The Pittsburgh and Lake Erie Railroad, established in 1875, connected the steel centers of Conellsville, Pittsburgh, and Youngstown, Ohio. Only 120 miles long, the P&LE served most of the major industries in the region, giving it the most revenue per mile of any railroad in the United States. This lucrative traffic earned the road the nickname "Little Giant" and made it an attractive acquisition for the New York Central, which owned a controlling interest in the railroad and used the line to compete with the Pennsylvania Railroad. The P&LE also had strong ties with its eastern interchange partners, the Baltimore and Ohio and Western Maryland. The B&O ran most of its freight via the P&LE through Pittsburgh because its own mainline faced sharp curves and steep grades, and the Western Maryland interchanged large amounts of freight as part of the "Alphabet Route," a cooperative venture between several eastern railroads to provide competitive long-haul service. Despite being controlled by the NYC and later Penn Central, the P&LE remained profitable and was not included in the 1976 Conrail merger. With its on-line and interchange traffic curtailed by the decline of the steel industry and mergers, the P&LE was finally forced to merge, becoming part of CSX Transportation in 1992. Controlled by the New York Central, the P&LE adopted many of the larger road's designs for equipment, including cabooses. No. 508 was one of 10 bay window cabooses built to NYC plans in 1950 by the railroad's own shops in McKees Rock, PA. As freight cars grew taller, the traditional cupola-style caboose provided limited forward visibility, and climbing the ladder to the cupola also presented a challenge and safety risk on a swiftly moving train. The bay window design provided a better view around larger cars and a safer ride for the crew. No. 508 is believed to have spent most of its career in and around the Aliquippa Yard in Beaver County, PA. Railroad Museum volunteer Earl Kinard purchased No. 508 upon its retirement in 1991, accompanied the caboose to Lancaster County, and subsequently donated the car to the Railroad Museum.