Illinois Central Caboose - Cairo, IL When Cairo was a thriving city, much of the economic activity was due to the railroad traffic in town. Now, this caboose rests in a part of town where most of the businesses have been torn down. Caboose 5785 has a backdrop of the Ohio River levee.
Southern X574 Caboose - Oliver Springs, TN This caboose is located at the 1893 Oliver Springs train station which is today used as a library. Seen here: flic.kr/p/2pFTSEP This bay window caboose was built for Southern Railroad in June 1971 and has been at this location over 20 years. Southern's cabooses in the X500's were built by Gantt Manufacturing in Greeneville, SC.
Illinois Central Caboose #9765 -Jonesboro, IL This caboose is located at the old Jonesboro GM&O train station which is a couple of blocks south of the town square. Today, the train station is used as a library, so the sign on the bottom left says "Books are just word tacos." On the far right is a round railroad sign for Jonesboro, but faces the other direction.
Burlington Northern Caboose - Henrietta, TX This caboose is the Clay County Chamber of Commerce Visitors Center on Omega St. (US82). On the other side of the Cupola, there are the letters FW&D for the Fort Worth & Denver railway. FW&D ran through Henrietta until it became part of BN in 1982.
Chattanooga Choo Choo Caboose This caboose is on the grounds of the Chattanooga Choo Choo hotel. The photo was taken in late 2022 when there was some upheaval on the property as many of the older cars were in disrepair and had to be removed. This Cupola caboose is otherwise unnumbered.
Temporary location for ATSF 999814 Caboose - Lebanon, TN This was an unexpected find on a recent visit through Lebanon. As I googled it, I found this video: www.youtube.com/watch?v=-yRhQFGeays for the quick explanation: There's an upcoming music venue with a train theme nearby with an old building under refurbishment. They are going to purchase three cabooses to add to the property and this is the first. They are going to refurbish this caboose in this empty lot, then move it to the property to become a green room for musicians. The Venue is called the Freight Yard. thefreightyard.net/ also in the video. They will also get a flatbed train car to use as a pedestrian bridge to span a creek at this spot. There's also a nice steam train mural already on the inside. 999814 is a class CE-11 wide vision cupola caboose built for ATSF in 1981 by the International Car Company model M930. They were the last cabooses built for ATSF as cabooses were eliminated from their line 3 years later. 814 was last used by Alamo Gulf Coast Railroad.
Caboose - Grand Saline, TX This CA-10 Cupola Caboose was originally built in 1975 for Union Pacific as UP 25739. It was retired in 1989 and now resides across the street from the old train station it town.
Islamorada Caboose This caboose was once part of the Overseas Railway which connected the mainland of Florida to Key West. In the 1980s, this caboose was found and placed at the site of the house of the Railway's section foreman. This is a small park along US1, the overseas Highway. While the plans to add more here have never materialized, there are a few markers on local history. For more: keysweekly.com/42/matecumbe-historical-trust-inherits-lan...
Naples, FL Railroad Depot, Rolling Stock at en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Naples_station The Naples Seaboard Air Line Railway Station (also known as the Naples Railroad Depot or Seaboard Coast Line Railroad Depot) is a historic Seaboard Air Line Railway depot in Naples, Florida. It is located at 1051 5th Avenue, South. The depot was constructed in 1927, when the Seaboard Air Line Railroad (via its Seaboard-All Florida Railway subsidiary) constructed its line to Naples. It was designed in the same Mediterranean Revival style the Seaboard Air Line used with its stations in Delray Beach, Deerfield Beach, Hialeah, and Homestead on the southeast coast of Florida (which were built around the same time), and is virtually identical to the Hialeah depot. The station only briefly saw Seaboard Air Line passenger service in the late 1920s before the railroad reduced its line to Naples to freight service only in 1933. Seaboard ended freight service in the 1940s. During World War II, the depot was also home to USO shows for troops stationed at the nearby Naples airfield. By 1944, the Atlantic Coast Line Railroad bought both the depot and the Seaboard tracks to Naples after Seaboard discontinued service. The Atlantic Coast Line connected the former Seaboard track to their Fort Myers Southern Branch near Vanderbilt Beach, and resumed passenger service to the depot after an eleven-year absence. This makes it only one of the few railroad depots to have been operated by both the Atlantic Coast Line and the Seaboard Air Line independently prior to their merger. The Atlantic Coast Line's previous depot in Naples was located at the northeast corner of Radio Road and Airport-Pulling Road near Naples Airport, which was then closed and eventually demolished in the 1970s. Ironically, the Seaboard brand returned to the depot in 1967 when the Atlantic Coast Line merged with the Seaboard Air Line which became the Seaboard Coast Line Railroad. Passenger service ended in 1971 when national passenger rail was taken over by Amtrak. On September 10, 1974, the depot was added to the U.S. National Register of Historic Places. Freight service was halted for good in the late 1970s, and the adjacent tracks were removed in 1980 (the remaining line from this point north is still in place and is now owned by Seminole Gulf Railway). The station has since been fully restored by the Collier County Museums, and is now operated as the Naples Depot Museum. Exhibits focus on the history of transportation and trade in Southwest Florida. Displays include railroads, Seminole dugout canoes, a mule wagon and an antique swamp buggy. Vintage railcars are also on display outside of the building. In another part of the building is a Lionel Train Museum which is dedicated to model trains. A miniature railway also runs around the perimeter of the property.
Union Pacific 25660 Caboose - Fort Worth, TX This is located just outside Loop I820 on the east side of Fort Worth along Old Highway US80 (TX180). It's listed on a map as the Handley Railroad Museum, although it's really only this caboose.
Huntsville Depot Museum Caboose #912 Track signal lights on the left. There is what I assume is a party deck attached to this caboose on the other side. The wide vision extended porch caboose originally belonged to Illinois Central.
NW Caboose - Collegedale, TN Norfolk & Western Caboose #518673 has been on display for over 15 years at a small city park in Collegedale, TN. The playground here has a train theme which is represented by the small logo on the left, Collegedale Express - Imagination Station.
Frisco 1157 - Route 66 Historical Village Route 66 Historical Village is a rather new tourist attraction along the old highway on the west side of Tulsa. Along with a steam locomotive and oil transport car is this caboose. This thread contains more info on this specific caboose. It was originally a boxcar in the late 1920s and was converted to a cupola caboose in the 1950s. www.frisco.org/shipit/index.php?threads/caboose-157.4666/
Tennessee Central Caboose 11744 - Monterey, TN This caboose is located at the Monterey Depot Museum in Eastern Putnam County. On the day I took this photo in 2022, it was behind a fence as the build a ramp for the visitors. Tennessee Central was headquartered in Nashville - that property is now a museum. They occasionally run excursions all the way to Monterey.
Caboose in Sapulpa, OK This unmarked Caboose is on the grounds of the Tulsa-Sapulpa Railway Co. building along Route 66 in Sapulpa, OK. Also on the grounds is an old Sapulpa Interurban Trolley Car. They didn't have posted hours, so this is the view from behind a locked fence. en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tulsa-Sapulpa_Union_Railway
Norfolk & Western Caboose - Huntsville, AL This caboose is part of the rolling stock on the grounds of the historic Huntsville Depot museum. The grounds are free to walk without buying a ticket to the museum.
L&N 0563 - LaGrange, KY This caboose is located at the LaGrange Railroad Museum which is just a couple of blocks east of the downtown where trains go along Main St.
Rock Island Caboose #17145 - El Reno, OK This caboose is located at a small Route 66 park in El Reno, OK.
Texas and Pacific Caboose - Wills Point, TX This red caboose with a Texas and Pacific (T&P) logo is in Wills Point, TX. The tracks run behind this caboose and the center of town behind that. The old train station is a block to the left. Highway US80 is behind me and there is a pull-off here with a few parking spaces. I'm not sure if this has always been T&P but the paint is starting to fade uncovering some of the former letters and numbers.
Paducah & Louisville #9653 - Kevil, KY Paducah & Louisville Railway (PAL) is a class II Railroad entirely operating within Kentucky since 1986. A small branch line runs from Paducah about 10 miles west to Kevil, where this green caboose is in a city park. It is completely behind a fence, although at one time the stairs encouraged walk-ups.
Frisco Caboose 1882 - Catoosa, OK Frisco Caboose #1882 is located at the Catoosa Historical Museum along with a replica train station on the left and a replica vintage post office to the right. This stretch of Cherokee St. might be along an old stretch of Route 66. info about the caboose here: www.frisco.org/shipit/index.php?threads/frisco-caboose-18... This Caboose never was used by Frisco. However, since it's located in Catoosa which was prominently served by Frisco, it appears painted that way at this museum. The number 1882 was used since it was never used by Frisco and that's the year Frisco came to Catoosa. The caboose was actually built in 1978 by Pacific Car and Foundry as BN 12252.
Huntsville Depot & Museum caboose This historic Huntsville train station is open as a museum. However, it is free to walk the grounds and see the rolling stock. In the background of this caboose is the old roundabout which is today used as an event venue.
Union Pacific Caboose - Atlanta, TX
Three Notch Museum Railroad Caboose NW Caboose 562826 is located at the Three Notch Museum in Andalusia, AL. The Cupola Caboose was built in 1949 and donated by Norfolk Southern to the museum in 1989. The museum itself is an old Central of Georgia depot built in 1899.
L&N #6162 Caboose - Wartrace, TN This caboose is located in Wartrace is a small park called Wartrace Memorial Park. This park is across the tracks from most of Wartrace, and a CSX train was going by at this moment. However, it is also across the street (highway TN269) from the historic Walking Horse Hotel. This park also has some Civil War markers and one parking space.
Cupola Caboose RRPX 3563 - Days Gone By Museum There is a hidden gem museum in the small town of Portland, TN which is worth the drive from Nashville. It started as a private collection of tractors, but has expanded to much more, including multiple forms of transportation: Cars (hot rods, race cars, Volkswagens, 1920s, etc.), trucks, motorcycles, fire engines, a couple of planes and a caboose. Other highlights include vintage toys, cameras, and Maytag. In addition to photos, I took a video tour of the museum, inside and out: www.youtube.com/watch?v=tyIQrZ9j16A If you'd like to see a gallery of many of the items on display, check my website here: seemidtn.com/gallery3/index.php?album=MidTN-Counties/Sumn...
Mid South Live Steamers Caboose - Columbia, TN Live Steamers are scale model replicas of trains, but big enough to ride. The chapter in middle Tennessee is the Mid South Live Steamers which meets at Maury County Park in Columbia, TN. They have free, open-to-the-public meets twice a year in the spring and fall. Learn more here: www.midsouthlivesteamers.com/ Or see some video from the Spring 2021 Public Meet: www.youtube.com/watch?v=cfWtD5ShhNQ
New Johnsonville Care Caboose This caboose is located in front of the New Johnsonville City Hall. The area painted away used to say Park Commission Office.
Southern X349 Caboose - Pembroke, GA This Southern bay window caboose is located in the middle of Pembroke, GA. There's a logo for Seabord Air Line Railroad with the motto "Through the Heart of the South." If you look at the full size picture, under the middle window of the bay is a logo for Pembroke with a steam locomotive.
Ridgetop Station Park caboose Ridgetop, TN is known for the Ridgetop tunnel, a railroad tunnel completed in 1905 which was the longest in the world. The tunnel runs under the town and is about a quarter mile from this park.
City of Selma, AL Caboose This caboose is behind the Old Depot Museum in Selma
L&N Caboose - Peach Park - Clanton, AL I really enjoyed my time at Peach Park, an old school tourist attraction right off the interstate in Clanton, AL. I also like finding old cabooses in the wild. However, this caboose really didn't seem to have a purpose here. It was inside a very tiny trailer park. Maybe you can rent it for overnight?
Pennsylvania Railroad Caboose - Austin, IN The old Passenger train station in Austin, IN is now owned by the local Lion's Club chapter. It is located along highway US31 across from the Dairy Queen.
Punkyville Caboose Charles "Punky" Beckett uses his construction skills to build a replica village next to his house. He has filled these buildings with many vintage items has has acquired over the years. Thankfully, his Punkyville is open to the public. It is located along highway US27 about a mile or two south of Falmouth, KY Part of the display is railroad-themed, as he owns this G&O Caboose, along with some train signal lights and a water tower.
L&N Caboose #156 L&N Caboose #156 appears to be on private property but easy to view in Ardmore, AL. The spot labelled as Steve's Junction is along 7th St. fairly close to the live tracks.
Home of Hank Williams Caboose The Boyhood home of Hank Williams is in Georgiana, AL and this caboose is on the property.
Southern X690 Caboose - Millen, GA
B&O Caboose 1971 - Greencastle, IN I don't really know the story why this caboose is parked here, but it's been here for a little while. It's located where highway US231 crosses the tracks on the north side of Greencastle, IN. Update: here's the story: "Vic’s father, J. J. (John Joseph) Hunter was a conductor on the B&O Railroad living in Garret, Indiana and his conductor's uniform is preserved and on display, complete with hat and satchel. ... The show stealing piece in Vic's railroad collection is actually kept off site. If you have ever traveled into Greencastle from the north end of town you will see an iconic blue caboose with "J.J. Hunter" emblazoned in gold letters on the side. This caboose belonged to Vic's father and now enjoys it's retirement years alongside the tracks on the Monon railway corridor." ...on a siding just opposite what used to be the "Monon Grill". www.cedarridgehome.com/home/airy-knob-farm-of-greencastle...
Norfolk Southern Caboose #368 This caboose is located at the Georgia State Railroad Museum. This museum is at the old Central of Georgia Shops in Savannah, GA
Family Lines System caboose - Ethridge, TN Most people who pass through Ethridge see all of the Amish stores along highway US43. However, the caboose is located in the small central business district along Depot St. Family Lines System is a precursor to CSX with the consolidations of several other railroads into one: Seaboard Coast Line; Louisville & Nashville; Georgia Railroad; Clinchfield; Atlanta and West Point Railroad.
L&N 16266 - "Miss Andalusia" L&N Caboose 16266, nicknamed "Miss Andalusia" is located at the Three Notch Museum in Andalusia, AL. The museum is housed in a former Central of Georgia train station
L&N #39 - Evergreen, AL This L&N bay window caboose is located in Evergreen, AL next to the restored train station and faces Mill Sr.
L&N Caboose - Hawesville, KY This L&N Caboose is located next to the historic Hawesville Railroad Station which is now the Hancock County Museum.
Hoosier Southern Railroad Caboose Hoosier Southern Railroad is a short line railroad owned and Operated by the Perry County (Indiana) Port Authority. Their purpose is to connect local manufacturers with Ohio River travel at Tell City, IN or connect to Norfolk Southern in Lincoln City, IN.
Hagerstown Roundhouse Museum Caboose
Western Maryland Caboose 1859 Western Maryland Railway Caboose #1859 is now part of the rolling stock on display at the Hagerstown Roundhouse Museum.
Western Maryland Caboose 1863 Western Maryland Railway Caboose #1863 is now part of the rolling stock on display at the Hagerstown Roundhouse Museum.
B&O Bay Window Caboose C2490 Baltimore & Ohio Caboose # C2490 is now part of the rolling stock on display at the Hagerstown Roundhouse Museum. I'm not used to this design of bay window caboose made of the riveted metal.
NCStL Caboose #41 This wooden cupola caboose NE-3 caboose was built in 1924, and was acquired by NCStL in 1935. Today, it is used by the Tennessee Valley Railroad Museum in Chattanooga, TN.
L&N Caboose 6947 - Bowling Green, KY This Louisville & Nashville caboose is part of the rolling stock at Bowling Greens Historic Railpark and Train Museum.
NS Caboose 518589 - Oak Ridge, TN Norfolk Southern Cupola Caboose #518589 is owned by Knoxville Area Morel Railroaders. This club is located at the Children's Museum of Oak Ridge.
Sothern Railway Caboose XC1 - Knoxville, TN This transfer caboose dates back to 1926. It is located at the Old Smoky Railway Museum, which is a collection of rolling stock outside the historic Southern depot in Knoxville, TN.
NW Caboose - Old Smoky Railway Museum The Old Smoky Railway Museum is a collection of rolling stock outside the historic Southern depot in Knoxville, TN.
Norfolk & Western Caboose - Huntsville, AL This red caboose is on the grounds of the Huntsville, AL Depot Museum.
Southern Caboose X530 - Old Smoky Railway Museum The Old Smoky Railway Museum is a collection of rolling stock outside the historic Southern depot in Knoxville, TN. X530 is a bay window caboose owned by Southern Railway and built in 1971
GM&O 2878 - Huntsville, AL This GM&O caboose is located at a business complex in Huntsville called Depot Professional Village. The name comes from the fact that the historic Huntsville Depot is across the street. At one time, this area must have been called Twickenham Station, since that name has been painted on it for over 15 years. The caboose is wooden with a cupola. Update: Thanks to James below, I now know this was parked next to a restaurant in the area. Check his links.
Family Lines System Caboose #6113 Originally, this bay window caboose was L&N, but became part of the merged Family Lines System. Today, the caboose is part of the rolling stock equipment owned by the Tennessee Central Railway Museum. However, they must be out of space at the museum as I found this and several other train cars a couple of counties away stored at a passing loop near Carthage Junction, TN.
Manufacturers Railway Boxcar #4606 As of the day I took this photo in Oct, 2014, this Boxcar was sitting in an empty lot that used to be the Gordonsville Motor Company. When in business, their office was the former Carthage Junction passenger depot, but that was relocated to a new home in 2014. Also, there had been a caboose at this location. Since everything else has moved, this also could be gone by now - I don't know. The lot is located along highway TN53 just off the I40 exit. According to Wikipedia, Manufacturers Railway (MRS) was owned by Anheuser-Busch and used to transport their product. They shut down in 2011.
L&N Caboose #369 - Guthrie, KY Guthrie, KY is a city that became important because of the railroad. Over the years, L&N main lines intersected here, such as the one from St. Louis to Nashville or the one from Louisville to Memphis. Honoring the town's railroad history, they display this caboose in a small city park. L&N is no more, but there are plenty of trains in town. CSX runs along the old St. Louis to Nashville line. The smaller RJ Corman Railroad also has a major presence in town.
L&N Cupola Caboose #159 Today the caboose is part of the rolling stock equipment owned by the Tennessee Central Railway Museum. However, they must be out of space at the museum as I found this and several other train cars a couple of counties away stored at a passing loop near Carthage Junction, TN.
Chessie Caboose #903981 This Chessie bay window Caboose was formerly B&O #903981. Today the caboose is part of the rolling stock equipment owned by the Tennessee Central Railway Museum. However, they must be out of space at the museum as I found this and several other train cars a couple of counties away stored at a passing loop near Carthage Junction, TN.
Family Lines System Caboose # 16447 This Family Lines System bay window caboose was formerly L&N #6447. Today the caboose is part of the rolling stock equipment owned by the Tennessee Central Railway Museum. However, they must be out of space at the museum as I found this and several other train cars a couple of counties away stored at a passing loop near Carthage Junction, TN.
Illinois Central Gulf Caboose 199331 This vintage Illinois Central Gulf caboose is seen at the Railroad Museum in Princeton, KY. Illinois Central merged with Gulf, Mobile & Ohio in 1972. So, this caboose was painted with that logo sometime between then, and when they dropped the Gulf in 1988.
Southern Bay Window Caboose X421 - Jackson, TN This Southern Railway bay window caboose #X421 is on display at the NCStL Depot Museum in Jackson, TN. According to their notes: This Southern caboose was acquired by Norfolk Southern in 1982.
Family Lines System Caboose 16636 OK, I'll admit that I'd never heard of Family Lines System until I saw this caboose in a CSX transflo terminal near the UT campus. For those of you who like me had never heard of Family Lines System, their faded logo on the left of the caboose points out they were a merger of five different lines (most notably Seaboard Coast Line and L&N). Eventually, it became easier to call themselves Seaboard System and soon thereafter merged with Chessie to become CSX.
Calhoun, GA Caboose Located adjacent to the historic 1854 NCStL train station
Carl Perkins Express - Tiptonville, TN About a decade ago, this vintage Illinois Central caboose was relocated next to the Carl Perkins Boyhood Home. At the time, the caboose functioned as the Tiptonville and Lake County Visitors Center, but more recently a new Center designed like a train station has opened up at the same location.
Southern Caboose - Collierville, TN Located near the Historic Colliersville Train Station along with other rolling stock.
Three Rivers Rambler Caboose - Knoxville The Three Rivers Rambler is a heritage railroad that runs along the Tennessee River starting in downtown Knoxville. When not in use, the rolling stock is kept at Volunteer Landing. The caboose is named desire. Three Rivers Rambler is owned and operated by Gulf & Ohio, which is a holding company for a few short lines in the area.
CSX Caboose - Bruceton, TN There can't be that many CSX cabooses out there, can there? This one was seen at the CSX yard in Bruceton. The old Bruceton roundhouse is seen in the background.
L&N 136 at Red Caboose Park - Bellevue, TN The most popular park in Bellevue, TN (a suburb of Nashville) is Red Caboose Park where this L&N caboose is the central attraction. (However, I have been to this park so my nephews could play on the playground as well as listen to concerts at the bandshell. Back then, I don't think I even noticed the caboose.)
Southern X561 caboose - Collinsville, AL located at Veteran's Park in the center of town.
Caboose - Greenfield, TN Although repainted a solid red color, this caboose was originally from ICG (Illinois Central Gulf Railroad). Although I didn't see the sign, apparently this caboose was dedicated to a couple of teens killed in a car wreck. The caboose is seen along US45E at the center of the town in Weakley County.
Waverly 1978 Disaster Site Memorial Museum On February 24, 1978 at 2:55 PM, two days after 24 cars of a Louisville & Nashville train wrecked on this site (The tracks are behind me across a street and behind a fence), workmen were cleaning up when 22,000 pounds of liquid propane fuel from a derailed tanker car ignited and caused a massive explosion. The blast and resulting fire destroyed a great part of Waverly's old town section that included homes and businesses. Sixteen people were killed in the disaster, including Waverly's police and fire chiefs. More than 200 people suffered injury, and damage was in the millions of dollars. Today at this nearby site is an L&N Caboose, which also functions as a museum. Even though I stopped by on a Saturday in January and nobody was around, the door was unlocked. If you happen to arrive when the door is locked, there is a sign in the window for who you can call to have the door unlocked.
Waverly 1978 Disaster Site Memorial Museum (typical brochure view) On February 24, 1978 at 2:55 PM, two days after 24 cars of a Louisville & Nashville train wrecked on this site (The tracks are behind me across a street and behind a fence), workmen were cleaning up when 22,000 pounds of liquid propane fuel from a derailed tanker car ignited and caused a massive explosion. The blast and resulting fire destroyed a great part of Waverly's old town section that included homes and businesses. Sixteen people were killed in the disaster, including Waverly's police and fire chiefs. More than 200 people suffered injury, and damage was in the millions of dollars. Today at this nearby site is an L&N Caboose, which also functions as a museum. Even though I stopped by on a Saturday in January and nobody was around, the door was unlocked. If you happen to arrive when the door is locked, there is a sign in the window for who you can call to have the door unlocked.
L&N #45 - Bruceton, TN This caboose is seen at Templeton Park in Bruceton, TN. The caboose has both NC&StL and L&N logos on them. NC&StL built a roundhouse in Bruceton which still survives. Today, CSX still uses the same rail line and operates a yard not less than a mile from here.
Illinois Central Caboose - Fulton, KY This caboose is located in the downtown Fulton area. I'm pretty sure it's the first caboose I've seen with an electric meter on the side. Fulton has really embraced their railroad heritage. IC's route "The City of New Orleans" stopped in Fulton, as does Amtrak today on the journey from Chicago to New Orleans. Fun fact: Fulton also used to be known as the Banana Capital of the World as Chiquita would import all of their bananas through town on the railroad.
Random Caboose at Casey Jones Village As part of the Casey Jones Village mega tourist attraction is the Casey Jones Motel. Behind the motel are a couple of old passenger trains and this caboose. I don't know if this is part of a "sleep on an old train car" or just something else to see while in the area.
Tullahoma Caboose according to the nearby historical marker: The car displayed here is a side bay window model caboose built in 1964 by the Louisville & Nashville railroad at the company's south Louisville yards. The exterior is restored to the original L&N red. The purpose of a caboose was to provide crewmen a better view of potential problems with the train. Some of the earliest cabooses were designed with a cupola or "crow's nest." As train cars became taller, however, the side bay window was introduced. The early wooden L&N cabooses were distinguished by cupolas, while the NC&StL cabooses were designed with the side bay window. After NCStL merged with L&N in 1957, the L&N incorporated the bay window design
Scenes from Thomas Park: Caboose - Huntingdon, TN The following text is taken from a sign at the park: Thomas Park was established in 1906 by the Civic Improvement Club, a women's group whose primary objective was the beautification of their hometown. The Club took on the task of making the area on East Main Street around the train depot more enticing to visitors. The area was named Thomas Park in honor of Major John W. Thomas, Sr., president of the NCStL Railroad, 1884-1906. The concrete arch was erected in 1909 by the NCStL and remains today as a Huntingdon landmark. The train depot, located in the park until 1967, was the point where many young Carroll County soldiers boarded the train for destinations known and unknown in service to our country. Oral tradition holds that John Philip Sousa's band played in Thomas Park sometime just prior to World War I. The train transporting the band stopped at the Thomas Park depot to take on water for the steam engine. The passengers were required to disembark, at which time the band was persuaded to perform for the waiting passengers. A later group, the Huntingdon Women's Garden Club, maintained the park and made major improvements in 1985. Improvements included landscaping and walkways funded by the family of Jimmie Lee and Georgia Taylor. The gazebo was funded by the O.B. and Lela Enochs family. In 1993, the Huntingdon Beautification Committee was formed and assisted in seasonal upkeep of the park. In 1995, CSX railroad donated the caboose, which was subsequently refurbished for display. Under the leadership of Mayor Dale R. Kelley, the Town of Huntingdon finally acquired legal title to the Thomas Park property from CSX in 1998. original bricks from the train depot were incorporated into the paved walkway in front of the caboose. Further renovations to the park by the Town of Huntingdon in the year 2000 were also made possible by local donations. Carroll Bank & Trust, Trustee for The Wright Charitable Trust, contributed funds for the War Memorial monument, fountain and flag poles. The memorial honors all veterans and is inscribed with the names of Carroll County soldiers who died while serving in the wars of our country. Woodmen of the World Lodge #445 donated the first giant American flag to fly at the memorial. Friends and family of Danny and Joyce Carter donated two marble benches and two lampposts. Additional lamppost donations were made in memory of Dorothy Ellis and former Huntingdon Mayor Lee H. Chance. The successful renovation of Thomas Park is due these generous donations, to the vision and leadership of Mayor Dale R. Kelley and to the dedicated efforts of the Town of Huntingdon employees. We commend their talents and hard work in making Thomas Park a beautiful focal point of out community and historic memorial to our past.
Chessie Caboose & Dining Car - Jackson, TN Seen as part of the historic Jackson, TN Depot Museum are these two railroad cars that can be walked through. The Dining Car includes several tales and a full kitchen. The Caboose was originally a Chesapeake & Ohio Railway Extended Vision Caboose #3255.
Caney Fork & Western Caboose The Caney Fork and Western Railroad (CFWR) is a shortline railroad operating since 1983 from a connection with CSX at Tullahoma to McMinnville, TN, 61 miles along old NCStL tracks. Currently the railroad is a subsidiary of Ironhorse Resources. Principal commodities include lumber, steel, fertilizer, grain, propane, and carbon black, generating approximately 1,350 annual carloads. This caboose is seen parked at their main office in McMinnville.
The Children's Holocaust Memorial - Whitwell, TN The small southern town of Whitwell made national headlines when a small school project grew into a major tribute to tolerance and a remembrance for the millions who died in Nazi concentration camps. Whitwell is a small town in Marion County, TN. After the coal mines closed, the area became quite poor. What happened next may help change the perception of what rural life in the south is all about. Without any indication of what was to come, it started simply enough in 1998 in a Whitwell Middle School History class discussing World War II. The teacher discussed how six million Jews were slaughtered in the Nazi camps and a student asked how big Six Million is. In a town of just a little over one thousand people, it's hard to imagine just how big six million really is. One student doing research discovered that people from Norway wore paper clips as a symbol of resistance against the Nazis. The teacher thought it would be an interesting exercise to see if they could gather a few paper clips as a small sampling of how big six million could be. The students began a letter writing campaign asking various people to donate paper clips to the project. After a few thousand had come in, some reporters came to visit the school to see what was going on. Those reporters told about the school's project and told the story nationally. A couple of years after they had started, over 29 Million paper clips had been sent to the school. The school began to ponder what they should do with all of the paper clips. A couple of Jewish reporters who stayed in contact with the school searched Germany and found a vintage rail car which had been used to transport Jewish captives to the camps. The railcar was transported by boat to Baltimore and CSX delivered the car to Chattanooga in 2001. Many students and townspeople came together to make the memorial site a long-lasting tribute. 11 million of the paper clips were placed inside the rail car, remembering not only the Jews but all of the other groups that were also killed in the Nazi camps. This memorial was dedicated on Nov. 9, 2001. A documentary was filmed about the project, a full length movie titled "Paper Clips." I highly recommend everyone interested in this memorial should see that film. Finally, I uploaded these photos today because it is Holocaust Remembrance day (also known as Yom HaShoah.
The Children's Holocaust Memorial - Whitwell, TN The small southern town of Whitwell made national headlines when a small school project grew into a major tribute to tolerance and a remembrance for the millions who died in Nazi concentration camps. Whitwell is a small town in Marion County, TN. After the coal mines closed, the area became quite poor. What happened next may help change the perception of what rural life in the south is all about. Without any indication of what was to come, it started simply enough in 1998 in a Whitwell Middle School History class discussing World War II. The teacher discussed how six million Jews were slaughtered in the Nazi camps and a student asked how big Six Million is. In a town of just a little over one thousand people, it's hard to imagine just how big six million really is. One student doing research discovered that people from Norway wore paper clips as a symbol of resistance against the Nazis. The teacher thought it would be an interesting exercise to see if they could gather a few paper clips as a small sampling of how big six million could be. The students began a letter writing campaign asking various people to donate paper clips to the project. After a few thousand had come in, some reporters came to visit the school to see what was going on. Those reporters told about the school's project and told the story nationally. A couple of years after they had started, over 29 Million paper clips had been sent to the school. The school began to ponder what they should do with all of the paper clips. A couple of Jewish reporters who stayed in contact with the school searched Germany and found a vintage rail car which had been used to transport Jewish captives to the camps. The railcar was transported by boat to Baltimore and CSX delivered the car to Chattanooga in 2001. Many students and townspeople came together to make the memorial site a long-lasting tribute. 11 million of the paper clips were placed inside the rail car, remembering not only the Jews but all of the other groups that were also killed in the Nazi camps. This memorial was dedicated on Nov. 9, 2001. A documentary was filmed about the project, a full length movie titled "Paper Clips." I highly recommend everyone interested in this memorial should see that film.
Tennessee Central Caboose #9828 Seen at the Depot Museum at night in the Cream City Historical District in Cookeville, TN
Caboose at Bluegrass Railway Museum Most of their rolling stock at this museum hs been identified. However, this is the note on their website about this caboose: We are currently researching this caboose, but we believe it was originally a Monon caboose acquired by the L&N. Any information on this caboose would be appreciated. It is currently serving as storage for track equipment till appropriate facilities can be built. The caboose is very solid inside and out and a excellent canidate for a quick cosmetic restoration once it's heritage is fully researched. www.bgrm.org/#/cabooses/4514605564
Southern Caboose X741 This Bay Window Caboose is seen at the Bluegrass Railroad museum near Versailles, KY
Wooden L&N Cupola Caboose - Pensacola This caboose which dates back to ca. 1910 is located at Historic Pensacola village outside the Museum of Industry. While any markings on the caboose on this photo are not seen, I've seen other photos of this with an L&N logo and #226.
L&N Caboose - Etowah, TN Bay windowed caboose #100 is located on the grounds of the important Etowah depot. Etowah is a city in McMinn County that was established by L&N to serve as a halfway point on the line that ran from Atlanta to Cincinnati.
Wabash #2774 Caboose Seen at the Tennessee Valley Railroad Museum in Chattanooga, TN. If you stumble across older photos of this caboose, you'll see that the cupola has been painted not too long ago.
CSX Caboose 903913 - Etowah, TN With as many cabooses I've seen over the years, and as many CSX trains I've seen over the years, it occurred to me as I was photographing this one on the other side of the tracks that I'd never seen a CSX caboose before. It makes sense, I suppose. The need for cabooses had already diminished by the time CSX was formed in 1986, but it makes you wonder how many of them are out there. Flickr user hunter1828 has this photo of what it looked like when it was fresh and new: www.flickr.com/photos/hunter1828/6457969447/in/faves-bren...
Memphis & Charleston Caboose - Tuscumbia, AL The old passenger station in Tuscumbia is undergoing renovations, but has a small number of rolling stock on display, including this wintage wooden caboose from the long defunct Memphis & Charleston. The first railroad west of the Alleghenies ran from here to Decatur in 1834. This line was then part of M&C in 1851 and became the first railroad to connect the Atlantic with the Mississippi River. Then, in 1898, the line became part of Southern.
Southern Caboose - Murphy, NC Located on the grounds of the restored L&N Depot in Murphy.
GM&O 2618 - Union City, TN Union City is near the northwest corner of Tennessee and the rail lines that run through town go into Memphis. This caboose is located behind the old GM&O Depot which is today used as the Chamber of Commerce.
Southern Caboose Caboose X399 was seen at the historic Tuscumbia train station.
Mid-South Live Steamers Caboose Filling the void between the cost prohibitive joy of owning your own railroad and and the sad reality you can't ride your own HO-scale model trains comes Large Scale Outdoor Railroading. The people who do that around here are known as the Mid-South Live Steamers and they meet at a Columbia city park. This caboose marks the place. For this hobby, the park has laid out 7 1/2 inch track and various locomotive manufacturers produce miniatures that can pull one or dozens. For more info on this group: www.midsouthlivesteamers.org/
Restored C&O Caboose - TCRY Museum The Tennessee Central Railway Museum in Nashville, TN has two vintage Chesapeake & Ohio cabooses. One of them has already undergone an extensive restoration and blue trimmed in yellow paint job and the other one hasn't.
Old C&O Caboose - TCRY Museum The Tennessee Central Railway Museum in Nashville, TN has two vintage Chesapeake & Ohio cabooses. One of them has already undergone an extensive restoration and paint job and this one hasn't. Eventually, this one should also have it's blue trimmed in yellow paint redone with the C&O For Progress logo. Until then, I suppose it's more or less a rustbucket.
Southern Caboose X246 - Ft. Payne, AL seen outside of the historic Ft. Payne depot which is now a museum.
Tennessee Central Operation Lifesaver Caboose This caboose is part of the rolling stock on display at the Tennessee Central Railway Museum. I would assume the Operation Lifesaver markings are a relatively newer painted addition to the caboose. I don't know if they leave it here, or if their excursion trains sometimes take it along for educational purposes. The caboose they usually take is the orange one in the background on the right.
Red Caboose - Henning, TN Located along old US51 in Henning, TN near the center of town is this caboose and a picnic table with a small gravel lot for parking. Henning is best known for the boyhood home of Alex Haley.
The Orange train cars at the Tennessee Central Railway Museum Both get used for the TC excursion trains. Seen here is a rare glimpse of just the two of them together as they had to get all of the train cars lined up just right after an excursion. For more info about the Nashville & Eastern Railroad (NERR) Locomotive 579 "City of Cookeville," look here: www.flickr.com/photos/brent_nashville/6793044276/in/set-7... For more info about the Illinois Central Caboose, look here: www.flickr.com/photos/brent_nashville/6981579059/in/set-7...
In Tennessee, even the caboose is orange! In Nashville, Illinois Central 9380 has been restored with vivid color. This caboose is on display at the Tennessee Central Railway Museum and accompanies all of their excursion trains. It might just be the most popular train car there!
Tennessee Central Caboose This caboose is on display outside the Cookeville Depot Museum. This is what their website has to say about the caboose: This caboose was built around the same time as the Cookeville Depot building. It was acquired by the Friends of the Depot from the Leslie Bowman estate in Muddy Pond (near Monterey, TN). The caboose went through an extensive restoration when it was moved to the Depot grounds in 1993. It is typical of cabooses of the day in that it was not only the work center for the freight crew, but home as well. Meals were cooked on a coal stove which also provided heat in the winter. Tool lockers became crew bunks. The caboose, originally of all wood construction, later acquired a steel skin to help prolong its useful life. It is a Cupola Type caboose. cookevilledepot.com/index.php?option=com_content&view... I have given the Rails-to-Trails Conservancy permission to use this photo here: www.railstotrails.org/news/recurringFeatures/trailMonth/a...
NW Caboose - Abingdon, VA The passenger and freight depots are both preserved on the south side of Abingdon. Next to the passenger depot is this well preserved Norfolk & Western caboose.
Illinois Central Caboose - Halls, TN With the IC tracks in the foreground. Halls is a small town in Lauderdale County.
There's a caboose up there This attention-getting caboose is set high above the road so that visitors in Jackson, TN can find Casey Jones Village right off Interstate 40 along US45. Casey Jones was the famous railroad engineer who in the year 1900 sacrificed his life to save his passengers on his Cannonball Express. Now, many years later in his hometown of Jackson, TN is a mega tourist attraction, Casey Jones Village. The Village starts with the Home of Casey Jones. Next, add a country store with a country buffet and a row of specialty shops. Then, add a motel where in addition to regular rooms you can sleep in an old train car. Finally, add a railroad museum built to look like an old brick passenger station and you have Casey Jones Village today.
Spring City, TN Depot and Caboose The brick passenger train station in Spring City, TN was built by Queen and Crescent Railroad in 1908 along the line to connect Cincinnati and New Orleans. Later, this railway became a part of Southern Railway. A friend of mine lived in Spring City for a short while, and he remembers the building was used as a library then. Today, it is home to the local chamber of commerce in one half and a museum in the other side.
Spring City, TN Caboose
L&N Caboose 6339 - Big Sandy, TN Located in a mini-park in the middle of the small town
Baxter the Caboose - Lebanon, TN Baxter was a former caboose of Burlington Northern that was donated in 2007 to Fiddler's Grove at the Wilson County Fairgrounds. To assist with moving the Caboose here was Nashville & Eastern Railroad, which like the fair, is operated in Lebanon. Then, with the help of McCord Crane Service, the caboose was placed atop a truck and given a police escort as it made its way to Fiddler's Grove. The NCStL Logo was added later Today, the Caboose stands as a proud reminder of the golden age of Railroads. J.D. and Ann Floyd donated the caboose in honor of Billy Baxter. (The Floyds and the Baxters co-owned Cumberland Valley Shows, a fair midway company.) Before this, the caboose was given to the Floyds by the Greater Gulf State Fair in Mobile Al.
Norfolk and Western Caboose - Roanoke, VA Located behind the old N&W passenger station which is now a tourist ino center and O. Winston Link museum.
Gray L&N Caboose - Cookeville, TN This gray trimmed in red L&N Caboose is parked at the Cookeville, TN Depot Museum. Also at the museum is a Tennessee Central caboose and both are open for visitors during museum hours. Info about this caboose from the museums website at CookevilleDepot.com On December 30, 1985, the City of Cookeville received an L&N caboose from Seaboard Systems Railroad. This rail company ran freight through the area from 1968 into the early 70’s. The caboose we have from them is relatively small in size, since crews no longer lived aboard during freight runs. This caboose was built in the 1950’s and was retired from rail service in early 1980. The interior of the caboose, with its kerosene stove, is similar to how it looked when it was last used. It also houses our tool exhibit, “Working on the Railroad: The Right Tool for the Right Job.” This caboose is known as a Bay Window Type.
Norfolk Southern Caboose Most cabooses I see these days are displayed for heritage purposes, such as at train depot museums. It had been a while since I had seen one on live tracks. Seen in Radford, VA.
Bulls Gap, TN Park Located between the boyhood home of Archie Campbell and city hall is a small park with railroad cars. Most notable is a Southern caboose, along with a small yellow maintenance car. Also is the old Bulls Gap depot marker on a gazebo. Bulls gap is an important railroad town as it is where two important train lines crossed.
L&N Caboose - Lynnville, TN Located at the Lynnville Railroad Museum, here is what their website has to say about this caboose, which was recently painted: The long body caboose, car No 199441, was built for Illinois Central Railroad in 1971 and is typical of the newer, cupola style cars that traveled the rails just prior to being replaced, in the late 1980’s, in favor of end-of-train electronic signal devices. The caboose is currently under restoration and carries the L & N color scheme and marking typical of the era. Cabooses served as both office and home-away-from-homes for train crews for over 125 years before being withdrawn. text taken from here: www.lynnville.org/railroadmuseum.htm
Norfolk & Western Caboose - Pulaski, VA Located in a new city park near the old Pulaski, VA train station which recently reopened after some remodelling.
Norfolk & Western Caboose - Rural Retreat, VA This is the first rectangular thing I've ever tried to photograph where the sun was so positioned in the sky in such a way where neither the left side nor the ride side was recieving direct sunlight, but was lined up to directly shine on only the front. Weird, huh?
Erin, TN Caboose and Boxcar The city of Erin was initially inhabited by Irish laborers working to construct the railroad and the city has remembered its Irish heritage. When the railroad completely pulled out, the town decided to construct a park in the heart of town where the tracks used to be. This park is Betsy Ligon Park. Among the things you can see in the park are a blue L&N Boxcar and Red L&N Caboose (both seen here) and a picnic pavilion made to look like a train depot, and Doc the Leprechaun.
Hohenwald Caboose Between the Hohenwald Depot and the Lewis Co. Natural History Museum. It had been repainted since the previous time I was here, about 3 years earlier. There's also a gray boxcar there.
Southern Railway Caboose - Niota, TN
Southern Railway Caboose Seen at the old train depot at Loudon, TN
Wartace Caboose I was in Wartrace looking at the L&N Caboose in the center of town when a real train, CSX 567 decided to come through.
Southern Caboose - Bluff City, TN Seen in Bluff City located in a small parking area right off highway TN390 where it crosses Boone Lake
Thompson's Station Caboose Thompson's Station is a small town south of Franklin, and has a replica train depot by the tracks. This is the town's L&N Caboose.
Southern Railroad Caboose - Elizabethton, TN Not far from the center of town is a small park with a couple of train cars underneath a small shed. Southern went through E-ton from 1911-1940.
L&N Caboose - Stevenson, AL Located at the Stevenson train depot, which is now a museum
NCStL Caboose Located at the Bridgeport, AL Depot
Southern Ralway Caboose Seen in Newport City Park
Acworth, GA Caboose Main Street of Acworth is part of the old Dixie Highway which is now Old US highway 41. This caboose with the Acworth logo on it is near the downtown historic district
L&N Caboose - Wartrace, TN Wartrace is another town that started after the placement of a depot on the Nashville & Chattanooga line in the early 1850s. This caboose is probably near where the depot used to be, right off the tracks close to the town square
Bell Buckle L&N Caboose Bell Buckle is one of the cities on the old Nashville to Chattanooga train line (now operated by CSX) I don't see the fancier L&N logo painted this way often.
Hartsville Depot L&N Caboose
Tullahoma's L&N Caboose (2008) Not far from Tullahoma's depot, near the intersection that used to be most important in town, Atlantic & Lincoln. UPDATE: Since this photo was taken, the area around the caboose has been landscaped. This photo has been used without permission, violating the creative commons license here: backgroundchecks.org/25-safest-cities-in-tennessee-2016.html The Safest Cities in Tennessee 2016
Thompson's Station L&N Caboose This red L&N Caboose is at the Thompson's Station, TN depot Hello to anyone who found this here: flashingyellowlights.blogspot.com/2009/10/dear-thompson-s...
Chessie System 900051 Caboose This has been left at the Franklin, TN Freight Depot
Pegram's Red Caboose Pegram, TN #1 tourist destination! :) It's located next to the old train station and along U.S. Highway 70
In Tennessee, even the caboose is orange! on display at the Tennessee Central Railway Museum
A red caboose in somebody's yard This was in someone's yard, there were no train tracks leading into it, so I guess they just wanted one. It was along highway U.S. 11 in Loudon County, Tennessee
