Talk about being in the right place at the right time, check this out!

[Anonymous]

A couple of weeks ago I hurriedly drove past two cabooses on a side track here in Kansas City (Lenexa really). I was on my way out of town and had my brother in the car...he doesn't so much get excited about trains as I do. Needless to say, I didn't get to stop to take pictures. I remember a post here a month or two ago where you guys were looking for and talking about the rarity of seeing cabooses on live tracks. Anyway, so there were two cabooses there a couple of weeks ago and later they were gone. WELL TODAY, I was in the area, going down I35 in Lenexa on my way to see a customer and low and behold, the cabooses were back. One of them was connected directly to an engine (an SD50 or something, I didn't notice because I was fixed on the caboose)....and there were a coupld of guys standing there looking (not-so) busy. By the time I exited the freeway and got back there, the engine was gone...but the two cabooses where still there...WITH THEIR DOORS OPEN! What did I do? I climbed aboard. Pretty cool. Oddly the stove was burning in one of them. I snapped the following pics with my picture phone (sorry about the quality)....one of each from the outside, one in the inside. An hour later, they were gone!

I thought this was pretty cool! Enjoy!

Matt

[Dr. John]

A bit risky going on-board the caboose, but good shots none the less. Thanks for sharing some pictures of a rare breed!

[cnw1995]

Neat. You have more guts than I do these days. There's an ex-C&NW bay window caboose on the yard track just next to where I park my car. The UP uses it for the Ringwood job - which is one long 'back-up' move with the caboose leading. My classic is a Chicago and Great Western caboose still part of the UP's MoW standard consist on this sub.

[FJ and G]

Matt,

Looks to me like a ghost caboose. You just had an encounter of the 1st kind!

[Anonymous]

Note to MODERATOR: Delete this post IMMEDIATELY. Trespassing is ILLEGAL: and HARMS ALL RAILFANS!!!

[philo426]

The pictures are pretty good but you could have got in serious trouble for hopping up and taking the pictures.

[Anonymous]

Quote "Note to MODERATOR: Delete this post IMMEDIATELY. Trespassing is ILLEGAL: and HARMS ALL RAILFANS!!!"


Oh give me a break, reporters do it all the time, remember your own advice next time you walk on a railroad right of way

[MikeSanta]

We all have "trespassed" at one time or another. Before 9-11 no one worried all that much assuming you weren't unloading a boxcar into your personal vehicle or trying to throw a switch for the railroad. Someone taking a picture of an old caboose ain't hurting anyone. Let's leave this thread on here.

[Anonymous]

QUOTE: Originally posted by okieusa

Quote "Note to MODERATOR: Delete this post IMMEDIATELY. Trespassing is ILLEGAL: and HARMS ALL RAILFANS!!!"


Oh give me a break, reporters do it all the time, remember your own advice next time you walk on a railroad right of way

Okiefenokiee, I DO NOT walk on a railroad right of way without authorization.

[Anonymous]

This weekend I saw a Norfolk Southern Diesel pulling 2 reefers and a caboose. I was shocked. Why such a short train, and why with a caboose?

Oh well, wish I had my camera then.

[underworld]

Cool interior shot! If anyone is too, too worried about this.....I'll hire you as an unpaid apprentice and get you your photo credentials. What hours are you normally available to shoot cabooses??? [:p][;)][}:)]

underworld

[:D][:D][:D][:D][:D]

[Anonymous]

Well, I'll admit. I really didn't think I was doing anything wrong. Maybe it is people like me that ruin it for the rest of you. My apologies. It was a unique opportunity and I took advantage of it. Personally I've never had any run-ins w/ a railroad.

Anyway, sorry if I offended anyone. For those not offended, I hope you enjoyed the pics.

[FJ and G]

Hi Mattk330,

Pretty nice pictures. When I was a kid, I went inside the engine shed of the FJ&G after midnight (door was open) and "rode" the S-2 diesel and the caboose. But let's keep that a secret between me and you. (got pictures to prove it)

[Anonymous]

Well, yes you most definitely were in the wrong, and are just lucky that you weren't caught and charged with trespass and a couple of other things. Anyhow, hopefully it's a lesson learned for the future.

NEVER enter railroad property without permission (written and/or an escort). These days, it's even more important than ever that folks heed that warning.

[eZAK]

Great pics Matt!

That's IS a rarity!

Don't worry to much about the hot air balloons.[;)]

[Anonymous]

"Don't worry to much about the hot air balloons"
----------------------------

And that attitude is precisely why so many REAL railroaders have such little regard for foamers (as railfans and hobbyists are commonly known). Railroad property is not only private, it's also dangerous. And you just know that the first thing a railfan would do after being injured would be to seek the services of the nearest ambulance chaser. Such is the nature of our society these days. Railroads do not take kindly to uninvited outsiders trespassing on their property, and rightly so.

Just consider yourself lucky this time, Matt, and let it go at that.

[Anonymous]

We have ALL trespassed at one time or another in our pursuit of this hobby. Yes, we are displaying more enthusiasim than sense (I was once an avid track walker...on LIVE lines!) but we should cut our brother railfan some slack here. An opportunity arose, and he took it. No harm done. Heck, my mom way back when I was 15 suggested I should climb on a train during a train yard visit I was going to undertake, and thus I went down and climbed aboard a BN SD9 during my visit!
I'd say my trepass of yore is more worthy of being chewed out than this one under discussion, since I was fooling around on an idling unmanned locomotive! :-)
Anyhoo, nice pictures, my friend. BN cabooses like that were in regular use when I was a child in the early 1980's, and on occasion, I still see one pass by my place.

Richard Krebes
Livin' by the BNSF in Long Lake, Minnesota

[Jim Duda]

Just to be sure...if I'm hunting and would like to hunt the next field over, presuming I have permission from BOTH landowners, but there are railroad tracks between the two fields, can I walk across the tracks...or would I be trespassing on RailRoad Property and be subject to the applicable fines?

[1688torpedo]

Hello Plasticlizard ! Norfolk & Southern does the same thing out east of me in Fairport Harbor. A old N & W Extended vision Caboose is coupled to maybe Two or Three Tank Cars & maybe a Hopper or two pulled by a GP9 series Engine & I saw the same thing out in Ashtabula,Oh. On a Highway Overpass Today. Looked like the same caboose coupled to some freight cars and one Diesel Engine. Maybe CXS 30 John has a explanation for this as he works on a real railroad & might know why. Fairport is about 10 mi east of me & Ashtabula is about 35 N.E. of me. Altogether the Train cannot be any more than 5-6 Freight Cars in Length................Keith

[tmcc man]

I was in New Hope and I was standing right next to the tracks, and a U25b came right along side me, and the engineer let me climb up on the engine. The thing is i have nto been around the tracks for a while, but i made my granda pull along side the NS mainline on Friday, and I saw two Dash 9s on an intermodal (I was not trespassing, i was standing on the parking lot of Einstien Supply company.)

[csxt30]

Well, I believe Mr. Duda has the best question for which I don't know!! Keith, the N& S was probably delivering a few cars to the interchange there in Madison or near Perry. I've seen them several times with the cab & a couple cars go by. They use a caboose if they have a long way to ride a car back. Now on the part of tresspassing on RR property, it just depends on the RR, & who comes out there & what you are doing. It also depends on what mood that person is in, that comes out there. They froun on getting on equipment & getting hurt! the main reason being, is all the paperwork involved. Plus all the other higher-ups you have to answer too. The paperwork is astronomical!! I've seen trainmasters at some of the watching places right down there with the railfans. In fact, I remember one trainmaster they used to bring food for! He was huge! Yuo have to remember too, that most RR's have their own police dept. They are actual police too, & can give citations out. That could be a whole new topic! Anyway, if you're on RR property, be safe! A good distance from the main. Things have a habit of falling off of trains, you know. I remember a load of wood that some of it went through the window of an oncoming eng. I remember too, it was railfans that called the dispatcher, to report a door on a container, open, who then stopped the train, & then called me to close it. That was after I picked up some of the boxes behind the train! The RR is well aware of people on their property, & You have to use good sense. There are a lot of railfans & model railroaders who work on the RR, too, Some railroaders like the railfans, & some don't. It's best if you know someone on the RR, & can go with you to look at some car or eng. Ok, all be safe, thanks, John

[fievel]

I guess those new-fangled picture phones do have a use after all !!![;)]

[jlampke]

Mattk330: Great pics!
Okieusa: You're sure right about reporters. They say what they want and do as they please.

[Anonymous]

Oh yes, indeed. It is so bad and so dangerous to go near trains. They are big mean nasty dirty things. You might break a nail. Or worse, a lion being carried in one of the train cars might get out and eat you ! My little brother walked near the tracks once, and a big angry train came and squashed him. But I got to have his video games, so it was like turning something bad into something good.

Great pictures though. Keep up the good work.

[Anonymous]

Don't know how many times i have beat out a fire they have started next to our hay meadow, at least twice a year, i dont ask permission but i suspect they apreciate it , or drive cows out of the right of way, since their are no section roads here many ranchers have to drive through a right of way usually a call to BN gets permission for that, they are friendly great people
Richard

Added
The point is, if you ask they will usually grant permission for a reasonable request, most are very proud of their jobs, equipment ect... and happy to show /tell you about what they do

[FJ and G]

One other interesting story I had as a kid back in early 70s. Was photographing the Penn Central in Fonda NY when a train stopped in front of me; actually the caboose. I'm not sure if I was on public or private property but the crew waved me over and showed me around inside the caboose.

I have pictures of that as well somewhere.

We all probably violated some type of law that day, but it was a wonderful day I'll always remember.

And, of course, I would encourage people today to obey the laws or at least use common sense.

[lionelsoni]

Disguising your metaphor with a dollar sign does not make it any less offensive.

[jonadel]

Well, another topic gone sour, it's a good thing today is Friday and some of should consider decaffenated beverages.

Jon[:)]

[andregg1]

Kansas City KS
right place at the right time.
I was in Balwind KS small town south Kansas city, so I found one Half RS-3 and Half GP-9 waiting for dispacher and I start to speak with the enginner about trains. sudenly he toll me ok came with me I have a lot of work......ok!!! I was into this engine 6 hours non stop.
switching car from Balwind to Norwood. The best experience in my life after my family.
The histori about RS-3&GP-9 is original was a RS-3 but in 1962 thr EMD put a new motor GM motor and the RS-3 hood was too small so EMD resolve to change the RS_3 hood for a GP-9 hood. is amaizing front ALCO rear EMD is real Team work!!!!
sorry for my english I hope that you undrestand what try to say.