Western Railroad Discussion > In lieu of a caboose?

The rear car behind an eastbound UP manifest has just created a very brief photo-op for shooting a silhouette. But shoot fast! Even with the train’s relatively low speed (25-30 MPH?) you’ll get only 3 or 4 prime shots before the knuckle carrying FRED rolls out of your 20mm window. When your short but determined burst of pixel incineration is concluded you can mull over the good old days when you coulda-shoulda-woulda gotten better results with a real live caboose back there to enhance your silhouette. Sigh…

1. UP 4240 east at Aikins, KS on January 17, 2017 @ 5:52 PM.

Remembering the caboose… (R.I.P.)
Lance Garrels
santafe199

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Nice silhouette of FRED Lance.

Here's a few for ya, Lance.  Keep Off The Cupola...

Walter



Edited 2 time(s). Last edit at 01/19/17 05:44 by drumwrencher.

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Very nice idea and photo
Trainmen Only
Brian Stevens

Posted from iPhone

drumwrencher Wrote: > Here's a few for ya, Lance...

Thanks! I've always thought that Espee's bay window cabeese were handsome affairs. I think I remember modeling a couple of them back in my paint & decal days. And growing up in a UP town (Manhattan on the KP main) I'm sure the first live caboose I ever laid eyes on was canary yellow. But it didn't take long to spot a Santa Fe waycar over in my 2nd home town of Abilene. Bright red, trimmed with that giant, cheery yellow circle-cross logo! Right out of an Athearn box, like God & good ol' uncle Irv intended...

Posted from Android

added later: Wow, now that I'm back home and on the big screen... I don't recall ever seeing a wooden WP caboose before. Can you supply a date & location? This one is going right into the ol' downloaded image collection! Thanks...

Lance/199



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 01/19/17 11:23 by santafe199.

Lance -
All I can really tell you is good ol' JR Benedict caught that WP caboose, and a few others, in the West Oakland WP yard sometime from 1970-1974. I'm leaning toward 1970...  The SP is in Newhall yard, Santa Clara/San Jose. Not 100% sure where the UP was... maybe near Newhall...?

Glad you like 'em.

Walter​

drumwrencher Wrote: > ...  All I can really tell you is ...
Thanks for the location! And I can always just call it "1970s-early" for a date...

Lance/199

I'm 99% certain the UP cab is passing the Central Concrete plant, just RR east (compass south) of College Park, San Jose, on the SP... The track alignments, and the concrete slab to the left of the cab sure look like it, anyway... and, ol' JR loved taking photos from the Taylor st. overpass there.

Nonetheless, still just a guess.​

Walter

Nice picture. Interesting array of signals.

SantaFeRuss

Posted from Android

SantaFeRuss Wrote: > ... Interesting array of signals...
They are the westbound signals governing a cross-over plant in the middle of 24,000+ feet of siding (per a 1982 UP timetable). These crossovers allow coal trains access to & from the spur that runs straight south about 5 miles to the Jeffrey Energy Center power plant.

Lance/199