Lititz Caboose Museum
The Lititz Caboose was purchased by the Lititz Springs Park Board Caboose Committee in 2000. This rail car was restored by Gerhart Machinery Company of Lititz and dedicated July 1, 2001. The Caboose Museum is a complimentary companion to the replica of the 1884 Lititz Passenger Depot and Express Station, known as the Lititz Welcome Center.
A caboose was an office and tool car which was required at the end of all freight trains. It was occupied by the conductor and flagman who watched over the train in transit, from the high seats in the cupola (center) of the caboose. Their jobs and these cars, unfortunately, were lost to modern technology by 1984.
The Reading Railroad Company introduced these standard or "Northeastern" style cabooses in 1924, and built 295 of them through 1948. Other railroad companies copied Reading blueprints to build their cabooses. The steel under-frame components for the Lititz Caboose were built in the Reading Car Shops and shipped to the Elizabethport, New Jersey[,] Car Shops for completion in May, 1942.
The Lititz Caboose performed 40 years of rail service - 34 with the Jersey Central Railroad as CNJ 91530 and six additional years for Conrail as CR 18878. Prior to coming to Lititz, it was privately owned and resided at Jim Thorpe, Pennsylvania, from 1985 to 2000.
The Lititz Caboose Museum
this page online
The Reading Railroad, which originally ran through Lititz, known as the Reading & Columbia Branch from 1863 to 1976, is very much alive today, thanks to the Reading Company Technical & Historical Society founded in 1976. For information pertaining to the society, access www.readingrailroad.org.
Erected by Lititz Springs Park Historical and Archives Committee.
Topics. This historical marker is listed in these topic lists: Man-Made Features • Railroads & Streetcars. A significant historical date for this entry is July 1, 2001.
Location. 40° 9.49′ N, 76° 18.498′ W. Marker is in Lititz, Pennsylvania, in Lancaster County. Marker is on the Lititz Springs Park Entrance Road west of Broad Street (Pennsylvania Route 501), on the right when traveling west. Touch for map. Marker is at or near this postal address: 18 North Broad Street, Lititz PA 17543, United States of America. Touch for directions.
Other nearby markers. At least 8 other markers are within walking distance of this marker. Veterans Memorial (a few steps from this marker); Dedicated to Our Employees Who Devotedly Served Their Country in World War II (a few steps from this marker); Honor Roll (a few steps from this marker);
Also see . . .
1. Reading Company Northeastern Cabooses. (Submitted on November 12, 2018, by William Fischer, Jr. of Scranton, Pennsylvania.)
2. Northeastern Caboose Paint Schemes. (Submitted on November 12, 2018, by William Fischer, Jr. of Scranton, Pennsylvania.)
Credits. This page was last revised on November 12, 2018. It was originally submitted on November 12, 2018, by William Fischer, Jr. of Scranton, Pennsylvania. This page has been viewed 517 times since then and 44 times this year. Photos: 1, 2. submitted on November 12, 2018, by William Fischer, Jr. of Scranton, Pennsylvania.
