a crummy shot

[friscobob]

Well, actually, there IS a little problem with the photo, but the subjects are not obscured:

http://www.railimages.com/albums/bobthompson/acw.sized.jpg

Hughes Springs, TX, early 1990s, by Ron Lafever.

KCS had some rather unique cabooses, including these wooden outside-brace hacks (IIRC, rebuilt from 40-foor boxcars) and some bay window hacks with stainless steel bodies.

[Alan]

Yup definitely unusual! Were the stainless steel bodies left unpainted? Sure saves paint smile.gif

[marty coil]

FRISCO
Any pics of the wood crummys painted for the KCS. I have made a # of WP woodbraced. I think i would like to try my hand at a KCS. http://www.railimages.com/albums/martycoil/abi.sized.jpg

[BoxcabE50]

I'd not heard of stainless steel caboose bodies by any RR. Were many built? An experiment?

Now I'm wondering if any other RR ever did this?

:D

Boxcab E50

[Stourbridge Lion]

Do you mean STEAL Cabooses like this one???
http://www.trainweb.org/dhvm/images/dhrr_caboose/Ted-Slavinski/35717-01.jpg

[friscobob]

Not being a full-goose-bozo KCS fan, I couldn't answer your question personally about stainless steel cabooses, but yes, it looks like money was saved on paint.

And I can tell you that they reflect the sun something awful (can really screw up a picture.)

BTW, Texas Oklahoma & Eastern acquired some secondhand KCS hacks (the steel ones with the huge bay window) that were rebuilt from boxcars. I haven't railfanned the TO&E since I got back to Texas, so I don't know if they still use these cars or have reverted to FREDs like everyone else. If I can find a photo of one, I'll post it here.

[BoxcabE50]

Wow! That's sure a shiny D&H caboose! Just fresh from the shops......

Bob-

Is the TO&E still a Weyerhaeuser operation?

:D

Boxcab E50

[friscobob]

Yes, TO&E and its sister road Dequeen & Eastern (both meet at the AR/OK state line) are both Weyerhaeuser railroads. HQ for the line is in Dequeen, which is also on the KCS main.