Local man displaying rail motor car at memorial car show
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TERRETON – The man behind the Mud Lake Car Show will be recognized during the fourth annual event this weekend.
Rick Caudle, a local car enthusiast and longtime mechanic, started the car show in 2021. He passed away last year at age 65. The 2024 event has been dubbed the Rick Caudle Memorial Car Show in his memory. Read his obituary here.
During its inaugural year, between 40 and 50 people participated and the turnout has continued to grow.
Trish Petersen, one of the organizers, tells EastIdahoNews.com people from Montana and Utah have attended in the past and she’s excited to see who ends up attending this year.
“We have (someone from) Twin Falls and Mackay coming this year,” Petersen says. “It’ll be a surprise to see how many we get and where they’re from.”
The event is happening Saturday at the Mud Lake Fairgrounds from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. Car entry fees have been waived thanks to a generous sponsor. A panel of judges will award prizes to winners in different categories and there will be food vendors, music and raffles.
Numerous participants from previous years will be returning, including Gary Shipley of Rigby with his 1964 Chevrolet El Camino and his 1966 Chevy pickup.
Also returning is Tom Griggs, who will display his 1983 Fairmont MT-14 rail motor car. Griggs gave us a look at his railroad maintenance vehicle ahead of the event. Take a look in the video above.
The 73-year-old Idaho Falls man retired in 2016 from a 20-year career with the Eastern Idaho Railroad and Union Pacific Railroad. He acquired the defunct railroad vehicle in 2020 from his brother, John, who passed away in 2022.
“It was (an empty) shell at the time,” Griggs explains. “When he gave it to me, it had curtains in it because the individual he got it from had used it as a playhouse for his grandkids. The engine was on a different frame and so I had to go in and completely restore everything.”
Griggs has put a lot of effort into restoring the engine, lights, seats, radio and other amenities of the MT-14.
Griggs calls his motor car “The Legacy” because he is a third-generation railroader. His grandfather and father also worked for the railroad. All three names are engraved on the back of the vehicle.
Rail motor cars were once used to do railroad maintenance. Griggs says they stopped using them around 1989.
Giving people rides in his rail car during railroad excursions is something Griggs picked up as a hobby. Restoring and driving it is something Griggs says is “just plain fun!”
He enjoys owning a piece of history and watching people’s excitement when they see it.
“One question that’s asked a lot is ‘how fast will it go?’ It’ll do 85 mph behind my Tahoe,” Griggs jokes. “We try and maintain 20 mph (on the track) and I’ve had this car up to 50 mph.”
But it peaks around 60 mph, he says.
The best part of owning an MT-14 rail motor car, according to Griggs, is getting a view of the area you don’t normally get to see. Griggs says the route from Idaho Falls to Newdale includes one of his favorite stops.
“We go out north of Idaho Falls, turn at the switch and go out through Iona, Ririe, cross the Snake River and then climb up the side of a hill. You get up on top and can see the whole valley,” he says.
He’s shown his motor car at the Mud Lake Car Show and other events around the country the last several years. It earned the “Spectators Choice” award in Mud Lake in 2021. He’s excited for people to see it again this weekend.
Petersen recently acquired a 1968 Chrysler Imperial from a family member and has become acquainted with other car enthusiasts as a result. Her favorite part of the car show is interacting with car owners and other people who attend.
She’s looking forward to making new friends at Saturday’s event.
