Hibblen Radio - Rock Island Caboose #17883

On the north river bank, December 2002, happy the bridge will survive - Click to enlarge

Having an opportunity to buy a vintage Rock Island caboose was one I just couldn't pass up. #17883 was built in 1930 and was among the first group of steel cabooses built by the railroad. It was in service 50 years, an office on rails at the end of thousands of freight trains, until Rock Island went bankrupt in 1980. Like much of Rock Island's equipment, the caboose was sold, but sadly would sit neglected and deteriorating for 23 years. My parents and I are now involved in the slow process of restoring it. We hope to turn it into a guest house, while maintaining its original railroad character.

I first came across #17883 in December 2002. I had seen on a list of "captive" Rock Island cabooses on the internet that there was one near my parent's house west of Little Rock, and decided to try and find it while my wife and I were visiting Arkansas for the holidays. It took about an hour of driving around to find because there was no address given, but when I did I was amazed. While it was clearly in terrible shape, it was a beautiful old caboose, similar to so many I had seen as a kid. It was in a yard beside a house. No one was home at the time, so I took several photos and noted the address. I decided to see if the person who lived there would be interested in selling it, since it didn't seem to be very appreciated. With no name, only an address, I wrote a short letter asking if the owner would be interested in selling it. It ended up being good timing because I got a call from its owner a few weeks later.

He said he and his family would be moving in a few months and had been trying to figure out what to do with it. The offer to buy it began the real challenge of figuring out how to move the roughly 30-ton caboose about 20 miles. The owner, who worked for the Arkansas Highway Department, recommended Dick Mooney Crane Rentals, which frequently did work for the state. After several weeks with lots of telephone calls and discussions with the company about how much it would cost and all the possible variables and problems, we finally started moving the Caboose April 14, 2003. It ended up taking two and a half days to move.

According to the Rock Island Technical Society, cabooses 17850-17899 were built by the railroad in 1930. They were the first steel sheathed cabooses for the Rock Island, using virtually the same specifications as the wooden cabooses that had been in use since 1903. The only thing not visable in these photos is the chimney, which we found in a closet inside. The area of the roof where it stuck out was caving in. After years of neglect, the wooden roof and floor, along with plywood used as inside walls were pretty much rotted. But it was nice to see that it was still in its original final form for the Rock Island, and still had its final paint scheme. Below are 42 images I took of the caboose, showing what it looked like inside and out, along with almost each step of the move. It took longer than my parents and I had hoped, but Dick Mooney's staff did a very methodical and carefull job and, most importantly, did not damage the fragile caboose. As with the rest of my site, you can click on any of the photos below to see a full-sized image.


The faded red paint on the exposed side of the caboose, in the shadows of trees.	The ladders were still fairly sturdy. Also visable is the peeling paint under the roof.	This side wasn't hit by the sun and still shows a rich red from its final paint job.

The walkway was still in place on top of the caboose, which even allowed people to get around the cupola. Also, lots of leaves and pine needles had settled there.	If you enlarge this image, you can clearly see there had once been a Rock Island shield on the cupola, perhaps stolen or taken off when sold by the railroad.	One of two crumbling desks on opposite corners inside the caboose, along with the original chairs which had cushions on metal frames bolted to the floor.

A piece of wood had been placed between the two benches in the cupola.	Looking down from the cupola, the extensive deteioration is evident..	One of two bunks or seats, each situated directly across from the desks.

A listing of necessary equipment for the caboose inside one of the closet doors.	The original toilet, which would simply dump human waste onto the tracks.	A GM air pressure guage for the breaks, located above one of the desks.

With surrounding trees cut down, the caboose was now ready to be moved.

Crews first removed the steps from each end of the caboose.

They also used a torch to cut off the generator and other items underneath.


Little Rock CBS affiliate KTHV-TV 11 sent a photographer and aired a nice feature story on us moving the caboose.	Large metal beams attached to the crane were positioned at each end of the caboose to lift the body off of the wheels.	Watching was former Rock Island employee J.P. Rook (left), here talking with my dad Skip Hibblen.

With beams in place, the crew signals the crane operator to begin lifting it up.	I was almost surprised at how effortlessly the body came up from its trucks.	With some guidance from the crew, it was swung around to a waiting trailer.

Ropes were used to help guide the caboose body into position.	With incredible precision, the crew lowered it onto a low-boy trailer.	Using chains, the caboose body was secured onto the trailer for transport.

Here I am pulling spikes out of the rails, which we would need, along with the plates that hold rails to the wooden ties.	The crew had to use the torch to cut the heads off of some spikes that did not want to come out of the wood.	With the heavy steel rails free, the crane was used to help left them onto the trailer that would also carry the wheels.

With everything in place, the caravan began the 20 mile drive to my parent's.

I drove ahead to catch the incredible site of the caboose on Ark Highway 10.

Traveling a careful 35 to 45 miles an hour, the caravan did back up traffic.


It was stunning to see it heading west on Highway 10, which is a beautiful drive.	The lead truck of the caravan had a pole in front with the height of the caboose.	In the final stretch here near my parent's property.

The caboose got stuck at the first curve of my parent's rather sharp driveway.	With the help of a tractor it was pulled loose and the rest of the way to the top.	My parents had leveled the ground in advance and had new ties in place.

The first job at my parent's house was to get the rails evenly lined up, properly spaced and the spikes hammered in.	With the wheels having been lifted into position on the tracks, they wait as the caboose is lifted off the trailer.	It took a few tries for the crane to get the caboose body properly positioned onto the trucks.

At times crew members had to practically climb underneath to get it lined up.	View from the cab of the crane as its operator helps position the caboose.	The move safely completed, the caboose here sits ready to begin renovations.