Oklahoma Cabooses

CRI&P 17870. Tecumseh, OK. 3/14/2026.

I found two cabooses in Tecumseh, OK, almost by chance—CB&Q 14108 and CRI&P 17870. They are located on a private residence, just north of Highway 9, east of town.

I went to have breakfast at the Masonic Lodge there, Tecumseh Lodge #69, and thought I would try to find the two cabooses that are listed nearby. The Lodge there hosts a monthly breakfast fundraiser, so I took the opportunity for a little drive east of Oklahoma City to get some good food and a little bit of Masonic fellowship.

I knew that there were two cabooses listed for Tecumseh, but I had not been able to definitively find them on Google Maps. So after breakfast, I took a detour east of town and tried to see if I could find them. They were actually pretty easy to see once I turned off the highway.

Since they are located on a private residence, I was careful going up the driveway and rang the doorbell before I started walking around and taking pictures. A very nice older lady ansered the door, named Rachel Murdoch. She was very happy to fill me in on the stories of the cabooses and how they came to have them.

She and her husband had obtained the two cabooses with plans to restore them (he restored vintage cars). Unfortunately, time, age and family needs got in the way, and she is now looking for someone to donate the cabooses to. (If anyone is interested, let me know—I have her contact info).

The cars are well sited on their property, but are really starting to show their age. I hate to say it, but they are actually in kinda poor condition (especially CRI&P 17870). Rust and age have started to deteriorate the metal and wood of the cars, and they do need to be restored.

You can see the photos for both cars at CRI&P 17870 and CB&Q 14108.

Regardless, I was very happy to meet Rachel, hear her stories and make a new friend. I was also happy to locate these two cabooses, and mark some “unconfirmed” cabooses off the list and mark them “visited.”

Marc