Fostoria Rail Preservation Society Announces Newest Addition and Spring Open House

Fostoria Rail Preservation Society Announces Newest Addition and Spring Open House

The Fostoria Rail Preservation Society (FRPS) has announced their newest addition, the C-3008 Caboose, to the Fostoria Iron Triangle Park, 499 South Poplar Street. The Fostoria Iron Triangle Rail Park is a 5-acre tract directly inside the three double-track mainline freight rail lines that meander through Fostoria. Open 24/7, this park provides a 360-degree viewing platform that allows one to experience the sights and sounds of the 100-plus trains that pass-through Fostoria daily. Their Spring Open House, that will feature their newest addition, will be held on Wednesday, April 28 from 11:30 am to 2:00 pm.

The B&O 3000 series cabooses were built by the International Car Company in Kenton, Ohio. The cabooses were built in the from 1965 to 1966, as the B&O received its first Class I-18 cabooses. They were the first B&O cabooses in almost 60 years to be purchased from an outside builder. The International Car Company built 46 cabooses numbered C-3000 to C-3045. These cabooses had fewer bunks (2), more seats (6), an automatic oil stove, 70-gallon water tank with a stainless-steel sink, electric refrigerator and a flushing toilet. The Class I-18 cabooses were the last B&O cabooses to be built with roof walks a classified under the B&O system. All future cabooses would be classified under the C&O/B&O classification system.

The B&O experimented with deadheading crews to their work assignments in cabooses which is why the extra seats, up to six. The cabooses that remained in serve in 1982 were renumbered to the 903000 series. They dropped the “C” prefix and added the “90” at the beginning of the number. Thus, the C-3008 would become the 903008.

The B&O C-3008 had serviced the northern Ohio area as we they have train orders reflecting the locations. They are not certain when this caboose was taken out of service but was eventually placed in the Carlisle Railway Museum. They know this caboose was one of five on display there. The C-3008 was there in September 1995. Due to vandalism the Carlisle Railway Museum disbanded the caboose park. The C-3008 was purchased in 2004 by Richard Craig and moved to his home approximately 10 miles south of Fostoria near Alvada, Ohio. Upon his death the caboose was again sold in May 2016 with the FRPS receiving the winning bid. In 2016 BMP Maintenance placed ballast and rail ties for the caboose at the rail park. A volunteer crew led by Alan Stouder, NS Road Crew employee, installed the rail. DSM Ventures, based in Romulus, Michigan, moved the caboose from its rural home to the rail park in May 2017. Hill Construction built and completed the ADA ramp and platform in September 2021. The total investment into the project totaled more than $58,000 and was covered by generous donations and FRPS.