cars were built during 1941 by the PRR. While it was modernized version of the N-5 and included improved safety features. including collision posts, there were only minor exterior variations such as higher handrails on the end platforms and narrower window frames on the car body sides.

PRR's most distinctive caboose design was the N5c built in 1942. The style was similar to its N5 cousin, but it incorporated the streamlined elements that had become popular during the Great Depression. They featured a streamlined cupola on its roof and port hole windows on the body sides and ends. The cars were also built with heavy Crash Beams on both ends to ensure the safety of the crew. The 200 cars were numbered from 477820 -478019.

The last new caboose the Pennsylvania Railroad ordered was the N8. 200 were built (478020-478219) at the Altoona shops in 1950 and 1951. For the N8, the PRR went back to two rectangular windows on each side like on the earlier N5 class cabin cars but had the streamlined cupola introduced on the previous N5c class.  The N8 also had side extensions ("shields"/"fences") on the end platforms which were probably designed to keep workers from falling off the platforms. Like the previous classes many also had the handrail-like rooftop antenna for the train telephone.

PRR N5, N5c, N8