This last Saturday, about 4 P.M., I saw a small train set with about six frieght and an old, rusted, dented caboose in trails end headed North outta the San Fernando valley. There’s a major metal scrap yard just south of 'Fricso— I’m afraid thats the last we’ll see of that railmans mobile home-away-from-home…
[:(]
dum dum dum, and another one bites the rust.
Too bad, but that’s the way they’re heading.
Matthew
I saw an SP bay-window in the GEMCO yard (Van Nuys) on Sunday, though it looked to be in better shape than what you describe.
I doubt the cab is headed for the scrapper. If that was the case it would have been in a manifest train , not a 6 car train. Chances are it was working and that train was the Saugus local.
In north Orange County, CA, there is a short frieght that services the local industrial branches that has a caboose in daily service. I have seen it back slowly east through Fullerton with two guys leaning on the rear rail of the caboose waiting to get to their destination before going into action.
Jack
If the caboose at Gemco was on a short track by the Amtrak Station, thats the rip track for cars to be repaired. If it was elsewhere, it’s in good enough shape for use.
We saw a westbound stack train Thursday or Friday on the U.P. Columbus (Neb.) Sub. with a cabooose.
It was in decent shape, and wasn’t on the rip track.
There are a couple of old Mo Pac transfer cabooses parked here in Parsons. In the area south of the KATY shop building, the UP has a lot of odd equipment in this area, also. They are painted a light green color. I think they are used for MOW moves , although these have not moved from their location in some months at this point
Here is our Caboose, it will be restored after the 2926 is done and used as an office / crew car
Gunns
Not to imply that they are common in Canada, but several of my recent trips up that way have witnessed the use of caboose on more than one road. The longer freights go with FRED, whereas it seems the several of the short haulers still use the van.
BK
a train set out, waiting for engines to leave, had these to gems in mid consist. only hope they are headed for a new lease on life, and not the torch.
http://rrpicturearchives.net/archivethumbs.aspx?id=7452
CN has exactly one van in service east of Quebec. It’s used as a rider car in local service out of Truro, NS. I don’t recall the number offhand. As far as I know CN uses its remaining vans in freight service as rider cars only - a place for the conductor to stand and protect crossings when making long reverse moves. In this usage it carries an SBU (alias a FRED) when it’s the last car in the train.
On the Truro van the conductor doesn’t usually even go inside, but just stands on the end platform.
I saw my first caboose on a revenue freight last night. It was the SP bay-window from Van Nuys on the local last night.
Probably the same one that started this topic off.
Sincerely,
Daniel Parks
What i like is the caboose at evansville in. The ol Chessie B&O. bay window
Would you believe on the way work and coming over the Susquehanna River at Wilkes-Barre, Pennsylvania is the DH/CP local with about a dozen cars and the yellow Pac Man caboose northbound for Taylor yard… have to carry the camera with me!!! The D&H unit remains painted in the blue/gray lightning stripe scheme. Will post pics if I come across it again.[#oops]