Journey Through Time: The Rich History and Transformation of Caboose 41, Nashville Chattanooga & St. Louis Railway’s Last Surviving NE-3 Class Car
Caboose 41, with the Nashville Chattanooga & St. Louis Railway’s mark, carries a storied past. Originally constructed in 1927 by Mount Vernon Car Works, it served the Florida East Coast Railroad, being a part of the 873-892 series cars. The Nashville, Chattanooga & St. Louis Railway became its new owner in 1935, leading to a reclassification as class NE-3, and it received its current identification number.
During 1935-1936, Caboose 41 was one of the nine NE-3 class cars transformed for branchline passenger services. This transformation was specific to the journey between Cowan and Tracy City, TN, within the NC&StL network.
This transformation involved extensive interior modifications. The original design, which consisted of three steel bunks for the crew, a table, and chairs, was replaced with a layout providing seats for up to 16 passengers, making the car more suited for passenger use.
Caboose 41 was gifted to the Tennessee Valley Railroad Museum (TVRM) by the Louisville & Nashville Railway in 1964, still adorned with the NC&StL colors. This caboose stands as a rare relic of history, as the last existing NE-3 class member, with the others being scrapped in 1968.
![Caboose 41: A Historic Rail Icon of Nashville & St. Louis Caboose 41: A Historic Rail Icon of Nashville & St. Louis](https://www.tvrail.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/4651/2023/05/75513365_1761420307325992_6160324382095835136_n.jpg?resize=300%2C300)
![The Last NE-3 Class Car: Caboose 41’s Storied Journey The Last NE-3 Class Car: Caboose 41's Storied Journey](https://www.tvrail.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/4651/2023/05/74662413_1761420273992662_8512996871436763136_n.jpg?resize=300%2C300)
![Caboose 41: From Freight to Passengers, A Legacy Lives Caboose 41: From Freight to Passengers, A Legacy Lives](https://www.tvrail.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/4651/2023/05/21557618_1143745512426811_7082963597626771849_n.jpg?resize=300%2C300)
![Nashville & St. Louis’s Caboose 41: A Unique Piece of Rail History Nashville & St. Louis's Caboose 41: A Unique Piece of Rail History](https://www.tvrail.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/4651/2023/05/90715683_1896860410448647_2067144880274014208_n.jpg?resize=300%2C300)
SPECIFICATIONS:
Rolling Stock: Nashville Chattanooga & St. Louis 41
Rolling Stock Type: Caboose
Operators: Florida East Coast Railway, Nashville Chattanooga & St. Louis Railway, Louisville and Nashville Railroad, Tennessee Valley Railroad Museum
Builder: Mount Vernon Car Works
Date Built: 1927
Number of Seats: 16
Lettered: Nashville Chattanooga & St. Louis
Status: Stored Out of Service