Production Samples show click pictures for larger view

WOLFE TRUCKS, USED ON O. & W. HACKS, MILK & FREIGHT CARS

Wolfe Trucks
Qty: Price: $10.00

---

GOULD SIMPLEX TRUCKS USED ON O. & W. HACKS AND FRT. CARS

Gould Simplex Trucks
Qty: Price: $10.00

---

SYMINGTON TRUCKS USED ON PASSENGER CARS AND CABOOSES

Symington Passenger Truck
Qty: Price: $10.00


For information on our past caboose projects visit Extinct Models of the O&W

---

---

Some where around 1960 an equipment dealer named Harold Gottfried purchased seven of the FT sets, 26 of the O. & W. cabooses as well as a number of other freight cars including heater car HT-1. In addition he purchased much of the shop equipment, tools, vehicles and a host of other items. The locomotives and rolling stock were moved to the Lackawanna Yards at Secaucus, NJ. The shop equipment went to Camp Shanks in Tappan, NY which Gottfried owned. In 1966 the FT's were sold to the NYC and the O. & W. cabooses and the freight cars were moved from Secaucus to the old Camp Shanks military warehouse yard adjacent to the NYC's West Shore line in Tappan, NY. Camp Shanks was built during the second world war and occupied parts of Tappan, Orangeburg and Blauvelt. Camp Shanks was used as a housing, staging and training area for over one million men and women bound for the European Theater. The upper left photo was taken looking south form the Palisades Parkway overpass over the West Shore near exit 5. The West Shore is located to the right, across the tracks is Grossman's steel plant which now sits on what were the ladder tracks for loading and unloading troop trains. The stub tracks in the back ground were for freight car storage and the warehouses were located to the left. The little switcher in the center was just another victim of WWII. The photo to the right was taken from under the parkway looking south. Bob Mohowski photo circa 1970.
A. Seebach collection

Original As Built: All of the 8300 series Cabooses were build by the O&W at the Middletown "AV" shops. The first 40 of the Series (8301-8340) were built between 1916-1918. They had a variety of Wolfe, Gould-Simplex, and O&W home built trucks. As time went on, some Cabooses had mixed truck sets. When these Cabooses were built, they had a horizontal molding strip that ran from one end of the car to the other along the roof line across the bottom of the coupola. The section of molding under the coupola windows slowly disappear as they were repaired, painted ect. It may have been removed due to water, dirt and snow collecting between the molding ad sheathing and causing damage. I don't think the 2nd group of 19 units (8341-8359) built between 1924-33-35, had this strip. They were constructed from the same plans as 8301-8340 with no noticeable changes except for the Symington passenger trucks that had been salvaged from retired passenger equipment. These cars were clearly the favorite of their crews due to their smooth ride. All 59 cars in this series had channel iron frames with a steel skeletin to support the wood cabin. A tin cladding was added on either end of the coupola to protect the sheathing from the elements.

Rebuilt: Caboose numbers 8301, 03, 04, 05, 06, 07, 08, 09 and 10 were overhauled. 8302 was sold to the Unadilla Valley in 1941. A considerable amount of work was preformed on these Cabooses so that they could be used in pusher service. They started with two retired tender frame which had to be shortened and welded togeather. The ends were modified to accept steps. Angle iron mounting brackets were added so that the K brakes and cabin could be mounted to the frame. A 12" horizontal strip of sheathing was cut away from the bottom of the car so that the wood cabin could be removed from its channel iron frame (this was later replaced by three 4" pieces of sheathing which ran the full length of the car). Several of these cabooses may have had all of there sheathing replaced based on its condition. It appeared that some wood frame alterations were needed. The cabin was then set on its new frame and bolted together. The above alterations extended the car approx. 12". Caboose numbers 8301, 03, 04 and 06 were sold to the LIRR in 1957. The 8301 and 8304 are the only 2 existing today.

The O. & W. Cabooses...A personal view
The Ontario & Western 8300 series Wood Cabooses have been very special to me for many years. As a child back in the late 60's, I can remember wandering around in the musty old weed-covered rail yard at Camp Shanks in Tappan, N.Y. Looking at these relics that had just become my new playground. I remember looking at HT-1 and thinking it's to short to be a B unit? The hoppers and gondolas were not much of an attraction and the initials N. Y. O. & W. on the hacks didn't mean much to me. The herald resembled something you would see on a Volkswagen. I spent many an hour hanging around the cabooses with my buddies sitting in the cupolas and climbing the ladders to the roof. Just about every window was broken and the interiors were quite a mess with various types of debris spread about. This rail yard playground lasted from 1966-1970. In 1970 the property was going to be sold and the equipment had to go. Oddly enough, my father worked for the contractor who got the job to dispose of the sad looking remains of a once proud fleet. I remember asking my dad if we could get one put in our yard, which bordered the West Shore in Tappan. The problem was getting one down the railroad to our house and off of the mainline track into our yard. It unfortunately never happened and they were burned. The steel skeletons were sold for scrap (it is said that the 8340 was sold and escaped the scrapers torch). It was not until 1983 that the questions of their origin would be answered. I had made a trip to Middletown to visit Christine who, would later become my wife. Her home was around the corner from the M & NJ. Being a "none practicing rail fan" (at the time), my curiosity was slightly aroused. I followed the tracks north and I stumbled on this mammoth brick and stone structure. Its size and beauty amazed me. There was something about this station; I had to know more! When I got home, I visited a friend who was a long time rail fan and modeler. I told him of this station in Middletown marked by a plaque that the O&W R.H.S. had placed on it. In our conversation, he mentioned that the old cabooses at Camp Shanks were from the 0. & W. this brought a flood of memories back from my childhood. A few days later I walked up the West Shore, as I had done so many times as a youth where all of those memories were born. As I stood there looking at nothing but weeds and a few piles of ballast, a cold haunting shiver came over me. I could see the broken windows and bent smoke jacks. I remembered the day I saw them being towed North up the West Shore in route to their final resting-place. It stirred emotions that have yet to fade. Since that day, I have had a love for the Cabooses of the O&W and I hope to someday-own one of the remaining few.

Caboose Numbers 101 and 102
Ex N. Y. O. & W. 8302 and 8317. During 1941 the UV bought two 8300’s O&W cabooses and re-lettered them UV numbers 101 & 102. Sometime in the 1950’s the UV cut out a window on each side and added side doors for freight loading. These cabooses would remain in service until the UV was abandoned in 1961. If you wish to model these UV caboose cars as purchased from the O&W order our 8301 caboose kit with Wolff Trucks. If you wish to model the 101 or 102 with the doors cut in as seen in this photo order UV-101 which we hope to have available in June 2004. There are several unique details that we will be incorporating into the UV-101 kit. Decals included, less trucks & couplers, complete easy to follow instructions included.

N. Y. O. & W. Ry.