The Return of a Cabin Car

Maine’s railroad history is constantly being brought back, and stories being retold and reimagined for the next generations. Special groups and museums all over the state have projects in the works to interpret and restore railroad artifacts. “Maine Central Caboose Restored by Family” by Nick Stewart discusses how a local Maine family restored their own railroad caboose. This family is the Maher family, who have a history with railroads, a good connection with museums, and some close mined friends. With all this together they can announce the completion of a cosmetic and mechanical restoration on their Maine Central railroad caboose number 640. 

The Maher family acquired Maine Central Caboose 640 in 2022, and with help from 14 friends and family, the caboose was cosmentially restored with new, fresh coats of paint, and given a full mechanical overhaul so it can tail trains once again. Most of this work was done starting in 2024, and with much effort last fall from many friends, the caboose is now near enough to completion to be moved to another property for enjoyment. The Caboose was built in 1976, and was among the last ordered for the Maine Central Railroad. The caboose entered service on the MEC in 1977, originally working the Mountain Division between Portland, ME and St. Johnsbury, VT. Sometime between late 1977 or early 1978, the caboose was in a trainwreck and recived damage which was then repaired at the railroads main shops in Waterville. This caboose was in service until the 1990s, where a fire from an arsonist took the car out of service. The caboose was purchased by a railroad employee, and later by the Belfast and Moosehead Lake railroad museum. From there it was sold to the Maher family.

With the completion of Caboose 640, it will be moved from the Belfast & Moosehead Lake railroad museum to the Cumberland and Knox railroad. This railroad runs the original Maine Central Rockland Brach, from Brusnswick to its namesake town. There the caboose with be uses on freight, and later passenger runs on the like. The caboose will provide space for public passengers, alongside new passenger cars for the railroad.

It is great to see many of these projects which have been in the works for years come to fruition. With this caboose soon to go out in service in the public’s eye, It will be interesting to the reaction to seeing a classic railroad caboose tailing up trains. Many other projects from other groups may elicit similar feeling too, and we eagerly will wait for them to be completed.

Restoration took place at this location:

Photo by Author