Monday 10-16 Seen Any Cabooses?

[TomPM]

Good morning folks

It is good to be back! Back from where you may ask. The last few days of last week my home computer picked up a nasty virus which took me several nights to eliminate. Since I cannot access the Gauge at work (the filtering software thinks it is a porno site) my Gauge time was restricted.

I used some Sculpta-mold to fill in some gaps between the Grain Elevator Diorama and the layout, and the Passenger Station Diorama and the layout.

Have you, and if you have when have you, seen a caboose in regular service?

I saw my last cabooses on CSX pack in the early nineties when I was railfanning the Philadelphia Subdivision. Or so I thought. When my office moved to King of Prussia I sometimes drive past Norfolk Southern’s Abrams Yard and I cross the old PRR Trenton Cutoff I almost daily see a train with a caboose. Apparently it services some industries in Coatesville, PA and requires back through grade crossings and the caboose is needed for to provide protection.

 

[shaygetz]

I was driving thru north Altoona when I crossed over the back end of a yard in Sept. '88 when I spied a sorry looking bunch of Conrail 'booses waiting to be scrapped. Coulda bought one for less than $300 and they'd have toted it anywhere in their territory for about $1000. Single, plenty of money, no land, sigh...would made a great train room. I can't say that I've seen any since except for ones on display in Milton and Pensacola.

 

[TruckLover]

That would have made a hell of a train room!!!!!! Trains within a train. Cool idea, sorry it couldn't work out shaygetz

 

[viperman]

The EJ&E still runs cabooses. I catch an EJ&E every now and then, but not too often

 

[Jim Krause]

MRL (Montana Rail Link) still uses an occasional caboose on some of their local freights.

 

[Chessie6459]

The last time I saw a caboose in a train was back in the early 90's. It was in a MOW Train coming through town. But I have not seen one since, other than at a museum.

 

[ezdays]

Other than one on display I did see one on the BNSF line here as part of a MOW crew. It had a large tank attached to it and was modified so much that it was hard to ID it as a caboose.

 

[Dakota train]

In a matter of fact, I just seen one yesterday and took some pictures of a caboose I've never seen before. It was huge compared to other caboose's I've seen. Does anybody know if it was produced in HO scale by any companies. Back in early september, my family and I road in a caboose around the last train turn around in north america located in McHenry, North Dakota. I'll post pics if someone wants to see them.

 

[Dakota train]

I quick stepped off the length of this caboose and its approx. 35ft long. I don't know how long cabooses are, but this one seems long and high. Its as high as the hopper in front of it. Any info would be appreciated.

Dakota train

 

[Play-Doh]

Ive been blessed to have seen a couple cabooses and sadly....very sadly...I was without a camera BOTH times! The first was a couple months ago when I saw a big UP diesel pulling a rickety old yellow UP caboose that looked like it had been parked in the woods for decades. And then just this weekend, I saw a southern pacific (red) also in wood, parked on the bridge overpass on the sidetracks. I really wish I had a camera at those times.

 

[eightyeightfan1]

Two years ago here in Torrington Ct. Was on the end of a Naugatuck Railroad work train.
You can see it just behind the Portland Terminal crane

 

[railohio]

Not a caboose to be seen for years but CSX and Norfolk Southern both make liberal use of shoving platforms still.

http://www.railpictures.net/viewphoto.php?id=79260

~B

 

[MasonJar]

Sorry, no pics from me either, but...

Used to see them in regular use on the CPR tracks that ran by my house (lived there 1978-1986).

When we lived near the CPR mainline in Eastern Ontario, there was a caboose that was parked at Bedell Junction. I didn't ever see it in use (my theory was that it was for reverse moves when switching the local industries which were a few kilometers north and south of the line).

Other than that, only see them in museums these days...

Andrew