RRRR Caboose #10

Raritan River Railroad (RRRR) No. 10 was originally built in 1942 as New York, New Haven & Hartford Railroad No. C559 at the Pullman Company (former Osgood-Bradley) plant in Worcester, MA. This caboose lasted in service through the January 1, 1969 absorption of the New Haven by the Penn Central Transportation Company. It was sold to the Raritan River Railroad by Penn Central on May 7, 1969, along with sister car No. C682, for $1,400. There was an additional $2,000 in freight costs plus repairs, for a total cost of $3,400 for both cars. No. C682 became RRRR No. 9, and No. C559 became RRRR No. 10.

The Raritan River Railroad, which operated between South Amboy and New Brunswick, NJ, became part of Conrail on April 24, 1980, and No. 10 became Conrail class NE5 No. 19796. The car was stored at the former Reading Railroad yard in Rutherford, PA, where Tri-State's equipment committee, led by John Sobotka and Bob Bahrs, found the car in 1986. Tri-State obtained the caboose from Conrail in 1986, along with DL&W No. 896 and L&NE #580. RRRR No. 10 is one of only five surviving pieces of Raritan River Railroad equipment.

Today it is owned and operated by the Tri-State Railway Historical Society, and was restored inside and out in 2013 by a team of Tri-State volunteers led by the late Don Oberding. RRRR No. 10 is maintained in operational condition, and is currently stored at the United Railroad Historical Society of NJ's restoration facility in Boonton, NJ.

1942 New Haven drawing for the C535 to C584 cabooses, which included our RRRR No. 10 (New Haven No. C559). (Tom Gardner collection) — 1942 New Haven drawing for the C535 to C584 cabooses, which included our RRRR No. 10 (New Haven No. C559). *(Tom Gardner collection)*

RRRR No. 10 in service with locomotive No. 5, wearing an earlier paint variation with a grey logo. This was later changed to black, and No. 10 was the only RRRR caboose to receive a logo of any sort. (Charles Belt collection, Rochester & Genesee Valley Railroad Museum)

No. 10 at the Raritan River's South Amboy, NJ shop facility on October 28, 1974. (George Povall photo, Rudy Garbely collection) — No. 10 at the Raritan River's South Amboy, NJ shop facility on October 28, 1974. *(George Povall photo, Rudy Garbely collection)*

No. 10 in service on the Raritan River. (John Sobotka collection) — No. 10 in service on the Raritan River. *(John Sobotka collection)*

Caboose No. 10 and locomotive No. 2 switch cars at Sayreville Junction on January 3, 1980. (Robert D. Callahan photo) — Caboose No. 10 and locomotive No. 2 switch cars at Sayreville Junction on January 3, 1980. (*Robert D. Callahan photo)*

This September 17, 1979 diagram shows the Conrail NE6 class of cabooses, of which Raritan River No. 10 (Conrail No. 19796) was a member. However, our car did not join Conrail for another seven months after this diagram was drawn, when the Raritan Ri… — This September 17, 1979 diagram shows the Conrail NE6 class of cabooses, of which Raritan River No. 10 (Conrail No. 19796) was a member. However, our car did not join Conrail for another seven months after this diagram was drawn, when the Raritan River was absorbed into Conrail. *(Collection of The Conrail Historical Society - www.TheCRHS.org)*

No. 19796 sits in Whippany, NJ in March of 1988, less than two years after Tri-State acquired it from Conrail. (Karl Geffchen photo) — No. 19796 sits in Whippany, NJ in March of 1988, less than two years after Tri-State acquired it from Conrail. *(Karl Geffchen photo)*

The restored interior of No. 10 on June 12, 2016. (Rudy Garbely photo) — The restored interior of No. 10 on June 12, 2016. *(Rudy Garbely photo)*

RRRR No. 10 as it appeared in Boonton, NJ on June 12, 2016. (Rudy Garbely photo) — RRRR No. 10 as it appeared in Boonton, NJ on June 12, 2016. *(Rudy Garbely photo)*

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