Chartroose Caboose

[Omaha Steve]

Marta and I are lucky enough to have a HD color Panavision trailer (unrestored) on Bluray. We keep hoping someday a print will pop up. We have met two of the stars of the film. We have met Ben Cooper twice. He introduced us to Michael by accident at the 2004 Twilight Zone Convention.

Judy was sitting by Ben Cooper's table, and as we walked by Ben said to Steve, "He's here!" I wasn't paying much attention, but Ben pointed to a man standing next to Ben's table, and the man's companion said something about "Sammy, the Way-out Seal." Steve seemed to know what he was talking about, after a moment, and he ran out to the car and got the "Chartroose Caboose" lobby cards again and ran back in. Apparently, Michael McGreevey, who was in "For the Love of Willadean,"
"Chartroose Caboose," and also "Sammy, the Way-out Seal," had stopped by to talk to Billy Mumy and Susan Gordon, two child actors he had worked with. Billy Mumy had told him about the people who had a shot from "For the Love of Willadean." (Michael went, yeah, sure, when he heard that :-)) When Michael went over to say hi to Ben, Ben mentioned we were there with the lobby cards. So we got Michael's signature on the shot and the lobby cards, and it was a real bonus. I never thought in a million years we'd run across him, since he wasn't acting anymore. The only thing that would have made it better would have been Roger Mobley walking in the door at that moment.

Then, Michael mentioned to Susan Gordon that he'd worked on "Fame" for four years, and we did a double-take. Steve said, "Did you say "Fame?" Michael nodded, and I told him we were staying with someone who worked on "Fame," named Frank Merwald. Michael looked surprised and said yes, he knew Frank very well and he was a great guy. Steve had asked Ben Cooper if he had a copy of "Chartroose Caboose," but he didn't. When Steve asked Michael if he had a copy of the film, he said that yes, he had a copy but it was a black and white print from a local station. He looked a bit funny, and said "Do you know who got me that print?" We shook our heads and he said, "Frank Merwald." It was a very funny moment, and I felt like we were definitely in the twilight zone at that moment. Frank hadn't seen the lobby cards the night before, because all we showed him were the screenshots. It was as if the cosmos had aligned perfectly for a few moments, because if we hadn't gone to Ben Cooper and Billy Mumy first, Michael would have come in and gone before those two stars saw the pictures we had for them to sign. Unfortunately, Frank does not have a copy of that movie now. Michael's friend took a picture of us with him, which is below.


Here we are with former child star Mike McGreevey.



TZCon 2002: http://www.steveandmarta.com/graveyards/tzcon2002.htm



http://www.waymarking.com/waymarks/WM6WBT_Southern_Pacific_159_Weyerhaeuser_Chartroose_Caboose_Lowell_Oregon



Long Description:


This caboose has quite a history. It started life in 1929 as a C-30-3 built for The Southern Pacific Railroad. It was numbered SP 159. The caboose was known to have primarily worked on the Sutherlin Branch of the Southern Pacific RR. and it was used on Southern Pacific's Wendling-Mohawk Branch as well in the late 1950's.



This was the caboose's location when it was used during the filming of the movie "The Chartroose Caboose". The movie is considered a "lost film" since its originals were destroyed in a mishap at Universal Studios. No known copies exist but there are rumors about copies that have not been proven. The film starred Molly Bee & Ben Cooper with Slim Pickens and Edgar Buchanan. Edgar Buchanan had local ties and was a respected dentist in Eugene before moving to California and becoming famous as Uncle Joe Carson in Petticoat Junction and The Beverly Hillbillies. Mr. Buchanan had more than 100 different film and TV roles after giving up dentistry in Eugene.

The caboose was turned over to the Weyerhaeuser Company when Weyerhaeuser leased the line and began shipping logs in 1962. The caboose was in use on logging trains until 1987 when the line was abandoned. SP 159 was reportedly stored at the Weyerhaeuser Mill in Springfield Oregon. It was installed in Rolling Rock Park in Lowell Oregon after it was donated to the "City of Lowell" by Weyerhaeuser in early 2008.