Yes, a real caboose. White River Lumber Company 001. It was built at Enumclaw in 1945 and restored to its original appearance here at the Northwest Railway Museum by Dale C., Martin N., Rich W., Dick H., and others more than 10 years ago. The effort earned an award from the King County Historic Preservation Program.
Beginning Friday, October 11, 2019 visitors to the Train Shed exhibit building will be able to visit inside caboose 001. New steps and LED lighting are making this possible, and opening this new exhibit was encouraged by visitor feedback asking for the opportunity to go inside a caboose.
White River Lumber 001 is pretty spartan, as were most cabooses. Its plain interior reflects the short trips it was used on from Enumclaw into the forest and back again. In the closing days of WW II it may have traveled as far as Mt Rainier National Park, but always returned home the same day.
Notably, 001 was built during the war at Enumclaw. This was because the war time ration board denied White River permission to purchase a new caboose. Yet a caboose was required on log trains with ten or more cars. So the logging company managers tasked their workers with building a caboose. It is not a prime example of the fine art of car building, but it is an example of the thoughtful and utilitarian improvisation that was common in logging camps throughout the Northwest.
Come and visit caboose 001 Thursday – Sunday from 11:00 am – 4:00 pm through the end of October. Members are free. Admission is included with all regular train tickets; trains depart Snoqualmie on Saturdays and Sundays 11:00 am, 12:30 pm, and 3 pm. A la carte visitation is $10 for adults and $5 for children.
