
Every once in a while, P&LE 518 reminds us just how far she’s traveled, not in miles, but in memory.
Continue reading “P&LE 518 Finds Another Spot on the Shelf”
A little railroad in the woods

Every once in a while, P&LE 518 reminds us just how far she’s traveled, not in miles, but in memory.
Continue reading “P&LE 518 Finds Another Spot on the Shelf”
If you’re a fan of the Pittsburgh & Lake Erie Railroad, you know one thing for certain: good photography of their transfer cabooses is rare. The gritty work of these cars kept them away from the spotlight.
Continue reading “P&LE 565: Caught in the Wild”
Forget calling our P&LE 518 just ‘some old caboose.’ This car is a railroad legend with a surprising talent for disguise! Need proof? Just look inside Dwight Jones’s definitive work, C&O/B&O Cabooses – Display and Private Owner Cars (Vol. 4). There it is, a veteran of the New York Central System, comfortably nestled among cabooses from rival line Baltimore & Ohio! This unexpected cameo perfectly captures why 518 is such a fascinating railroading character.
Continue reading “P&LE 518: Master of Disguise & Bookworm”
There’s something poetic about old cabooses. Some are polished like trophies. Others rot quietly, waiting for someone to notice them before they vanish. And then there are the ones you stumble upon by pure luck, like winning the caboose lottery. We saw it all in our recent day trip of hunting captive cabooses near Cleveland.
Continue reading “Field Trip: The Caboose Chronicles”
There aren’t a lot of things as thrilling as uncovering a long-lost piece of history, especially when it involves one of the cars here at Caboose Falls. Thanks to railfan and super-sleuth Robert Bogie, we now have a remarkable addition to our archive: an image of Pittsburgh & Lake Erie (P&LE) Caboose #518 in its original configuration and second paint scheme!
Continue reading “A Rare Glimpse into History: P&LE 518 in Century Green”
We’re thrilled to share this remarkable glimpse into railroad history: a photograph of our Pittsburgh & Lake Erie (P&LE) Caboose #518 in action, captured by acclaimed rail photographer Roger Durfee on May 15, 1987. The image freezes a pivotal moment in American railroading history when twilight was casting a shadow on the need for cabooses .
Continue reading “Trifecta: P&LE Cabooses 517, 501, and 518”

Every caboose has a story, for some, like RM17, the story is very much a mystery. From its rugged beginnings tailing taconite ore trains in northern Minnesota to its misguided excursion into New Jersey, this caboose traveled far and wide before finding its forever home at Caboose Falls. Join us as we unravel the story of its remarkable journey. Read the RM17 story here.

