Northwestern Pacific Railroad
Historical Society
Preserving the heritage of Redwood Empire Railroading

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Caboose Campaign and Acquisition

Archive Information

Caboose #13 residing at the old SP Depot in Pleasanton.

NWP Caboose #13 Campaign

The NWPRRHS announces the NWP CABOOSE #13 CAMPAIGN. The opportunity to acquire and restore one of the few remaining NWPRR cabooses, heretofore unavailable, has become a new Millennium project for our Society. We believe the NWP Caboose #13 will present an attractive mate to someday pair with the NWP Locomotive #112 in a Redwood Empire Visitor Center.

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NWP Caboose #13 has been privately owned for over thirty years and thanks to railroad enthusiast Ed Churka was preserved in good condition adjacent to the Southern Pacific Railroad Depot in Pleasanton, California. NWPRRHS members had the opportunity to acquire Caboose #13 by providing a match for a generous two-thirds value donation. Several members stepped forward to provide short-term loans to accomplish this timely task. Within three weeks of the initial NWPRRHS limited contract, the acquisition was accomplished.

A temporary 'home base' location in the Redwood Empire has been generously donated by Jeff and Don Millerick of Sebastopol, California, just a bit off the abandoned P&SR RR right-of-way.

Caboose#13, believed to have been built in the early 1920's, would have needed numerous upgrades to move via rail. But, since there is no direct rail service to Sebastopol, highway 'movement' was required. After a day long transport from Pleasanton by Trost Construction on August 7th, Caboose #13 arrived at the Millerick Bros.' property. It was diverted around restricted underpasses and driven through the streets of Vallejo very carefully. Caboose #13 reached 'home rails' at Schellville about 2:45 PM and a quick picture was snapped as it passed the depot and SP 4347 (just as it would have arrived on train #81 or #75 shortly before our arrival).

NWP Caboose #13 on arrival at new home in Sabastopol

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The NWP Caboose #13 Campaign consists of two goals: Acquisition repayment and Restoration funding. The Society Board of Directors has adopted the following budget which includes a Phase 1 cosmetic restoration for static display:

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The Society Board of Directors has established a twelve month goal for this campaign. With a target of July 15, 2001, we hope to achieve debt repayment and the commencement of Phase 1 restoration efforts. Security of the 'NWP Caboose #13 Campaign' Loan and Donation Fund will be achieved through a separate bank savings account as well as detailed computer accounting of individual loans and donations. Our Headlight publication will update members on the campaign progress each issue.

Campaign Fund Progress
as of 5/17/2001

NOTE: We are pleased that phase I has been 67% funded to date.
We thank you for your contributions.

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2003

2002

2001

2000

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This page was created on May 22, 2002
and last updated on May 29, 2005