I was scanning up pictues and I thought that I would throw this one out for you all. It is CSX 900424. It is used daily in Athens on the local for backing down the tracks. I need to scan up a pic of the other side because the window arangement is completly different. Their are only two small windows instead of the three large squares.
This one used to be used south of Athens in Winder, GA. However for some reason they have moved it up to Athens and their is no longer one at Winder. The old one was 900420. Would their be any way to find out where this one went?
It is always nice to see a caboose in regular use, and this area of the ex-Seaboard is great!
…I know they are gone forever but a caboose really makes a freight train look complete and alive…especially when the crew was visible on it. Somehow it make the whole train look more here and now and more business like.
Cabooses were a pain to manage…they had to be repaired, they had to be cleaned and the auxilary equipment had to work or the cab would be shopped.
That being said, when a train went into emergency the problems could be attacked from both ends and thereby minimizing the length of time the train was stationary. Now with the EOT on the rear, the conductor/brakeman can only start from the head end and walk to the rear and back to the head end when problems are encountered…an hout and a half procedure on a 9000 foot train…EFFICENCY!..Tie up the main track for an hour and a half, or more for an air hose parting, or even the EOT falling off the train.
well I can see that even the operational cabeeses don’t get much respect, The one at the High scholl would need to be rebuilt if it was to be presentable by a museum [:(].
I’m in training right now, and I’m working on a yard job (converted local) in Danville, IL. We use a caboose on this job for shoving every day. They even installed a whistle on this one, so we can blow the horn at crossings. This one is a little more personalized than most, as it has been used primarily by the same two guys for 25 years now working the same job. I thought I would never see a caboose in my days of railroading in the current era, but lucky me!! I’ll have to get a picture sometime to show.
