The caboose at the Guthrie County Historical Village welcomes train buffs and newcomers alike.

By Rich Wicks | Times Vedette

On the grounds of the Guthrie County Historical Village are several buildings along with two railroad cars. One of the railroad cars is a 1956 Milwaukee, one of 100 modern cabooses ordered by the Milwaukee Railroad.

The interior of the 1956 caboose.

Traditionally, the caboose was the last car of a train and was used as the headquarters of the train crew and office of the conductor. Earlier cabooses usually had a raised cupola where the crew could look ahead from above to check on the train, but as train cars were built taller, this became a problem. Therefore, the 1956 caboose was instead built with a protruding “bay window” so the crew could view the rest of the train from the side.

One of the main reasons the crew needed to check on the train as it moved was to detect “hot boxes,” which meant excess heat building up from friction of the axles if oil leaked away or dried out. These hot boxes could easily start a fire.

The 1956 caboose included a two-way radio, electricity, cook stove and a toilet. It ran on the Milwaukee and Soo lines until it was retired in 1990. In 1991, the caboose was moved to the Guthrie County Historical Village.

The Guthrie County Historical Village and Museum is located at 206 W. South St. in Panora.