You guys did a great job on the restoration of the caboose. Do you know what the history might be? Please tell us more about the caboose. Joe
CN 2524(C44-9W), PRLX 211(ex-BNSF SD75M) leads M338 into Masonville, IA on August 7, 2018 Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
It was built by Missouri Pacific in 1972. After it was retired, date unknown, it was sold to the Dow Chemical Company and used in the refinery outside of Freeport, Texas as a shoving platform for switching tank cars within the plant facilities. It was later refurbished by Dow and donated to the Children's Museum in Houston as part of an outdoor interactive display about railroads. After many years there, the museum was remodeling and expanding into the outdoor space occupied by the caboose so it was donated to the Rosenberg Railroad Museum in the summer of 2007.
From the collection of a good friend of mine. A cabinet card photo from 1913. Celeste is north east of Dallas.
Every time I see such a photo, I can only think how sad it is the work these men did, now lost. The too many communities now disconnected from the best land freight and passenger transportation method which we still have.
Those times may be lost, those men and their work may be long gone, but look at those men. Standing tall, straight and proud, proud to work for the railroad, when it still was a respectable career. People who worked for the railroad were respected. And there was a sort of brotherhood between railroad workers. Photos like that are the last legacy of those times and the men who lived and worked then.
From the collection of Rodolfo Saucedo, a 1920s photo of workmen on the Texas Mexican Railroad in Laredo, Texas. Rodolfo's great-grandfather, Manuel Saldana, is second from the right with the bib overalls and the dark hat. He was a carpenter in the rail car building department. He was born in Mexico and started working with the National Railroad Company of Mexico. Later, he came to Texas and worked with the Tex Mex Railroad that ran from Laredo to Corpus Christi in South Texas.
I'm really enjoying all of the photos too Russell. Man, you just know that their work in that Texas sun was tough. It took commitment, strength and skills to succeed in their environment. One thing I notice about photos from that era is that everyone is thin. Back then, men worked for a living. The only overweight people seen were bankers and rail tycoons.
What I find interesting about Russell's last two photos is that all the men are wearing heavy shirts with long sleeves, some even with jackets. Also bib overalls can get quite warm, adding another layer of thick cloth over the torso in addition to the heavy shirt. I understand that Texas, even south Texas does have cold weather occasionally, but as a rule Texas is hot and dry.
Well, I typically wear long sleeves, even on the hottest days when working on train cars here in Texas. I keeps the sun off and protects my arms from scrapes and scratches. Some guys don't, but it is my preference. I just sweat a lot but stay hydrated. In this photo, I am the one in the light gray shirt.
Ah, work isn't really work when you love what you are doing. Great pictures, Russell. Anyway, I enjoy the pictures of the section gangs too because my maternal grandfather worked on the one between Taopi Minnesota and McIntire Iowa. I never knew him as he died, in 1940, from tuberculosis as a result of being exposed to mustard gas in WW1. He had worked his way to being foreman. My mother used to tell me about him having to go out in the middle of the night in winter at 20 below to replace cracked rails. Doug
Russell, how will Amtrak's emerging private car policy(ies) affect your friend's operation? You've reported on many trips over the years to various locations, often multiple trips in any given year.
