Rock Island caboose

Trains Magazine General Discussion
1

In appelton wisconnsin today Aug 6 ,I seen a rock Island caboose on a semi trailer,going south thru town.it appeared to have fresh red paint and the last digits on the serial were 77.Caught me by surprise and of course no camera.Any know where it came from and where it is going.

2

Found it today…It is on a siding on the CN.switch yards in Appelton Wi.It came in by semi trailer and is now on a switched siding along the main rail yards.it is on its trucks and on the unit there is the date 0f 4-80 for the trucks overhauled.Too old for rail transport?.also this question it says a-end or b-end on the unit.All boarded up with fresh ply wood.on the ground in back of it there is a trackset with angles welded to it,may be to keep the wheels from moving after it is put on this platformAs soon as i process pictures will post them.It is in good shape so suspect it is going to be put on display.that is all i knowhttp://s208.photobucket.com/albums/bb51/jjohnieray/?action=view&current=P809003http://s208.photobucket.com/albums/bb51/jjohnieray/?action=view&current=P8090036.jpg6.jpg

3

I also saw the Rock Island caboose and took pictures. It is next to the building where the CN tracks cross S. Perkins street. Still no information on its destination.

Saw your post after searching the web and joined the forum hoping to get more details on where this caboose is going.

Don

4

These files do not exist in photobucket

http://s208.photobucket.com/albums/bb51/jjohnieray/?action=view&current=P809003

http://s208.photobucket.com/albums/bb51/jjohnieray/?action=view&current=P8090036.jpg6.jpg

5

It’s a fake RI caboose, as it is a Milwaukee Road Thrall design (unless RI had a few too…).

I can find out where it is from, but it might be a few days.

Phil

6

Is this the one?

http://i208.photobucket.com/albums/bb51/jjohnieray/P8090037.jpg

7

Yes it is,I had a problem loading them on Photobucket.Will have to learn that program.Thank you

8

Here’s the information I have. It was updated as of 7/07.

“ex-MILW Rd (number??) as fake CRI&P 17177, located in Mackville WI, Caboose is on the back of a business card for STM Inc. of Appleton WI”

I take it that this caboose is curently located at STM Inc in Appleton.

At the time of this picture, it was in Mackville, WI on display with a signal…

http://cencalrails.railfan.net/crip17177srkcoll.jpg

The car appears to have been damaged, as it’s handrails and steps are bent. So, that would mean that the car was probably sold as scrap from the MILW at the time of when the SOO took over the road.

I have an idea on where this caboose came from, but I still have to do some searching before I can come to any conclusions…

Phil

9

The RI Caboose used to sit on Jeske Road just north of Mackville (Cty O) Road just west of the tracks. I noticed it today that it was gone along with the signal

Paul

10

The silver signal and section of track the caboose was sitting on in the photo are in the parking lot next the siding the caboose is on. I saw it on Thursday, and was wondering about it to. I took some pictures on August 17th, I’ll post them in the morning.

EDIT:

According to UtahRails.net, the Rock Island caboose, if restored, should have been painted in the blue w/white ends color-scheme, with the slogan “The Little Rock”, not the red w/yellow ends color-scheme it is in now. Also, the trucks currently on the caboose are incorrect.

11

As of 8/8/2009 this caboose is missing. I don’t think the siding track it was on has a switch to the main track, so I don’t know how it was moved. If anyone has more information, I would like to know how it was moved and where to. Thanks. Don

12

Is it common to have fake restored cabooses on display? Here in Northern VA there are a great number of restored cabeese. All of the ones displaying on the W&OD rail trail are from other railways–evidently there are no surviving W&OD cabooses. There is a Southern Railway caboose in Gainesville (a few blocks from the NS tracks) and another in Manassas.

13

Well, I found it. It is on S. Whitman Dr. just south of Spencer St. in Appleton. It is sitting on the short section of track that was by it in the original post. This is about four or five blocks from the other location. Must have been trucked over there. Don