Looking pretty sad, with what looks like an Ann Arbor or Wabash caboose:

http://www.rrpicturearchives.net/showPi ... ?id=376406

Bob:

Or a Chicago, Burlington & Quincy caboose. They also had some streamlined offset cupola cabooses. The C&EI did too but I believe those were all rebuilt when the C&EI was acquired by the MoPac.

Consolidation # 29 looks as if she needs a BIG case of TLC. The whole train does for that matter. Or perhaps a move to a railroad museum that could take care of them.

Les

Les,
It is a former "Q" waycar. The number that she sports is a BN number, 10402. Now all someone has to do is track down her CB&Q number. It appears that the BHRS website does not list her.....

Don C.

Don:

Glad to hear it. I thought that might be the case from the number on the cupola. Anything saved from the "Q" is really great news.

BTW, I inadvertently left out one other railroad that had streamlined offset cupola cabooses; the Detroit, Toledo & Ironton.

Les

BN 10402 was CB&Q 13536 built at Havelock shops in July 1954, class NE12, per "Waycars of the Chicago, Burlington, & Quincy" by Holbrook & Lorenz published by Prototype Modeler. No publication date but Forward says numbers and roster updated to Jan. 1, 1978.

Fred Crissey

Fred:

Thanks for the info. BTW, does the article in Prototype Modeler say if these class NE12 cabooses were every painted "plain red" when on the Burlington? The only pictures I have ever seen of them were in aluminum paint with a red "stripe" down the middle. Later, of course, they were painted in BN green.

The caboose behind AC #29 is just red and I just wanted to know how authentic that paint scheme was.

Les

The best I can give you is a "I don't know". These cars were originally painted silver with the red "stripe" and a large "Burlington Route" under the cupola. As you stated some cars were repainted without the stripe. They may or have may not been painted in BN Cascade Green after the 1970 merger. Some may have survived long enough to go into BN MOW service and gotten repainted in a mineral red color and may or may not have been renumbered again. I would speculate if they kept their BN number the car initials would have been changed to BNMW to seperate them from the existing caboose fleet. Seems to me that these cars were used as bunk cars. By the way there were no "waycars" on the BN, only cabooses. I think that under BNSF "waycar" is now an acceptable description.
Fred Crissey

Fred:

Thanks for the additional comments. I got to looking at the photo again and, from what I can see, it looks as if the 2-8-0 and "train" IS perhaps, part of some type of museum. It appears that the fence surrounding the equipment runs up to a building that could be a wooden depot. So, they might not be just a park display, but actually part of a museum display. Unfortunately, this only makes their appearance all the more shameful. If the ARE part of a museum of some type, the members or governing body is doing a horrible job of protecting their equipment. It's hard to see, but it appears that the slope sheet of the tender already may be rusted away. Can the rest of the tender be far behind? Maybe the "marker light" in front of the 29's smokestack is considered maintenance by these people. Can anyone advise if this equipment is, in fact, part of some type of museum and their address? Perhaps a few letters of disappointment in the appearance of the equipment might do some good in seeing the equipment looked after a bit better.

Les

http://steamlocomotive.info/vlocomotive.cfm?Display=19

http://www.800alabama.com/alabama-attra ... cfm?id=665

"Located in 1935 gym built by WPA. 1900s train, mining cars, one-room Black school, Old Wyatt Elementary School, 1900s Kellerman Post Office, Oakman Depot."


Dora is on the SLSF main northwest of Birmingham.

Oakman is a station on the Southern Railway line from Birmingham to Columbus, MS.

Kellerman doesn't exist any more: it was a community on the L&N line from Birmingham to Tuscaloosa, and was the home base of the Twin Seams Railroad. But it was literally strip-mined away in the 60s and 70s.

So, basically, nothing on the site is native to Dora, as the Alabama Central ran out of Jasper.

http://www.alabamacentralrailroad.com/



JAC

John:

Thanks for the info. The equipment (and buildings) are located at something called the Alabama Mining Museum. Their address is:

120 East Street
Dora, AL 35062

Phone number is 205-648-2442

Perhaps a few notes (or phone calls) to the museum, asking that they do a better job of maintaining the 2-8-0, ore car and caboose might have some effect. Certainly couldn't hurt I guess.

Les