Caboose No. 180 Restoration

Caboose No. 180 was purchased by the Santa Maria Valley Railroad (SMVRR) in the 1950s. It was sold to Betteravia Farms in the early 1980s. It was donated to the Santa Maria Valley Railway Historical Museum (SMVRHM) and is being restored. At right, August 11, 2001. More information about cabooses in general, and about the history and restoration of No. 180: PDF [148kb, October 2004] Rutland caboose, SMVRR No. 200 is at Train Mountain in Oregon. A third SMVRR caboose, No. 210, sits at the Amtrak station in Guadalupe, CA. September 14, 2002 The last car on a freight train gots its name from the Dutch term kaban huis or kabuis, literally translated as "cabin house". Before railroads, a cabin house on the deck of a ship was the designated quarters for the cook or the cook's galley. English sailors borrowed the term by the 1700s, shortening it to "caboose". The first use with railroads appeared in the mid-1800s. August 25, 2001 October 2, 2004 Open House

October 2, 2004 SMVRR Caboose No. 180 Open House For a couple months, No. 180 will be on display near the SMVRR depot at the corner of McClelland and Jones streets and will be open to the public on weekends from 1:00pm to 4:30pm. The depot building is located at the corner of McClelland and Jones in downtown Santa Maria, a short block east of where the railroad tracks cross Broadway. [Yahoo map] September 2, 2004 Caboose No. 180 is moved to the depot. November 8, 2003: Under-carriage is painted And siding is cleared of brush September 27, 2003 Roadname and Under-carriage Work July 12, 2003 Grab Irons, Roof Repair, and Maintenance Placard April 5, 2003 Some Trimming, Some Painting March 8, 2003 "Mulehide" Roof Nearly Complete September 14, 2002 Taking Shape Inside and Out April 13, 2002 Progress!? March 9, 2002 What a beautiful interior! February 23, 2002 The floor turns crimson red. February 16, 2002 Progress on all fronts into 2002. December 28, 2001 The caboose is moved to the Larrabee Brothers siding. December 8, 2001 No. 180 gets its third and final color coat. October 28, 2001 No. 180 gets its first color coat. September 1, 2001 While spackling, sanding, and cupola repairs continue, the Union oil drum gets a face lift inside. August 25, 2001 Spackling, sanding, and primer spotting continue as the cupola rebuild gets underway. (Left/below picture.) August 11, 2001 Final preparations for a coat of primer inside and out. (Left/top picture.) December 2000 The SMVRHM accepts Caboose No. 180.