• Skip to primary navigation
  • Skip to main content
  • Skip to footer

San Luis Obispo Railroad Museum

Just another WordPress site

  • Visit
    • Exhibits
    • Visit SLO
    • Model Railroad
    • Hours, Location & Directions
  • Events
    • Upcoming Events
    • Central Coast Railroad Festival
    • SLO Train Day
    • Excursions
  • Education
    • Railroad Resources
    • Modeling Clinics
    • Danny the Diesel
    • Railroading Merit Badge
    • Class & Group Visits
    • Collection
  • Get Involved
    • Membership
    • Volunteer
  • Museum Store
  • About
    • Our Story
    • Blog
    • Coast Mail Newsletter
    • Organization Documents
  • Donate
  • Member Login

Southern Pacific Caboose #244

Southern Pacific Railroad Caboose #244 was built by the SP Railroad in 1926/27 at the Los Angeles General Shops. It is a model C-30-1, wooden, cupola style caboose number 244. The museum rescued this caboose in 2013 where it had been sitting in the high desert just north of Lancaster, California since 1963.  The dry desert environment had helped to preserve this rare piece of rolling stock.

The model C-30-1 caboose saw service from the 1920s to the 1960s. Faced with an aging fleet and growing traffic, the Southern Pacific Railroad began a major caboose building program in 1917. The new design was the first with a Harriman Common Standard class designation, C-30-1 to indicate car type:  C for caboose, weight 30 tons and design series number 1 for the first series.

Though similar to earlier CA series cars, the new design included several improvements including a riveted steel underframe.  This made the cars studier and safer, especially on runs where helpers pushed trains upgrade.  In the next ten years, SP built over 600 C-30-1s, making them the largest group of cabooses in service on the railroad and its subsidiary lines.  They were also long-lived working all types of freight assignments into the 1960s.













SP #244 in the Museum’s Emily Street Yard awaiting restoration (2022)
As #244 sat in 2013 in the desert just before the move to the museum
SP/TNO #244 in Nacogdoches, Texas in November 1960
(photo from  DeGolyer Library, Southern Methodist University)

Footer

The San Luis Obispo Railroad Museum is a California corporation with a section 501(c)(3) status as a not-for-profit organization.

Plan Your Visit

Open Saturday Only
10AM to 2PM

1940 Santa Barbara Ave
San Luis Obispo, CA 93401
805-548-1894

Contact Us >
View More Info >

Stay in Touch

If we have your email, we’ll send notices of events and newly added resources. We never share your contact information with others.

Copyright © 2014-2023 San Luis Obispo Railroad Museum. All rights reserved
  • Site Map
  • Privacy Policy
Digital Agility Media Logo Site By  Digital Agility Media