> If you are through with Linc would you
> please send him back?

> dave

He is on a plane heading your way today. I don't think he wanted to leave and we certainly will miss him!


Puffing Billy Steam Railway, Australia
chairman@pbr.org.au

> I was just looking at some cabooses for sale
> and thought of a question for you guys.
> Could someone use a caboose for
> "private varnish"? If the car met
> the usual standards for titelock couplers,
> connections,etc. would Amtrak and the
> freight roads move the car?

No. Cabooses are classified as freight equipment, and there's no way Amtrak would move it in their revenue trains. If you wanted the car moved over Amtrak owned lines, you'd have to pay for a special move.

You would probably have an easier time moving a caboose on a freight RR, although it's 99% certain they would insist on the car moving unoccupied and wouldn't guarantee where it was placed in the train.

> And how would a
> caboose handle, say mixed into a typical
> passenger train?
> Just curious. Though small they are far
> cheaper than full size cars.
> mw

They wouldn't handle well. Most modern freight trucks, unless equipped with special damping equipment, tend to hunt badly above 70MPH.

Even Amtrak's material handling cars are now restricted to 60MPH on certain freight carriers, and being phased out.

There's a whole host of other reasons why cabooses wouldn't cut it as private varnish, but the above are just the basics...


Fiv4HghStk@aol.com

Old photo of an SP 4-4-0 on the table at Santa Cruz, Cal.. What is at this site today? Has it been built over?


http://www.yesteryeardepot.com/SP1312.JPG
ryarger@rypn.org