Eccentric collector husband buys caboose with intentions to fix it up, but gets sick and dies. Widow is stuck with it and perplexed at what to do.

http://www.journalstar.com/articles/200 ... 726697.txt

Actually, I can tell you of an instance where that situation happened not just to a caboose, but an entire RAILROAD--with two locomotives and several passenger cars to boot, including an Amtrak-serviceable business car! Fortunately, 1) the equipment was not only operational but in service for both freight and excursion traffic; and 2) the gentleman in question left his affairs in order, and the equipment and railroad were dispersed in an orderly fashion over a couple of years, including one of the locomotives to a state railroad museum.

Here's a couple that I spotted earlier this year west of Eugene, Oregon. In my research I discovered that the gentleman bought them about 30 years ago they've sat here in this field all that time, just rotting away. Today they appear to be in terrible shape, but all the hardware is still there. The sad part is, they were in excellent 30 years ago and even as recently a 15 eyars ago were intact.

And then there was the railroad that was in the name of the owner's wife. No problem until she caught him and his secretary doing things they shouldn't have been doing. If you're going to cheat, make sure your trains aren't in your wife's name!