PC: PC caboose at Danbury

[BGXX32A@xxxxxxxxxxx (MR PETER A KING)]

I spent the day at the show at the Danbury Railway Museum today. They 
do indeed have a PC caboose. Here's what I know about it:

About 18 to 20 years ago, a group in Yorktown Heights, NY restored 
the former Putnam Line station in town. They acquired a caboose from 
Conrail to display outside the museum. Unfortunately, no NYC cabooses 
were available, so they  got a former Pennsy N5. There was some 
discussion on how to paint it. They didn't think that they should 
paint it NYC, since that would be inaccurate. Painting it for PRR 
would be unthinkable, so they settled on PC. I'm not sure what 
happened to the group, apparently they disbanded or fell apart. The 
caboose sat for many years and became the victim of vandals. It even 
had at least one fire.

Eventually, the car was up for scrapping. Enter the Danbury Railway 
Museum. They stepped in and agreed to take the car last spring. The 
car was trucked to DRM, and there it sits in partial PC paint, 
looking very sad inside.

There are plans to restore the car to full PC livery, since PC did 
run through Danbury. From the looks of things, it will take a lot of 
work.

Other happenings at DRM:

Metro North has donated 2 NH 'washboard' MU combines from their wire 
train, as well as a round-windowed baggage car.

The NYC E9 that used to be at Essex, CT is now stored at DRM. 
Apparently, the owner was not happy with Essex, but likes the Danbury 
group very much.

PRR P-70 observation car 'Sasqua' arrived at DRM this week. It's in 
fair shape, but looks promising.

Their boxcar/tool car has been repainted tuscan red, and is lettered 
PRR on one side. 

Peter King in NY