Duluth Missabe & Iron Range Caboose C-205

by Doug Buell

As the Missabe caboose C-205 returns to the Lake Superior Railroad Museum in Duluth, MN after a period of refurbishment and painting, it is a good time to review some of the history of this caboose. The C-205 was delivered in 1952 as part of an order for new, steel, wide vision (extended vision) cabooses built by International Car Company.

Coincidentally, about the same time, Erie Mining Company was being designed and planned, including the 73-mile mainline railroad from Hoyt Lakes on the Minnesota Iron Range to Taconite Harbors on the shore of Lake Superior. Equipment for the mainline railroad included three steel cabooses manufactured by the same International Car Co. In this case, these cabooses would be ordered in a bay window configuration. This is perhaps because some of the railroad equipment selections were guided by Bethlehem Steel and eastern railroad experiences, where bay window cabooses were common. Hang on, we’re getting to the connection with the C-205.

Erie Mining Company Caboose number 3. Erie Mining Company Photo part of Doug Buell Collection, used with permission.

After operating on Erie’s mainline for a short period it was found that the bay windows on the side of the cabooses were being broken by pellets falling off of the pellet cars as the train rolled along, bouncing on the ground and back up the side, hitting the caboose window. Due to a close working relationship between Erie and the Missabe, Erie borrowed one of their newer wide vision cabooses to test. You guessed it, that turned out to be the C-205.

Duluth Missabe and Iron Range wide vision (extended vision) caboose number C-205 on the left, Erie Mining bay window caboose number 1 on the right. Photo by S. Ward Huntley, from Doug Buell collection, used with permission.

Color photo from inside a bay window caboose. Photo by S. Ward Huntley, part of Doug Buell Collection, used with permission.

Looking out a wide vision (extended vision) caboose.

After the use on the Erie pellet trains, all three of Erie’s bay window cabooses were returned to International Car Co. to have the bay windows removed and extended vision cupolas added. In the mid-1970s Duluth Missabe and Iron Range had half a dozen of their steel cabooses modified by removing the cupolas and adding bay windows for use on the Thunderbird Mine to Fairlane plant crude ore trains. The C-205 was one of those chosen to be modified. After it’s sale to Northshore Mining, the C-205 came to the Lake Superior Railroad Museum where it has been maintained in operating condition.

Modified Duluth Missabe and Iron Range caboose with bay windows. Photo by Doug Buell, used with permission.

Duluth Missabe and Iron Range Caboose C-205. Part of Doug Buell Collection, used with permission.

Duluth Missabe and Iron Range Caboose C-205, returning to the museum after being freshly painted. Photo by Liam Hoffmann