Description

Soo Line Caboose.
The Minneapolis and Pacific Railway was completed in 1886. Two years later it merged with three railways to form the Minneapolis, St. Paul and Sault Ste Marie Railway Company also known as the SOO line. Now a part of the Canadian Pacific Railway, rail transport continues to be a key part of Pope County's growth.
The caboose provided the train crew with a shelter at the rear of the train. They could exit the train for switching, or to protect the rear of the train when stopped. They also inspected the train for problems such as shifting loads, broken or dragging equipment, and "hot boxes" - overheated bearings on freight cars. They conductor kept records and handled business from a table or desk in the caboose.
For longer trips, the caboose provided minimal living quarters and was frequently personalized and decorated with pictures and posters.
Coal or wood was used to fire a cast iron stove for heating and cooking. Caboose stoves can be identified by several essential features. They were without legs, bolted directly to the floor, and featured a lip on the top surface to keep pans and coffee pots from sliding off. They also had a double latching door to prevent accidental discharge of hot coals due to the rocking motion of the caboose.
This caboose, number 153, was built in 1892 by the Michigan-Peninsular Car Company at a cost of about $1050. (According to Railroad buff Alton Chermak who researched Soo Line records.) It was retired by the Soo Line in 1974, when it was donated to the Pope County Historical Society. In 1925, a steel center sill, ice box and curtains were added at a cost of just under $300.
The cushions in the caboose were donated by George Bogie in 1992.