MKT Bay Window Caboose - 69X

The MKT had a class of caboose in the number series of 60 to 69 that was rebuilt from ten old wood sheathed car frames. Those frames were originally built in 1918, and rebuilt in 1928-1929 to the 751-795 series of caboose. During the 1950's the MKT needed new caboose and picked the ten frames to be salvaged. The first car, #60, was painted red with the Deramus herald, being completed in the summer of 1959. The last nine would be completed between 1959 and 1962, the last being numbered 69. 69 would go on to be the only bay window caboose repainted into the Barriger red scheme.

Fast forward a few decades and the MKT would be merged into the Missouri Pacific and eventually both merged into the current Union Pacific Railroad by 1989. At least four of the ten cabooses were active during this time in the late 1980's. That is a pretty impressive resume for old frames built in 1918.

The reason why our caboose is 69X and not just 69 is because originally the caboose was built as a B&O style bay window caboose, and numbered 903759 ( the trucks under the caboose have the number stenciled on them). When acquired by the museum from the city of Giddings, it was decided to repaint the C&O caboose into a MKT paint scheme. The caboose was painted by Bob Corbin.