Nostalgia & History > Vandals Hit Boulder Valley Hist. Soc.

I didn't see this when it happened back in January, but its a sad thing.

Their UP wooden caboose 25804, is apparently for sale, which is how I became aware of the vandalism.

http://www.dailycamera.com/news/boulder/ci_24843556/vandals-hit-boulder-historic-trains-hard

The actual name is unclear, whether it is Boulder County Railway Historical Society, or Boulder Valley Railway Historical Society.

There are photos on the web of a yellow UP wooden caboose, supposedly numbered as UP 3605, but caboose 3605 was an Oregon-Washington Railroad & Navigation caboose built in 1913 as Oregon Railway & Navigation 317. Although it originally had the features of a Harriman-era CA caboose, at the end of its life in 1956, it may have been rebuilt to standard three-window CA-1 features.

Information for the caboose on the society's web site indicates that it was purchased directly from UP in 1966, displayed in Montbello, Colorado, to promote a commercial real estate development, then donated to the society in 2001. Since the photo shows a standard three-window CA-caboose, lettered as Union Pacific, it was likely the former OSL 25804, which was built in 1923 as Oregon Short Line 3171, and renumbered to OSL 25804 in 1962, and retired by UP in May 1966. Apparently, the caboose is for sale because the society is being disbanded.

I don't know if the vandalism noted above is related to the plans to dispose of the caboose, since it is not visible in a Google view of the site on Indian Road, near Valmont Road in Boulder.

[edit: I see from other photos that the UP caboose is indeed at the site, tucked under the trees at bottom center of the photo.]

Don Strack



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 03/25/15 09:04 by donstrack.

---

There's a thread on RYPN that relates to this group's planned disposal of its equipment:

http://www.rypn.org/forums/viewtopic.php?f=1&t=37848&sid=d46d654e100593c4c8708ba9b8ccd56e

They have a nice, nearly pristine, ex-UP GP9. The wood caboose was off its trucks; it might be partially visible in the satellite photo just "south" of the passenger car with the silver roof.



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 03/25/15 09:42 by CPR_4000.

Bing has a "Birds Eye" map of the museum, which I rotated for a clear view of the ill-fated caboose. ( ← Click on Bing for a web link)

Bob

ATSF100WEST......Out



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 03/25/15 13:16 by ATSF100WEST.