117. NAR caboose

118 - caboose

1953

Pouce Coupe Museum

This is a bay window caboose, unique to Northern Alberta Railway cabooses. The caboose was a fixture at the end of every freight train for more than a century. The primary purpose of the caboose was to provide the rear train crew a place to observe the train while in motion. A caboose often had bunks for sleeping, and stoves for cooking. It was also a storehouse for tools and supplies. The bay window allowed the rear train crew to observe the side of the train and monitor it more effectively than the traditional cupola – the small box area located on top of the caboose. This caboose is part of a set of NAR cabooses issued in 1953, the last ones to be issued. [Other cabooses are on display at Grimshaw, Dawson Creek, South Peace Centennial Museum (Beaverlodge), Hines Creek and Edmonton.]