When one often visits the yard at Grafton, West Virginia, a common sight is caboose #903983. Although cabooses are no longer used in everday road service of course, many terminals across the CSX system usually have at least one cab(oose) on hand. These remaining cabs are used on local trains and switchers that are required to make a backup move, so that the conductor or brakeman will not have to walk the train in order to protect crossings and as an additional safety feature.
The condition of caboose #903983 in the late summer of 2000 at Grafton, prior to its repainting.
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In Grafton's case, #903983 has often been used on Clarksburg Turns shoving down the Grasselli Industrial Track, Yard Crews working industries on the Fairmont Subdivision around Fetterman and also on the various work trains required in the maintanence of the railroad. However, as obvious in the photo on the right, the years of service can often be brutal to any piece of railroad equipment and #903983 was not spared from the rust and weathering that many model railroaders strive to achieve in their scale replicas. Eventually this delapidation came to the attention of Grafton's Trainmaster, who reguarly assigned the caboose to safety programs involving local school children's field trips to the engine terminal, where a good appearance was needed. To remedy the situation, Grafton called upon Randy and Linda Strogen, organizers of the infamous Grafton Heritage Festival Excursions of the 1980s, and their son Chris, who together had helped paint the #903983 into its original CSX scheme at Elkins for the AB&OSHR Convention in Grafton during 1991. In cooperation with CSX, the cab was moved from Grafton to the yard at Clarksburg where it would be given a new coat of paint. In order to accomplish the major paint overhaul, the Strogens enlisted the help of one of the more accomplished railroad restorationists on the East Coast, Jerry Doyle, along with a merry band of local railfans who were willing to donate their time for the good of the cause. This list includes, but is not limited to: Dave Matheny of Point Pleasant for stenciling, Bill Hornbrook of New Martinsville for painting and stenciling, James Moore of Columbus for painting, Jim Trivett from Athens for sanding, Alden McBee from Wheeling for painting and myself who sanded, stencilied and painted. The following few photos were taken over the intervening months from September when the painting first began, to the final weekend in April when the project was finally complete.....
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The first work that had to be performed on the caboose was the fixing of the numerous rust spots which had formed over the years. Temporarily looking even worse for wear, the repainting process has begun by sanding and grinding down the rust to bare metal and then painting the afflicted sections. Left to Right, Chris Strogen, Jerry Doyle and Randy Strogen.
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Another view of the caboose during the same processs.
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After completing the rust removal, the body of the #903983 was painted in rust colored primer, before the addition of the three major CSX colors. In this photo, the yellow has already been applied to the west end of the cab.
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By the last weekend in November, all three CSX colors had been painted on, but none of the stenciling had yet been undertaken due to the cold weather. No additional work was planned until warm weather began well into 2001.....
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It's now April of 2001 in this view with comfortable temperatures and work has resumed on the caboose. Jerry Doyle and Dave Matheny prepare to position the large CSX stencil on the side of the caboose, while Chris and Randy Strogen begin touching up the caboose.
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The cab's side number stencil has already been hung in its appropriate place, while in the background the outline of the letters C-S-X has been cut out in the blue tape and partially painted in.
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Sunday's caboose crew is close to the finish line as Bill Hornbrook undertakes the touching up job, while the Spirit of Grafton lettering is being applied in the background.
Randy Strogen works on touching up the Spirit of Grafton lettering on the final day.
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The finished product.... A refreshing look for Grafton's caboose and the newest addition to CSX's "Spirit" roster.
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The condition of caboose #903983 in the late summer of 2000 at Grafton, prior to its repainting.
