Union Pacific Caboose - Grapeland, TX
Posted by: WalksfarTX
N 31° 29.509 W 095° 28.751
15R E 264511 N 3486772
Was the Chamber of Commerce Office for awhile, but the sign is gone now. Caboose is located along Business US-87.
Waymark Code: WM12Y5P
Location: Texas, United States
Date Posted: 08/04/2020
Views: 2
Utah Rails"The 100 CA-5s were built in 1952 by Union Pacific in their own Omaha Shops, using welded steel underframes supplied by International Steel Co., and body components supplied by Youngstown Steel Door Co. The cars entered service in July and August 1952 as the first new yellow cabooses, with numbers UP 3900-3999, and were renumbered to UP 25200-25299 in January 1959 to June 1960. The first 50 cars, UP 3900-3949, were equipped with wooden platforms and steps, and the remainder, UP 3950-3999, were equipped with Apex steel tread platforms and steps. A tell-tale that makes a UP CA-5 caboose unique is the design of the running board end-brackets. Rather than the fabricated brackets used on all other UP cabooses, the CA-5s used a specially made triangular steel casting.
The CA-5s were the first new UP cabooses to receive outside swing hanger trucks, which were also used in 1952, on 50 of the road's CA-3 and CA-4 cabooses. They were also the first to use the wrap-around rooftop ladder safety railings.
By late 1979, there were still 87 CA-5 class steel cabooses cars remaining in service. The last CA-5 was removed from service in February 1990."