New York Central Caboose

New York Central Caboose number 21084 is called a Bay Window Caboose. It has bay windows on each side instead of an elevated cupola on the top of the car. This type originated in the 1920s because they allowed increased visibility along a train’s side. New York Central introduced bay window cabooses in the 1950s as it replaced its old wooden cabooses, some of which were nearly seventy years old. Caboose 21084 was built in 1963. The new type cabooses were originally painted red like earlier cabooses, but in 1957, the New York Central introduced century green, seen here in an attempt to update the company’s image. The new color was introduced in most freight equipment.