Hello from Bentonville, AR

Discussion in 'New Member Introductions' started by woodcarguy2022, Jul 24, 2022.

  1. Hello fellow historians! My name is Don Barnett and I am on the board of directors for the Bentonville History museum which occupies the Old Train Depot in Bentonville, AR. Our address is 416 South Main St and we happen to have a Frisco Caboose that we are researching to try and restore.
    What I have learned so far is
    •In 1930, the Rock Island Railroad built their first steel cabooses, numbered 17850 to 17899. Caboose 17860 was in service for 50 years, an office on rails at the end of countless freight trains, until the Rock Island was shut down in 1980.
    •The cabooses were rebuilt in 1954-55 with the most notable change being the removal of some of the side windows. The only offset-cupola steel cabooses on the Rock Island, they were often seen in service on through-freights until newer cabooses bumped them to local assignments in the 1970s.
    •After the Rock Island shutdown in 1980, caboose #17860 was purchased by the Frisco Rail lines and renumbered as 2841.
    •Really a Rock Island car(CRIP # 17860), this off-center couple, steel caboose is painted up as Frisco 2841. It sits next to the Bentonville History Museum (old Frisco Depot) at 416 Main St. In Bentonville, AR.
    •In 1984 it was donated to the City of Bentonville and is currently on display at the Bentonville History Museum located at 416 South Main Street in Bentonville, Arkansas.
    •The Rock Island H&TS had a bulletin on caboose rebuilds with a picture of this one coming out of the shop
    •Length: 29 ft. Width: 9 ft 8 in. Height: 16 ft 3 in. Weight: 44,800 lbs.
    •SUF Wood Cupola #17860 initially came from Three Rivers, MI
     
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  2. klrwhizkid

    klrwhizkid Administrator Staff Member Administrator Frisco.org Supporter

    Here are two links that provide floor plans of the two different depots that have been in Bentonville:
    www.frisco.org/shipit/index.php?attachments/ar-bentonville2-pdf.17878/
    http://www.frisco.org/shipit/index.php?attachments/ar-bentonville-pdf.17879/

    Here's a thread on the Bentonville Branch:
    http://www.frisco.org/shipit/index.php?threads/west-on-the-bentonville-branch.1878/#post-11261

    Here's a thread on the Bentonville Depot"
    http://www.frisco.org/shipit/index.php?threads/bentonville-ar.370/#post-2956

    As for photos, I have not seen any of this caboose in Frisco possession. You might check the Rock Island Historical Society to see if they might have any.
     
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  3. mark

    mark Staff Member Staff Member

    Don,

    The caboose on display at Bentonville was never purchased, owned, used or numbered by the Saint Louis - San Francisco (SLSF or Frisco) Railway.

    It is not clear to me what you mean by "Frisco Rail lines". However, it is absolutely certain that it was not part of the Frisco Railway's caboose or equipment roster. The car is a total imposter rendition of a Frisco car. The current faux paint and number is a tribute to, but was not ever applied by the Frisco Railway. Further, the car was never owned by either of the Frisco's successor or second successor railroads.

    The caboose had a single railroad owner. It is a former Chicago, Rock Island and Pacific (CRIP or Rock Island) Railroad car. It was built for that railroad as CRIP 17860. After the demise of the Rock Island on 3/31/1980, the car languished until it was sold by the bankruptcy trustee and purchased by private, non-railroad interests. Ultimately ownership passed to and it was relocated by the Bentonville Chamber of Commerce. They alone repainted and renumbered the car.

    Hope this helps.

    Thanks!

    Mark
     
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  4. Thanks for the update!
     
  5. SteveM

    SteveM Member Frisco.org Supporter

    Don, to verify that, I was on the committee to raise money for the caboose. The Rock Island heritage had been obliterated on the exterior, but was discovered inside by a volunteer pulling the cheap paneling a previous had installed. 2841 was the last four of the Chamber's phone number. Curt Lloyd was Chamber executive at the time (90's). Gary Black and a few other survivors were on the committee. Randy Townzen did the Frisco graphics.
    Steve Marquess
     
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