Nov. 23, 2021
Last month a team of volunteers from Western Financial Group in Gilbert Plains, joined forces with the Gilbert Plains “Save the Caboose” committee to raise more funds for the ongoing project. This year, the Gilbert Plains Western team was honoured to present a total of $3,144 to the project, through Western Communities Foundation programs.
In 2020 a public meeting was called by the Gilbert Plains municipality to discuss the condition of the local caboose historic landmark. The siding of the caboose was rotting, and the metal parts were rusting. The “Save the Caboose” committee was formed, and they took on the task of refurbishing the landmark so that it could stand for many more years to come. The Cupula will be rebuilt, and the roof will be repaired, as well as the siding is to be painted with the exact CNR colours and insignia.
The Gilbert Plains Caboose is one of very few wooden cabooses that still remain. This particular caboose started out as a CNR boxcar 413626, over time wooden boxcars became obsolete and CNR rebuilt them into cabooses, therefore in 1952, this particular car was converted into caboose CNR 78894. It was decommissioned in 1979 as modern technology had replaced most train cabooses in North America.
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