Who else misses the train caboose men?

[Mary]

My grandpa worked for the Erie railroad in the Marion, Ohio area. When he passed all his mementoes went to Mom. She made me promise to give all those Rail related items to the local train museum so his legacy could live on. One item was nabbed instantly. I know I did the proper thing so I assume the treasure hunters will know it is there so they can see those things, too.

When I was a little girl there were so many trains in our town. The wait seemed long but the best part was seeing the red caboose at the end. Mom would let all 6 of us kids get out and wave to the men as they clanked their bell. It is a memory I will never forget. Catch me at my booth during the Artisan Guitar show in April 2025 and I'll take a minute to teach this song Mom had us sing each time a caboose passed by. It will be my treat to teach it to train lovers!

"Little red caboose. Little red caboose. Little red caboose behind the train, the train. Smoke stack on it's back, going down the track. Little red caboose behind the train. Whoo Whoo Whoo."

Tim and I continue to live in the same town we were raised in. The main street still has those trains blocking the way to and fro. There are other streets with over passes that we use the majority of time. I think if the caboose was to return I would be more apt to slow down, lean back to relax and enjoy the rhythm of the steel against steel. I would no doubt wave at all the caboose men again. Don't you miss those days?

As time passed, I made a trade of something I didn't need or want for a caboose door. Instantly I was tickled at the chance and didn't hesitate to show my admiration of the old wood with railroad history. The door was quite ricketed, but it called my name instantly. Tim knew I would want to take it home but we were in PA driving a Honda Civic. Fortunately the owner offered to ship the door to us. As you would guess I took 30 seconds to design a guitar. I put the paper in my pocket. All the way to Ohio I researched and talked about the door. I told Tim about precious memories it mustered up.

Check out the AGF site below. Tim and I are building our #100,#200 and #300 guitars. My full attention has been on the Poplar caboose door as we became owners. I originally designed it in a simple manner. As time went on the design has changed. One more proof that nothing stays the same.


https://www.acousticguitarforum.com/...05#post7501605

I have a little helper. Grandpa calls her his future apprentice.




Our monster truck hearing protection is priority.

[catdaddy]

I miss 'em and I know the song...chug, chug, chug. Grew up a few miles from the tracks. Miss hearing that lonesome train whistle on those summer nights with the windows open.

[Glennwillow]

I grew up in northern Ohio near Cleveland and I also grew up not far from the train tracks running right through town. I have a thousand memories of the trains and the tracks. I used to run along the tracks as a shortcut home from school or from various friends' houses.

I, too, remember the caboose man on the trains. We would all wave from the car, even my mother. The caboose man would always wave back...

What a fun memory!

- Glenn

[mr. beaumont]

I grew up right next to train tracks here in Chicago, where there are a whole lot of train tracks

The caboose guys would always wave, and sometimes they'd toss out sidewalk chalk to us. That's pretty random I know, but a fun core memory.

I also remember when we moved just a mile away, I couldn't sleep at night because it was too quiet.

[Mary]

Trains attract the ears and eyes. We live in a rural neighborhood where you can see the track. It doesn't matter what time if our granddaughter is here, toys are ignored when the train whistles. She runs to the dining room window to tell me to watch with her. She admires the engine. I wish she could experience a caboose like we did.

Those caboose men sometimes tossed suckers to us if we were out of the car waving. That was the only time Mom let us have candy on the spur of the moment. No doubt those men enjoyed it as much as we did.

[Wade Hampton]

When I moved to Alaska in 1982 the Alaska Railroad still used cabooses, and continued to until about the mid-80’s. I was sorry to see them phased out.

They weren’t red cabooses, though, but blue and yellow, in keeping with the Alaska RR’s color scheme.


Wade Hampton Miller

[Bob Womack]

I grew up a mile from the Southern Railway's mainline in Knoxville, TN. In West Knoxville, much of the mainline was at-grade, ie., you have to wait for the trains to pass. On Sunday mornings, if we were held at a crossing by the train, my father knew that we could turn west, floor it, and probably beat them several crossings down the line and get to church on time. We boys in the back of the VW bus would bounce off the back seat and hit the ceiling as we navigated the Tennessee back roads. Exciting! All the crossings are now configured as over- or underpasses.

Coming in from the north was the Louisville & Nashville line. It served the company where my grandfather was a tool and die maker. The trains and their movements formed a continuous sound and movement in the background of my life. Just about any night that found you on our front porch would be rewarded by the sound of a Southern train sounding its horns at the crossings. Of course, they all had cabooses.

So many memories. Back in 1963 when the L&N refurbished a Civil War locomotive called "The General," it made a tour of the stations between Louisville and Chattanooga, where it was intended to live. The General was one of the two locomotives that took part in "The Great Locomotive Chase" which was part of the Andres Raid in 1862. At each station on the tour, it took the local L&N staff and crew out for excursions. My father took me down to the Knoxville station and we spent the day watching it come and go. On the last run of the day, the conductor, who had seen us standing and watching there all day, waved us on for a ride. Two years later the locomotive was retired and lives, stuffed and mounted, in a museum in Kennesaw, GA. Thus, I am one of the few living souls who have ridden behind The General.

Several of my relations were conductors and brakemen on the Southern in our division. When my great uncle, who married Chet Atkin's sister, retired from the Southern, he did so to a home at the point of a peninsula jutting into the Holston river east of Knoxville. The Southern Railway mainline was on the opposite band of the Holston, so he was guaranteed some good train watching. His buddies on the Southern took it one step further: they quietly had the point opposite of his house a whistle point, where the locomotives were required to sound their horns. Whenever I visited, my stay was punctuated by the melodious sounds of the Southern horns. When the Southern transitioned to diesel, they were concerned that the horns would bother their neighbors. They consulted the leader of the Washington D.C. Marine band for a chord that would be pleasing and he selected the Major Dominant Seventh. You can find that chime, HERE.

Of course, when it came time to model railroads on my own layout, The Southern had to be there. I've got several of these:

Bob

[ghostnote]

I grew up near the tracks, and there was a switch yard about 1/4 mile away from my house. They’d assemble the freight trains there at night and send them on their way to wherever. We’d hear that big “boom” when the freight cars were locking into each other at regular intervals all night. It’s a very unique sound. I miss it now; it was comforting to me. We spent many many hours as kids walking the tracks for long distances and having all kinds of adventures. Very Tom Sawyer-esque. I remember the caboose guys, too - they always waved to us kids as the trains went by. My grandfather was a lifer on the New Haven RR (which later was part of NY Central/Penn Central/Amtrak), and we’d get to go on trains with him sometimes, including the cabooses and engines, even though granddad didn’t do those jobs. Very cool for a young kid.

[Harlowv]

I wish there was a LIKE button for the original post and every reply here!

[Mary]

Originally Posted by Harlowv

I wish there was a LIKE button for the original post and every reply here!

In our hearts there is a "like" button.

I love seeing the toy train! It makes me misty eyed to talk about the trains with you guys. Thank you.

Oh,yes. We now occasionally still hear that clank as the cars connect. I smile and speak out loud, "That one was for you, Grandpa." I become a little girl. There are three crossings in our village with each one being a village block apart. Yes, we live in what still qualifies as a village. We have grain silos close by. They stop less often as I'm told the company is no longer USA owned.

We have a guitar playing jam visitors come just fun to our shop each summer. Usually in June. The "McJammers" hear the noises from the rail cars clanking, horns blaring, steal against steal slamming. It's funny. Tim and I don't hear the trains like they do. A half mile down the track they can feel the rumble approaching. I love it. Sometimes they will stop playing, signing and wait ... and wait. One guy made up a song about us, the business, the guitars, the village and that mighty train that invites itself to the Mcjam a few times a day. The song is adorable. It makes us all smile.

While I am on this subject - I invite those of you who post here to join us next June for the joy ride of your own memories. Come to the McJam! C'mon guys. People even come from the east coast, California, texas, Nova Scotia!

We had to do a lot of research for the guitar we are making now. The caboose door may be made of poplar but in my heart it glorifies memories of gold. If the poplar sound is less than we hope Tim will work up braces and if need be we will make it a double top to change the sound. We want it to be as original as possible, but it is a guitar and sound is important. Besides our own research I have made contact with the professionals on the higher level. I want to be kept in line so I honor this rail system for whoever buys it and lives in the real world. I designed the view keeping the caboose as the grabber. Go ahead. Say it. I do tend to over design, but when I leave this world I hope the McKnight caboose guitar will live on to play for the angels that take me away.



I have learned that the caboose number states it is of New York Central. (Check)





When we found that out the door wasn't Ohio related I wasn't disappointed. Trains are trains and they are all USA related. However, I have a special place in my heart for New York City. This wall was put up before the towers were taken down. I see it daily. It remains my favorite (non) window.

[DCCougar]

Can't see the train from here, but you can sure hear it! It's right over there on the other side of the river, behind the trees. Long-long-short-long whistle means it's coming up to a crossing. We lived in Heron, Montana for a year while our house was being remodeled. Loved the sound of the train going by. Trains are LOOOONG in Montana and Idaho. No caboose at the end -- another engine or two!

[rllink]

Wasn't the conductor the "caboose man?" I'm not as nostalgic about the railroad as a lot of people are. My brother is a model railroader and I have to wear an engineer hat and watch him run his trains whenever I visit him. But as a member of a country bluegrass band, I sing and play a lot of train songs.

[Bob Womack]

The caboose and conductor has been replaced by an End of Train device. On many roads this is a smart device that monitors the Westinghouse braking system and the distance between the tail of the train and the locomotive and passes that info to the loco via telemetry. In this case the EOT is referred to as a FRED (Flashing Rear-End Device) and the Head-of-Train Device (HTD) receiver in the cab is referred to as a WILMA. Guess why? More, HERE.

These days the trains are operated by an engineer and a conductor, both of whom ride in the locomotive. The conductor "owns" the train and also does the work of a brakeman.

Just a mile south of me is the shortline Chesapeake and Albemarle Railroad that offers freight service between Chesapeaker, VA, and Edenton, NC. It interchanges with the New Norfolk Southern Railway and the CSX. A month ago they had a derailment and spill and they are currently undergoing repairs. Before that, most evenings I could hear their horns blowing. They should be back soon.

[Riverwolf]

I grew up in a small pacific northwest town maybe 100 yards from the train tracks.
We had 2 tunnels within a mile in each direction.
A lot of memories.

[rllink]

The Engineers on the Train Don't Wave Anymore.

https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=r0H6u9TgjIA