Article #98: Norfolk Southern Railway Caboose #376 Southeastern Narrow Gauge & Shortline Museum (August 24, 2024)

 

In this new article we will be looking at Norfolk Southern Railway caboose #376 which is preserved at the Southeastern Narrow Gauge & Shortline Museum in Newton, NC.

Norfolk Southern was chartered in 1870 and operated between Norfolk, VA and Charlotte, NC. It began as the Elizabeth City & Norfolk Railroad. It was renamed Norfolk Southern in 1883. It was then the Norfolk & Southern in 1891. In 1974, it was absorbed by the Southern Railway.

This is a steel caboose built in the late 1946 by the Magor Car Company for service on the Norfolk Southern Railway. It was the last of a dozen cabooses built by the company for the railroad. It was the first to be delivered in gray primer. The first paint scheme it had is the one that is has today.

The entire class of cabooses were upgraded to a different red paint scheme in the 1960's and then to a gray paint scheme in the 1970's. This caboose was the only one in its class to not have the gray paint scheme.

These cabooses were retired in the 1980's as most cabooses were being replaced at that time. It was in the 1980's when it arrived at the Carolina & Northwestern Railway freight depot in Lincolnton, NC. While it was in Lincolnton, it was used as a candy shop, wine shop and dress store to name a few. This was due to the signage painted on it.

It was in Lincolnton until 2016. In April of that year, it arrived at the Southeastern Narrow Gauge & Shortline Museum in Newton, NC. A few years later in 2019, it was cosmetically restored.