| All Grab Irons Installed * All Detail Parts Added * Metal Wheelsets * Knuckle Couplers * Superb Paint & Lettering
In 1913, Ohio, and subsequently several other states, passed laws mandating larger and safer cabooses. At that time, nearly all the cabin cars (the PRR term for caboose) on the Pennsylvania Railroad were small four-wheel cars, and most had wooden underframes. Although the Pennsylvania had designed and was building a sample all-steel car by 1914, the decision was made to modernize the existing cars on Lines West. Rebuilding included lengthening one end of each car resulting in an off-center cupola. Some N6B cabins received centered cupolas of a different design. Two existing Lines West styles of cupolas were also reused, creating class N6A with the wide style and N6B with the narrow type. New steel underframes with two four-wheel trucks were applied to the cars. Between 1914 and 1923, nearly 1,200 cars were created in the two classes. Most were rebuilds, as described above, but some were built new. The N6A and N6B cars were the most numerous design of cabin car on the PRR from the early 1920s through the late 50s, although N6A cars had been converted to N6B by that time. The N6B class remained in service in large numbers into the early 60s, with a few surviving into the Penn Central era in 1968, mainly as work equipment. A handful escaped scrapping and survive in various museum and private collections today |
