Toledo, Lake Erie & Western Railway and Museum

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C-3985 (Chessie System / B&O), 1978
Builder: Fruit Growers Express (FGE), Alexandria, Virginia
Type: Bay window caboose (steel, welded body)
Classification: Non-revenue caboose car (AAR Type M930)
Original Use: Rear-end car on freight trains, serving as mobile office, lookout post, and crew quarters for the Baltimore & Ohio Railroad (B&O) under Chessie System management

At the Toledo, Lake Erie & Western Railway and Museum (TLE&W), we are proud to preserve this bay window caboose, originally built for the Baltimore & Ohio Railroad (B&O) and numbered C-3985 (sometimes stylized as C3985). It showcases the classic yellow and vermillion paint scheme of the Chessie System, complete with the iconic “Chessie” cat logo. The visible rust and weathering reflect its historical journey and current role in our outdoor display.

Build and Early Service

• Builder and Date: Constructed in April 1978 by Fruit Growers Express (FGE) at their Alexandria, Virginia, facility. Primarily known for refrigerated cars, FGE produced a series of 62 bay window cabooses for the B&O from February to May 1978. These marked some of the final new cabooses built in North America, as railroads transitioned away from manned cabooses.
• Class and Specifications: Part of the B&O’s I-18 class (or a late variant, occasionally called I-18B in rail enthusiast circles, though official records may differ). The I-18 represented B&O’s updated bay window design, with a welded steel body, roller-bearing trucks, electrical lighting, marker lights, an oil heater, desks, high-back chairs, and a sanitary toilet (installed later). Engineered for enhanced crew comfort and visibility, the bay windows provided better oversight of taller freight cars. It carries the AAR (Association of American Railroads) designation M930 as a non-revenue caboose car.
• Original Owner and Role: Delivered to the Chessie System, which oversaw the B&O, Chesapeake & Ohio (C&O), and Western Maryland (WM) railroads from 1973 onward. Adorned in Chessie System’s yellow with vermillion accents, it functioned as the end car on freight trains, acting as a mobile office, observation point, and living space for crews. Historical photos document it in service as early as June 1980 at Cone Yard in East St. Louis, Illinois.

Service Life and Retirement

• Chessie System Era (1978–1987): This caboose primarily ran on B&O routes under Chessie System oversight. Chessie emphasized equipment modernization, and this unit exemplified their commitment to streamlined, uniform rolling stock. It supported various freight operations, such as coal hauls, merchandise transport, and industrial shipments throughout the Midwest and East Coast.
• CSX Era (1987–2019): Following the 1987 merger of Chessie System and Seaboard System into CSX Transportation, the caboose received the new number CSX 903985 (with CSX adding a “90” prefix for former Chessie units). By the late 1980s, CSX and the industry adopted end-of-train devices (EOTs or “FREDs”—flashing rear-end devices) to monitor train integrity, air pressure, and motion, reducing the reliance on manned cabooses. C-3985/903985 remained in service until its retirement from CSX in 2019, after which it entered storage or private ownership, likely at a CSX site or yard.
• Post-Retirement Use: Many cabooses became surplus in the 1990s and beyond, leading to sales, scrapping, or donations. This one was retained in its original Chessie/B&O colors rather than being repainted for CSX.

Preservation and Current Ownership

• Acquisition by TLE&W: Acquired around 2021 through donations.
• Current Location and Status: On display at our facility in Grand Rapids, Ohio. See our interactive map for an exact location.

This caboose symbolizes a key transition in freight train history, from crew-operated ends to automated systems.

Specifications

Attribute	Details
Builder	Fruit Growers Express (FGE), Alexandria, Virginia
Built	April 1978
Original Owner/Road	Baltimore & Ohio Railroad (B&O) / Chessie System
Later Numbers	CSX 903985 (after 1987 CSX merger)
Type	Bay window caboose (steel, welded body)
Class	I-18 (or late variant, e.g., I-18B in some references)
AAR Type	M930 (non-revenue caboose car)
Trucks	Roller-bearing (likely 70-ton Gould or similar)
Features	Bay windows for improved visibility, electrical lighting, marker lights, oil heater, desks, high-back chairs, sanitary toilet
Crew Accommodations	Mobile office, observation post, and living quarters for train crew
Service History	Freight train end car (coal, merchandise, industrial shipments); Chessie System (1978–1987), CSX (1987–2019)
Retirement	Retired from CSX in 2019; replaced by end-of-train devices (FREDs)
Acquisition	Donated to TLE&W around 2021
Status	On outdoor static display at TLE&W facility, Grand Rapids, Ohio
Paint Scheme	Original Chessie System yellow with vermillion accents and “Chessie” cat logo (retained, not repainted CSX)

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