Working rail roads and their tracks.

   / Working rail roads and their tracks. #1,241  
A pastor lived in one for many years on a siding behind our local Ace Hardware (used to be a BIG lumber yard served by rail).

Y'know, compared to the recent 'tiny house' trend a caboose could have a lot of room inside.

There are a few around here as well. .. Would make a nice getaway cabin.

I have an insert/hearth downstairs and a slate floor/hearth for a stove with 6" stack opening on a brick wall with bookshelves. (& behind a picture) There's no way I'll ever burn wood to heat the house but an old-enough caboose should have a wood-stove or a stack for one. I like the window positions say for spotting game too.
 
   / Working rail roads and their tracks. #1,242  
The scene from Thelma and Louis where they drive off the cliff was filmed just a few miles from those potash ponds.
 
   / Working rail roads and their tracks. #1,243  
Make it 7 hours
I-70 closed from mud slides
 
   / Working rail roads and their tracks. #1,244  
There are several old rail tank cars around here at farms and businesses set up on stands being used as fuel tanks. They look like they're from the 40's.

At my old employer, they were directional boring in some new internet lines down an alley. The owner told the boring company that there were rumors that an old car lot that used to occupy the lot next to us had buried a rail tank car under the alley to use as a fuel tank for the auto store. Sure enough, the boring machine hit something. They started poking around the grass next to the alley and found a lid. Dug it up, and there sits a railroad tank car 2' underground.

They hired Safety Clean to pump out the car. It only had a few inches of stuff in it. Then they cleaned it. Then an environmental company drilled three holes in the bottom. One in the middle and one at each end. They did soil testing through the holes. Surprisingly, no ground contamination.

Next, they brought in a cement truck with a very wet mixture, and started filling it. Then another truck, and another. I left after the 3rd truck was empty. Don't know how many it took.

Finally, they buried the top, and ran the wires around it.

I can only imagine some day if someone decides to tear down that building and dig up the alley how they'll deal with that surprise.
 
   / Working rail roads and their tracks. #1,246  
Oh, man. No kidding that's going cause someone some real grief in the future.
Yep. They were just happy there was no ground contamination. It was cheaper to fill it in with cement VS digging it out, filling, compacting, etc. Only time will tell if someone else runs into it.

Future digger:

Dig dig dig dig THUNK! What's that? Let's look. YIKES! 😬
 
   / Working rail roads and their tracks. #1,247  
   / Working rail roads and their tracks. #1,249  
Just saw that buckskin Joe, at the royal gorge closed in 2010. Bought by William Koch and moved to his ranch near gunnison.
It was used in a lot of western movies
 
   / Working rail roads and their tracks. #1,250  
I've always admired the Northerns for their pulling power. Check out UP 844 with roller bearing rods, on all axles under the tender and on leading and trailing trucks obvious in the longer video.


All that said, there are several Berkshires in preservation, esp in the East & Midwest, and their charm is undeniable. To be an engineer one had to be a competent boiler operator. To operate a boiler one had to learn to fire it. Mom's uncle started with a shovel and retired in the '60s after operating diesels too. Talk about seeing the glory days of rail. :love:
 

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