Rolling Stock

PRR 981741

Bringing up the markers is the museum's first piece of rolling stock, a 1914 vintage Pennsylvania Railroad N6b caboose, referred to on the railroad as a "cabin car". This car was the mobile office and home away from home for railroad crews while on duty.

Built by PRR predecessor Vandalia Railroad, 981741 spent its life working the rails in the western Indiana area well into the Penn-Central era before being retired. The cabin car was moved to the WVRM in 2006, and an extensive program of rebuilding and restoration was started.

Using original PRR blueprints and other historical references, the car has been rebuilt from the sill up, often requiring the use of custom-cut timbers and machined steel.

At long last, the interior of the caboose is open to the public!

Pullman Troop Sleeper #7118
Former C&EI A-1147/L&N 43573

Pullman Troop Sleeper (USAX 7118) was built by the Pullman Company in 1943 for the Defense Plant Corporation (US government) as part of an order for 2400 troop sleepers ordered to address the shortage of railroad passenger cars during the buildup for the WWII D-day invasion. The Pullman Company built two lots of the cars and operated them for the US government. Our troop sleeper, USAX 7118, was part of lot 6704.

 

 

 

 

 

 

Troop sleepers had 30 bunks supplied by the Simmons Company. The bunks were designed so when the middle bunk is folded down it converted the lower bunk into a sofa. The cars were equipped with one toilet and two wash sinks at both ends, no shower, and were designed to travel at speeds up to 100 mph riding on smooth riding Allied Full Cushion Trucks and were equipped with dual brake systems.

After the war the surplus cars were sold to the railroads. The Chicago & Eastern Illinois Railroad (C&EI) purchased 7118 from the US government in 1946 and through a series or mergers ended up in the hands of CSX Transportation. In 1985, CSX donated the car for the North Alabama Railway Museum in Huntsville, Alabama. Our organization purchased the car from NARM and moved it to the Wabash Valley Railroad Museum in 2014.

7118 still has the Allied Trucks as well it's center traps and steps. Many of these items like the allied trucks (which were banned from interchange in 1955) and the center steps steps were removed when the cars we repurposed by the railroads that purchased them from the government.

GE 28370/PSI 193018
GE 45 Ton Switcher Locomotive

GE number 28370/PSI 193018 was built in 1947 for PSI and worked the PSI Cayuga generating station. Harbor Rail Services inherited the locomotive when they bought the Clinton facility from Freight Car America, but they never used it. Freight Car inherited it from DTE rail services who purchased it in 2003 from PSI. It is modified so a PSI employee could cut in train air without crossing between cars in the train. Here is the locomotive in it's original paint scheme moving coal cars for PSI Cayuga.

After being prepped for transport, this car made the journey from Clinton, Indiana, in July of 2018.

We still need your help!

Much work needs to be done before the locomotive is fully restored. Fundraising efforts to date allowed the locomotive to be transported and placed on our grounds, but the need for support to fund the restoration efforts still exists. If you, or your organization, wishes to assist with this project, please contact us!

See our "Membership" page for online contributions.

CR 21264
Conrail Caboose

Fruit Growers Express company constructed this N21 type caboose in their Alexandria, VA shop for Conrail in 1978. The caboose was part of one of the last orders placed for cabooses. Conrail assigned CR 21264 to the Indianapolis, IN to Peoria, IL service and the caboose spent most of its time working between Danville and Peoria, IL.

CSX Transportation and Norfolk Southern purchased Conrail in 1997 and split the Conrail assets in 1999 at which time CSX Transportation acquired the caboose. CSX Transportation assigned the caboose to the J-725 crew, a local switcher that operated out of Paris, IL.

Purchased from CSX Transportation of Jacksonville, Florida by the Foster Family and moved to WVRM in 2018.

NYC 155524
New York Central Boxcar

American Car & Foundry of St. Louis, Missouri built NYC 155524 in 1922 for NYC's Cincinnati Northern subsidiary.

In 1939 Despatch Shops, Inc., a subsidiary of NYC, in East Rochester, New York rebuilt the car with a higher roof and modified doors.

In 1965, the New York Central assigned the car to company engineering service and renumber it X-40947. The company placed the car on a house track at the Greencastle, Indiana depot to serve as storage.

Donated by CSX Transportation of Jacksonville, Florida and moved to WVRM in 2020.

We still need your help!

Much work needs to be done before NYC 155524 is fully restored. Fundraising efforts to date allowed the boxcar to be transported and placed on our grounds, but the need for support to fund the restoration efforts still exists. If you, or your organization, wishes to assist with this project, please contact us!

See our "Membership" page for online contributions.