Western Railroad Discussion > Caboose Fire Oroville, CA

Not sure where in Oroville this was.

https://www.actionnewsnow.com/content/news/Retired-train-car-burst-into-flames-in-Oroville--567695631.html



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 02/10/20 08:35 by dhb.

After rereading the article it was located next to the depot. Probably transients living in it.



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 02/10/20 08:52 by dhb.

When I was last in Oroville about a year ago, the former depot was largely vacant. There had been a restaurant in there, but had since closed. At the end of the building opposite of the caboose was a small office occupied by a chamber of commerce or perhaps an "Orovile welcome center" or something of the sort. As for the caboose itself, A former AT&SF coupla type (Ce-class?), it had seen better days by then. The stairs on one, or maybe even both ends of the car had been removed, & the inside was devoid of most of it's original fixtures, & replaced with other junk, and there may have been another small fire started inside previously, it was in that kind of shape. (suffice to say, I didn't waste any pixels photographing it) Not a huge loss, but another type of event that will make the general public view these types of things as more liability than asset. In the eyes of the non-railfan, old railcars, especially those on public property & not well preserved or protected from spontanious combustion are more akin to an abandoned motorhome than a peice of history worth preserving.

Desmond Praetzel, "4451 Puff"



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 02/12/20 09:55 by 4451Puff.

On top of which a Santa Fe caboose has no historical significance in a former Western Pacific town.

The last time I was at the depot and not on a train, it was still a restaurant/brewery and I stopped there for lunch with some friends. But the caboose wasn't even there yet. In the past couple years I've rumbled by the caboose and the Oroville depot many times since I started working this territory but have never been able to get a pic of it. I had planned on doing just that later this week as I have to drive up to Quincy for some family business. But I guess I'm a few days too late. 

What a shame. The number of railroad artifacts, including depots, towers, trestles, rail cars, etc, burned down by vagrants in the past decade or so is insane. They litter the ROW almost everywhere in the 400+ miles of railroad I work, other than the actual wilderness areas. Anyone who thinks this State isn't circling the drain doesn't know what a wonderful place it once was. This is the thanks people who try to help these meth-head homeless people get. The more we enable them, the worse the problem gets and the more treasures we will lose.

https://sacramento.cbslocal.com/2019/04/16/woman-attacked-trying-to-help-homeless/amp/?

Another example of the deplorable state of journalism in America. The caboose "mysteriously burst into flames..."

EsPee1229 Wrote:
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> Another example of the deplorable state of
> journalism in America. The caboose "mysteriously
> burst into flames..."

Well it's still under investigation, so it is a mystery what caused the fire.
And you guys saying it was caused by vagrants, where did you get that, because it's not in the article from the paper.

BarstowRiff Wrote:

> On top of which a Santa Fe caboose has no
> historical significance in a former Western
> Pacific town.

Ah, so it wasn't transients who burned it, but incensed WP fans!

The caboose was Santa Fe class Ce-9 #999582.  It used to sit along Mandela Parkway near West Grand in Oakland: http://cencalrails.railfan.net/atsf999582fjc.jpg 

An in-service photo is here: https://www.trainorders.com/discussion/read.php?11,3307259
 

The one comment (to date) to the article suggested transient involvement. 

SANSR Wrote:
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> The one comment (to date) to the article
> suggested transient involvement. 

Hey dont take things so serious most of the posts were just having fun but the people who roost wherever have problems with the places where they stay catching fire.
 

SANSR Wrote:
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> The one comment (to date) to the article
> suggested transient involvement. 

Comments are not part of the article. They're guesses just like some people here are doing.

Author: PHall SANSR Wrote:
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> The one comment (to date) to the article
> suggested transient involvement. 

Comments are not part of the article. They're guesses just like some people here are doing.

I would submit that comments are indeed part of the larger dialogue as a result of the initial article.  That said, I also concur with your assessment that they are guesses.