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12/30/2024
 
 
 
 
 
By:Tom Beckett
Dates:1/1/1977 - 5/19/2011
Album Info:Buggies, hacks, crummies, cabins, vans, whatever you want to call them. Some in service, some stuffed and mounted.
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Not where youd expect it
Title:  Not where youd expect it
Description:  One day during my first semester at college, I had a class break of three hours. I made a quick run to Staten Island(from Queens!!) and by pure luck caught this local on the line from St George to Arlington and AK draw. My recollection is faulty, Im sure, but I think this is near Port Richmond(NOTE: It's Harbor Rd in Mariner's Harbor. See comment below from Rich Bischoff). The train is passing an abandoned rapid transit station, which, surprisingly, still has access from the street. Commuter operations, and especially rapid transit operations, tended not to have much freight traffic in the NY area. At the time, the B&O was still serving the line from a yard in Cranford NJ, reached by its trackage rights over the ex Reading and CNJ.
Photo Date:  12/6/1977  Upload Date: 11/13/2016 2:58:48 AM
Location:  Staten Island, NY
Author:  Tom Beckett
Categories:  RollingStock,Station,Action
Locomotives: 
Views:  430   Comments: 2
Short Line Buggy
Title:  Short Line Buggy
Description:  Chicago Short Line, a local road that worked on the far south side of Chicago. I was riding the Broadway into Chicago, looking out the Dutch door(trains used to have Dutch doors in the vestuibules, which were a great place to ride. Ask your dad. Or your grandfather) when we caught up to this CSL train near Colehour Yard in far southeastern Chicago. Like most trains of that era, it had a caboose. Check out the Reading hopper just ahead of it. Those cars would not last much longer on Conrail, through their 100 ton cousins would go on to have lengthy careers.
Photo Date:  8/15/1978  Upload Date: 11/17/2016 3:12:14 AM
Location:  Chicago, IL
Author:  Tom Beckett
Categories:  RollingStock,Action
Locomotives: 
Views:  412   Comments: 0
Trailing a transfer
Title:  Trailing a transfer
Description:  One of the things about the IC main line in Chicago was that it had a lot of capacity, and freights had their own tracks, keeping them away from the commuters. It was not uncommon to see freights in rush hour as a result. This caboose is bringing up the rear of a transfer from Markham, passing the 53rd St station during morning rush. How about that D&H Bridge Line box ahead of the caboose!!
Photo Date:  8/17/1978  Upload Date: 8/25/2020 5:38:02 AM
Location:  Chicago, IL
Author:  Tom Beckett
Categories:  RollingStock,Action
Locomotives: 
Views:  108   Comments: 2
CR 23231
Title:  CR 23231
Description:  Back when trains used cabooses, I caught this coal train going into the Weehawken tunnel on the ex NYC. The tunnel portal can be seen at far right through the trees. This line is now light rail.
Photo Date:  3/20/1979  Upload Date: 12/29/2013 4:27:43 AM
Location:  North Bergen, NJ
Author:  Tom Beckett
Categories:  RollingStock,Tunnel,Action
Locomotives: 
Views:  670   Comments: 1
Trailing through downntown
Title:  Trailing through downntown
Description:  I went to the old Southern station in downtown Greensboro, and caught a southbound purely by dumb luck. At the time, cabooses were common, and it was no surprise to see this red Southern car bringing up the rear. The Sandersville covered hoppers were common on Southern trains, as they shipped incredible quantities of clay from a quarry in Georgia.
Photo Date:  8/2/1979  Upload Date: 11/13/2016 2:53:19 AM
Location:  Greensboro, NC
Author:  Tom Beckett
Categories:  RollingStock,Action
Locomotives: 
Views:  409   Comments: 0
Clinchfield car
Title:  Clinchfield car
Description:  This Clinchfield caboose, painted in the Family Lines scheme, adorned the rear of a freight at Potomac Yard in Alexandria as seen from the passing Crescent. The caboose, the yard, and the Clinchfield are all memories now.
Photo Date:  8/4/1980  Upload Date: 11/21/2016 5:36:42 AM
Location:  Alexandria, VA
Author:  Tom Beckett
Categories:  Roster,RollingStock,Yard
Locomotives: 
Views:  355   Comments: 0
LIRR work train equipment
Title:  LIRR work train equipment
Description:  LIRR had what appears to be an ex PRR cabin, and a B60 baggbge car stashed at the Morris Park shops for work train service. Seen from Atlantic Avenue
Photo Date:  1/26/1981  Upload Date: 7/2/2014 3:14:20 AM
Location:  Richmond Hill, NY
Author:  Tom Beckett
Categories:  Roster,RollingStock,Yard
Locomotives: 
Views:  433   Comments: 0
Wooden caboose
Title:  Wooden caboose
Description:  During a visit to Mechanicville over July 4th weekend in 1981, there was a lot of interesting equipment on hand, including this old wooden body caboose.
Photo Date:  7/4/1981  Upload Date: 2/17/2013 3:08:19 AM
Location:  Mechanicville, NY
Author:  Tom Beckett
Categories:  Roster,RollingStock,Yard
Locomotives: 
Views:  860   Comments: 0
NYSW buggy
Title:  NYSW buggy
Description:  I caught a Little Ferry job working one Saturday, and discovered this gem mid train. Looks like its seen better days. Note the boxcar with NYSW reporting marks just ahead of it.
Photo Date:  4/17/1982  Upload Date: 3/3/2013 3:21:02 AM
Location:  Hackensack, NJ
Author:  Tom Beckett
Categories:  Roster,RollingStock
Locomotives: 
Views:  1148   Comments: 0
Rock caboose at the Rocket House
Title:  Rock caboose at the Rocket House
Description:  The Rock Islands Rocket House, at 48th St on the south side, had Rock equipment long after the roads demise. This caboose was sitting outside the shop in 1982, along with a Rock trailer flat.
Photo Date:  8/14/1982  Upload Date: 1/15/2012 11:11:20 PM
Location:  Chicago, IL
Author:  Tom Beckett
Categories:  Roster,RollingStock,Yard
Locomotives: 
Views:  1084   Comments: 0
Rolling west-FAST!!
Title:  Rolling west-FAST!!
Description:  This caboose was on the rear of a westbound pig train we caught up to near Gallup NM. He outran us back in the 55 MPH days of 1982
Photo Date:  8/18/1982  Upload Date: 3/10/2013 4:35:33 AM
Location:  Gallup, NM
Author:  Tom Beckett
Categories:  RollingStock,Action
Locomotives: 
Views:  493   Comments: 0
UP caboose
Title:  UP caboose
Description:  Cabooses were still in use most places in 1982, but would be almost a memory only a few years later. Heres one of UPs at their yard in Yermo Cal, just east of Barstow on the LA&SL line. "P" indicates a pool car, which can run anywhere on the system.
Photo Date:  8/21/1982  Upload Date: 3/17/2013 3:27:21 AM
Location:  Barstow, CA
Author:  Tom Beckett
Categories:  Roster,RollingStock,Yard
Locomotives: 
Views:  494   Comments: 0
UP van
Title:  UP van
Description:  This UP caboose was all by its lonesome at Yermo.
Photo Date:  8/21/1982  Upload Date: 6/27/2014 3:15:41 AM
Location:  Yermo, CA
Author:  Tom Beckett
Categories:  Roster,RollingStock,Yard
Locomotives: 
Views:  340   Comments: 0
Western Pacific cabooses
Title:  Western Pacific cabooses
Description:  A grab shot from Amtraks Desert Wind finds three WP cabooses at Salt Lake City
Photo Date:  8/22/1982  Upload Date: 3/27/2013 1:12:30 AM
Location:  Salt Lake City, UT
Author:  Tom Beckett
Categories:  RollingStock,Yard
Locomotives: 
Views:  490   Comments: 0
BN caboose
Title:  BN caboose
Description:  A BN van sits at the Denver engine terminal. Wish I had used up a frame on the Manufacturers Railway box it was coupled to.
Photo Date:  8/23/1982  Upload Date: 6/27/2014 2:58:47 AM
Location:  Denver, CO
Author:  Tom Beckett
Categories:  Roster,RollingStock,Yard
Locomotives: 
Views:  441   Comments: 3
Une spot
Title:  Une spot
Description:  Indiana Harbor Belt #1 at State Line interlocking.
Photo Date:  10/9/1982  Upload Date: 4/24/2013 1:07:33 AM
Location:  Hammond, IN
Author:  Tom Beckett
Categories:  RollingStock,Action
Locomotives:  IHB 8780(NW2)
Views:  578   Comments: 2
Green Mountain caboose
Title:  Green Mountain caboose
Description:  During the railfan weekend of 1982, Steamtown ran a number of trains for the photographers behind a variety of steam and diesel power, some of which were photo freights. This on had a Green Mountain Ry car trailing.
Photo Date:  10/23/1982  Upload Date: 5/26/2014 3:54:31 AM
Location:  Bellows Falls, VT
Author:  Tom Beckett
Categories:  Scenic,RollingStock,Action
Locomotives: 
Views:  505   Comments: 1
B&M 494
Title:  B&M 494
Description:  Back ion 1983 it was not uncommon to see cabooses on lobals, as well as many road trains. This is one of two I caught that day on the B&M, entering the yard on a returning local.
Photo Date:  3/28/1983  Upload Date: 11/3/2013 1:19:03 AM
Location:  East Deerfield, MA
Author:  Tom Beckett
Categories:  RollingStock,Action
Locomotives: 
Views:  356   Comments: 0
B&M 499
Title:  B&M 499
Description:  B&M 499 brings up thf rear of a local on the Connecticut River line.
Photo Date:  3/29/1983  Upload Date: 11/3/2013 1:26:08 AM
Location:  Northampton, MA
Author:  Tom Beckett
Categories:  RollingStock,Action
Locomotives: 
Views:  501   Comments: 0
Work train
Title:  Work train
Description:  An Amtrak work train rolls away toward Newark, trailed by this ex PRR cabin
Photo Date:  4/18/1983  Upload Date: 11/5/2013 12:27:33 AM
Location:  Rahway, NJ
Author:  Tom Beckett
Categories:  RollingStock,Station,Action
Locomotives: 
Views:  418   Comments: 0
Mid train caboose
Title:  Mid train caboose
Description:  For some reaon this train had a caboose in the middle of the train. It wuold be great to see one anywhere these days.
Photo Date:  5/19/1983  Upload Date: 11/9/2013 1:28:14 AM
Location:  Richmondville, NY
Author:  Tom Beckett
Categories:  RollingStock,Action
Locomotives: 
Views:  459   Comments: 1
Local caboose
Title:  Local caboose
Description:  The local that went north also had a caboose.
Photo Date:  5/19/1983  Upload Date: 11/9/2013 1:33:30 AM
Location:  Cobleskill, NY
Author:  Tom Beckett
Categories:  RollingStock,Action
Locomotives: 
Views:  536   Comments: 0
C&O caboose
Title:  C&O caboose
Description:  Virginia required caboosed well into the 1980s, long after most roads had gone to a variety of automated rear end devices. A visit there in 1983 yielded photos of several, including this C&O car.
Photo Date:  7/15/1983  Upload Date: 11/16/2013 4:15:07 AM
Location:  Alexandria, VA
Author:  Tom Beckett
Categories:  RollingStock,Action
Locomotives: 
Views:  556   Comments: 0
N&W caboose
Title:  N&W caboose
Description:  A fantrip on the N&W Shenandoah line through Front Royal netted this car.
Photo Date:  7/15/1983  Upload Date: 11/16/2013 4:18:14 AM
Location:  Front Royal, VA
Author:  Tom Beckett
Categories:  Roster,Yard
Locomotives: 
Views:  331   Comments: 0
RF&P train
Title:  RF&P train
Description:  The interesting thing about trains on the RF&P was that the power did not run through-it would have to be in trailing positions due the RF&Ps cab signals-but cabooses did. Heres a Seaboard car going south to Richmond and home rails.
Photo Date:  7/15/1983  Upload Date: 11/16/2013 4:22:52 AM
Location:  Alexandria, VA
Author:  Tom Beckett
Categories:  RollingStock,Action
Locomotives: 
Views:  361   Comments: 1
SCL caboose
Title:  SCL caboose
Description:  A Seaboard Coast Line car, painted Family Lines, at Potomac Yard.
Photo Date:  7/15/1983  Upload Date: 11/16/2013 4:26:00 AM
Location:  Alexandria, VA
Author:  Tom Beckett
Categories:  RollingStock,Yard,Action
Locomotives: 
Views:  427   Comments: 0
Going away
Title:  Going away
Description:  A pair of cabooses bring up the rear of an eastbound CR train. The ex CNJ Bound Brook station, now used by NJ Transit, is to the left of the train.
Photo Date:  7/26/1983  Upload Date: 11/22/2013 1:47:56 AM
Location:  Bound Brook, NJ
Author:  Tom Beckett
Categories:  RollingStock,Action
Locomotives: 
Views:  310   Comments: 0
Grand Trunk caboose
Title:  Grand Trunk caboose
Description:  On a trip to New England in October 1983, I found this in the early morning at the Grand Trunk yard in Portland.
Photo Date:  10/1/1983  Upload Date: 11/24/2013 11:56:11 PM
Location:  Portland, ME
Author:  Tom Beckett
Categories:  Roster,RollingStock,Yard
Locomotives: 
Views:  428   Comments: 0
Commuter caboose
Title:  Commuter caboose
Description:  Despite having no freight traffic of its own. Metro North still needs some freight equipment for maintenance of way trains. We see one such car at Stamford on a stone train.
Photo Date:  1/21/1984  Upload Date: 5/26/2014 4:01:38 AM
Location:  Stamford Rail Statio, CT
Author:  Tom Beckett
Categories:  RollingStock,Winter,Station,Signal,Action
Locomotives:  MNCR 802(B23-7)
Views:  707   Comments: 1
D&H buggy
Title:  D&H buggy
Description:  This car was at the M&E shop in Morristown
Photo Date:  2/21/1984  Upload Date: 11/30/2013 4:38:17 AM
Location:  Morristown, NJ
Author:  Tom Beckett
Categories:  Roster,RollingStock,Winter,Yard
Locomotives: 
Views:  451   Comments: 1
KCS stainless car
Title:  KCS stainless car
Description:  Long before the Meridian Speedway, KCS and NS were interchanging equipment, though at New Orleans. Cabooses ran through, as we see KCS 326 at Birmingham from on board the southbound Crescent.
Photo Date:  3/7/1984  Upload Date: 5/17/2014 3:06:58 AM
Location:  Birmingham, AL
Author:  Tom Beckett
Categories:  RollingStock,Action
Locomotives: 
Views:  350   Comments: 0
Work train
Title:  Work train
Description:  Southern caboose X712 at Meridian with a crane.
Photo Date:  3/7/1984  Upload Date: 5/17/2014 3:11:07 AM
Location:  Meridian, MS
Author:  Tom Beckett
Categories:  Roster,RollingStock
Locomotives: 
Views:  269   Comments: 0
IC van
Title:  IC van
Description:  An IC caboose brings up the rear on this transfer on the NOPB
Photo Date:  3/8/1984  Upload Date: 5/26/2014 4:50:28 AM
Location:  New Orleans, LA
Author:  Tom Beckett
Categories:  RollingStock,Action
Locomotives: 
Views:  349   Comments: 1
Transfer hack
Title:  Transfer hack
Description:  MP had a lot of these short cabooses for transfer runs and locals, and there are still some on UP. This one trailed a transfer on the NOPB
Photo Date:  3/8/1984  Upload Date: 5/24/2014 1:30:43 AM
Location:  New Orleans, LA
Author:  Tom Beckett
Categories:  RollingStock,Action
Locomotives: 
Views:  315   Comments: 0
Double buggies
Title:  Double buggies
Description:  This Mopac transfer came over the NOPB with not one, but two cabooses, of different styles.
Photo Date:  3/8/1984  Upload Date: 5/26/2014 4:03:28 AM
Location:  New Orleans, LA
Author:  Tom Beckett
Categories:  RollingStock,Action
Locomotives: 
Views:  367   Comments: 0
MKT car
Title:  MKT car
Description:  This MKT caboose was on the rear of a train headed toward Ft Worth, seen from the Eagle at Dallas station.
Photo Date:  3/11/1984  Upload Date: 5/26/2014 3:58:34 AM
Location:  Dallas, TX
Author:  Tom Beckett
Categories:  RollingStock,Station,Action
Locomotives: 
Views:  328   Comments: 0
Fenced in
Title:  Fenced in
Description:  A MP caboose sits at a customers yard, fenced in til the crew comes to get it.
Photo Date:  3/11/1984  Upload Date: 6/24/2014 12:53:10 AM
Location:  San Antonio, TX
Author:  Tom Beckett
Categories:  Roster,RollingStock
Locomotives: 
Views:  425   Comments: 2
Old relic
Title:  Old relic
Description:  This CGW caboose was on the rear of a work train seen from the Cal Zephyr coming into Chicago. The Great Western had been merged into CNW in 1968, so this was a real surprised.
Photo Date:  3/12/1984  Upload Date: 5/26/2014 3:51:15 AM
Location:  Chicago, IL
Author:  Tom Beckett
Categories:  RollingStock,Winter,Yard,Action
Locomotives: 
Views:  347   Comments: 1
Santa Fe car
Title:  Santa Fe car
Description:  ATSF 999499 is seen at Chicago during a 4 day stay there in 1984
Photo Date:  3/21/1984  Upload Date: 5/17/2014 2:57:44 AM
Location:  Chicago, IL
Author:  Tom Beckett
Categories:  Roster,RollingStock
Locomotives: 
Views:  218   Comments: 1
C&O safety caboose
Title:  C&O safety caboose
Description:  A C&O safety slogan caboose rolls east at State Line tower.
Photo Date:  3/21/1984  Upload Date: 5/17/2014 3:01:22 AM
Location:  Hammond, IN
Author:  Tom Beckett
Categories:  RollingStock,Signal,Action
Locomotives: 
Views:  193   Comments: 0
IHB van
Title:  IHB van
Description:  Back in 1984 cabooses were pretty common, and transfers were no exception. IHB had some interesting cars, such as this one with the cupola plated up, still in NYC jade green.
Photo Date:  3/21/1984  Upload Date: 5/17/2014 3:04:07 AM
Location:  La Grange, IL
Author:  Tom Beckett
Categories:  RollingStock,Winter,Action
Locomotives: 
Views:  243   Comments: 1
LIRR van
Title:  LIRR van
Description:  LIRR used cabooses on most freights in the 80s. This one was on RF 7 at Bellerose.
Photo Date:  5/15/1984  Upload Date: 6/26/2014 3:10:19 AM
Location:  Bellerose, NY
Author:  Tom Beckett
Categories:  RollingStock,Action
Locomotives: 
Views:  216   Comments: 0
Maine Central caboose on the D&H
Title:  Maine Central caboose on the D&H
Description:  Once Guilford united the D&H, B&M, and MEC, equipment went all over, such as this Maine Central car on the ex LV on a D&H train.
Photo Date:  9/27/1984  Upload Date: 7/3/2014 4:24:11 AM
Location:  White Haven, PA
Author:  Tom Beckett
Categories:  Scenic,RollingStock,Action
Locomotives: 
Views:  501   Comments: 2
Santa Fe car
Title:  Santa Fe car
Description:  An ATSF classic red caboose sits in its namesake town.
Photo Date:  10/5/1984  Upload Date: 7/11/2014 3:01:40 AM
Location:  Santa Fe, NM
Author:  Tom Beckett
Categories:  Roster,RollingStock
Locomotives: 
Views:  277   Comments: 1
CNW van
Title:  CNW van
Description:  This CNW caboose was at Fremont in the company of some freight equipment typical of the period, inculing an XF boxcar.
Photo Date:  10/9/1984  Upload Date: 7/10/2014 1:57:47 AM
Location:  Fremont, NE
Author:  Tom Beckett
Categories:  Roster,RollingStock,Yard
Locomotives: 
Views:  340   Comments: 0
CNW caboose
Title:  CNW caboose
Description:  CNW was using these bay window cars on most trains in the 1980s. Id continue to see them til at least 1987. This one trails a westbound headed for Fremont and the UP
Photo Date:  10/10/1984  Upload Date: 7/11/2014 3:06:08 AM
Location:  Clinton, IA
Author:  Tom Beckett
Categories:  RollingStock,Action
Locomotives: 
Views:  179   Comments: 0
Bright buggy
Title:  Bright buggy
Description:  A B&O caboose, bright yellow in the Chessie scheme, rolls past my vantage point near the Huntington yard.
Photo Date:  1/28/1985  Upload Date: 9/25/2014 3:56:17 AM
Location:  Huntington, WV
Author:  Tom Beckett
Categories:  RollingStock,Winter,Yard
Locomotives: 
Views:  255   Comments: 1
NW car on the ex Virginian
Title:  NW car on the ex Virginian
Description:  This NW caboose was on the back of a train on the ex Virginian line that ran out of Deepwater WV. I had gone to WV to chase C&O 614, and caught this purely by dumb luck. Too bad the day was so cloudy.
Photo Date:  1/28/1985  Upload Date: 9/24/2014 11:15:32 AM
Location:  Eccles, WV
Author:  Tom Beckett
Categories:  RollingStock,Action
Locomotives: 
Views:  220   Comments: 2
L&N car
Title:  L&N car
Description:  This L&N caboose was traling a rail train that had stopped at Sanford.
Photo Date:  5/6/1985  Upload Date: 10/1/2014 2:10:36 AM
Location:  Sanford, FL
Author:  Tom Beckett
Categories:  Roster,RollingStock,Yard
Locomotives: 
Views:  253   Comments: 0
Vanished vista
Title:  Vanished vista
Description:  Virginia was one of the states that required trains to have cabooses by law, so they hung on there longer than anywhere else. The other classic part of the scene is the signals, which were a Southern trademark. They will be gone soon, if they arent already as PTC pushes railroads into upgrading their systems to accomodate it.
Photo Date:  6/13/1985  Upload Date: 10/1/2014 2:16:27 AM
Location:  Charlottesville, VA
Author:  Tom Beckett
Categories:  Scenic,RollingStock,Signal,Action
Locomotives: 
Views:  375   Comments: 1


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