LV caboose's

[Drawhead]

Since buying my LV caboose 13 years ago i've tried to learn what i can about it and others on the Lehigh Valley RR they once served and when Conrail obtained them.From picking up some books and pictures to read what i can about them and the paint schemes they wore along with looking at other surviving ones there are always things that keep one wondering.Since i live close to Bellevue,Ohio and work for NS there,wich was one of the far outreaches that the Lehigh Valley ventured to in the 60's-70's on their run through trains.There is much i don't know about the LV to the east so i have a few questions that maybe some of you can help me with.

1.My cab is still in Conrail paint and sometimes when the sun hits it just right i can see the faint outlines of LEHIGH VALLEY across the top of the one side.On the far lower bottom center there is a small rectangular area where i can see " Lehigh Div." stenciled. Is this Lehigh Division something from the Conrail era? as i don't recall reading anything about it in any LV books.Where was the Lehigh Division and what territory did it cover? The few pictures i have of my cab in Conrail paint when it was in use were 2 taken at Allentown and 1 at Sayre.

2. Over the years i've also noticed that some LV cabooses particulary in the 1970's paint scheme of red with the yellow band have the A prefix in front of the number,have seen 1 or 2 with the A prefix in the safety logo paint as well.I think i remember reading those with the A-prefix were used in run thru pool service and think i also read somewhere that only about 19 or so were used for this and only those with cushion underframes wich would be Phase 1 cabs with certain upgrades could be used for that purpose.Did the "A" stand for the Apollo trains? and were they all strictly piggy back/truck trailer trains? What were the years they ran the Apollo trains? So far to date i've only seen pictures of these LV cabs painted with the "A" prefix.

95006 , 95007 , 95014 , 95026 , 95031 , 95037 , 95041 , 95063 , 95068 , 95088 , 95089 , 95090.


In the LV color book 3 there is one on page 128 that looks like it may be A95064 but i can't tell for sure? I also think i saw 95023 in a photo with the A prefix but can't find it.

Can anyone add any other cab numbers to this list with the A prefix ? or confirm exactly how many cabs were used in this pool service? Many Thank's and Happy Thanksgiving!

Fritz N. Kuenzel

[BR&P]

Some very good questions there. I don't have any firm answers. Guess I took for granted the "A" just represented a pool caboose rather that standing for an "A" word. Solomon's book on cabooses has a photo of A95090 on the back of JB3 (although all of the train that is visible is piggybacks, making it LOOK like the Apollo).

I believe the "Lehigh Div" was a Conrail designation but will await confirmation by others.

[scottychaos]

The August 1982 RMC article says:

"LV Cabooses were strictly assigned to divisions. Those with number prefixed with "A" signified cars assigned to pool or run-through service. These were seen on the Apollo and Mercury run-throughs with the N&W, another creation of the mid-sixties"

thats all it says about the "A" or divisions..

Fritz,
do you have that article?
if not, I will be happy to copy it and send it to you..

(there are actually two articles in that issue..one about the prototype LV cabooses, and another article about modeling them)
August 1982 Railroad Model Craftsman.

Scot

[TB Diamond]

The Lehigh Division was definitely ConRail, part of the Atlantic Region. Origionally it mainly consisted of the former Lehigh Valley Railroad lines in New Jersey, Pennsylvania and the line from Sayre up to Ithaca and on to what ConRail referred to as Milliken (Lake Ridge). Later, ConRail greatly expanded the Lehigh Division to include much of the former E-L all the way to Buffalo, NY. However, this situation did not last all that long and under one of the many ConRail reorganizations the Lehigh Division was abolished and folded into the New Jersey Division. More than that to the story, but I do not have my files at hand right now.

[lvrr325]

Yes, the Lehigh only had the New York, Wyoming and Buffalo divisions - the Wyoming was later folded into the others to have just the New York, and Buffalo ends of the railroad. Have never seen a division stencil on a Lehigh car.

Worth noting CR aquired it's LV cabooses on 4/1/76, but a handful went to the D&H and they'd sold off a lot of surplus cabs prior to this - including some to Penn Central, which also went to Conrail.

As noted in the other post if your car is still in CR paint the best way to determine the LV number is to gently sand the paint (or have it stripped with a method like walnut shells that can pull one layer of paint off at a time) on the end over the door and see what LV number is stencilled there. CR may not have always been accurate when stenciling the former numbers on the upper right sides of the cars. Given you can make out the LV lettering, it may be possible to find the number just by getting light on it at the right angle, too.

[TB Diamond]

A bit off the thread subject, but since it has been brought up:

On 01 January 1950 the Lehigh Valley Railroad eliminated the Wyoming Division and merged parts of it into both the New York and Buffalo Divisions. This was the final consolidation of divisions by the railroad which, at one time, had six divisions. Thereafter, the Buffalo Division was from Coxton to Buffalo/Niagara Falls plus all branch lines. The New York Division was from The New Jersey end of track to Coxton Yard plus all branch lines.

Back to the thread:

No, The LVRR did not mark their caboose equipment by division.