Fort Scott in Bourbon County, Kansas — The American Midwest (Upper Plains)
Missouri-Kansas-Texas Railroad No. 6 Cupola Caboose
Built 1949
Photographed by Jason Voigt, September 21, 2026
1. Missouri-Kansas-Texas Railroad No. 6 Cupola Caboose Marker
Caboose No. 6 is one of 25 identical cars built in 1949 by the skilled workers at the Missouri-Kansas-Texas Railroad (MKT) shops in Denison, Texas.
No. 6, a typical cupola caboose, saw service on all MKT lines in the Southwest United States. Before the age of computers, the caboose served as the "office" of a freight train, where the conductor handled the paper work related to the train's operation and the brakeman watched over the train as it traveled along the railroad. In 1988, No. 6 was assigned to Houston and worked regularly between Houston and Galveston on a freight train known by railroaders as the "Salty".
It is believed that No. 6 was the last standard cupola caboose in service on the MKT. The MKT was merged into the Union Pacific Railroad in late 1988. During the winter of 1988-1989, the heater-less No. 6 was stored. The car never returned to regular railroad service, a victim of the changing needs of modern railroading. Union Pacific donated No. 6 to the Gulf Coast Railroad Museum in May 1989.
Erected by National Railway Historical Society, Inc. (Gulf Coast Chapter).
Topics. This historical
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Location. 37° 50.486′ N, 94° 42.292′ W. Marker is in Fort Scott, Kansas, in Bourbon County. It is on Scott Avenue north of East 1st Street, on the right when traveling north. Touch for map. Marker is at or near this postal address: 15 Scott Ave, Fort Scott KS 66701, United States of America. Touch for directions.
Regionally, this marker is in Eastern Kansas and specifically in Bleeding Kansas Border War Country. It is also in the American Midwest, in the Corn Belt, on the prairies, and on the Southern Plains. Globally, it is in North America, the Western Hemisphere, the Western World, and the Anglosphere. Historically, it finds itself in what was once the Louisiana Purchase.
Other nearby markers. At least 8 other markers are within walking distance of this marker: Fort Scott National Cemetery (within shouting distance of this marker); Welch, Badger & Co. Dry Goods Store (within shouting distance of this marker); Judge Harry Fisher (within shouting distance of this marker); Cracking the Cuban Missile Crisis (within
Photographed by Jason Voigt, September 21, 2026
2. Missouri-Kansas-Texas Railroad No. 6 Cupola Caboose Marker
Credits. This page was last revised on October 21, 2026. It was originally submitted on October 21, 2026, by Jason Voigt of Glen Carbon, Illinois. This page has been viewed 6 times since then. Photos: 1, 2. submitted on October 21, 2026, by Jason Voigt of Glen Carbon, Illinois.
