<H3>Moving the caboose (September 28, 2006 - October 12, 2006)</H3>

On Thursday night, September 28, 2006, the caboose was placed in the interchange lineup for CSX. This was reported by Conductor Don Stannard of the Adirondack Scenic Railroad; Don snapped a picture (shown here) of the caboose in the Local Drag ready to leave Utica, NY. Thanks to Don for his detective work. It arrived in Syracuse, NY (CSX only picks up going west) at 5:04pm on Friday, September 29, according to CSX's automated car tracing phone system. As of Sunday night, October 1, at 8:00pm, there is no further information on the location of the caboose. Maybe it's wandering aimlessly around the Dewitt yard in Syracuse.

Update as of Tuesday, October 3: We found out about some interesting information. The caboose is being stored 4th from the east end on Track 13. It is now listed as a high-wide load for some unknown reason; apparently, its "class code" in the computer outweighs common sense, which would tell you that this is a caboose, not an over-dimension car. It is also listed as a "Cash" car for some unknown reason, which means that it cannot move until paid for. Of course, we all know it was paid for back in July. Therefore, a multitude of telephone calls will have to be executed tomorrow so CSX can update the computer that seems to be delaying the move. Looks like those few of you who voted for CSX in the delay poll might be in the lead.

Before dawn on Saturday, October 7, the caboose left Syracuse for Buffalo -- yes, Buffalo -- arriving around noontime, according to CSX's computer. I received a call on Friday from CSX in which they advised me that, in order to expedite the move, they would be routing it to Buffalo and putting it on a train that heads directly to interchange with Guilford without any switching or stopping in any yards. It is scheduled to arrive on Monday afternoon at Rotterdam Jct. To my surprise and great pleasure, we received a digital photo of the caboose in the yard at Buffalo (see photos below). Many thanks to Brenda Potter Reynolds for sending in the picture!

When the caboose arrived in Buffalo, it was once again classified as an overdimensioned car and was delayed in the yard. After a few more phone calls, it left Buffalo headed east at last. While CSX's tracing line still indicated an expected interchange at Rotterdam Jct. initially, it soon changed to indicate Selkirk. Avoiding Selkirk had been the point of sending the caboose via Buffalo in the first place. After the caboose arrived in Selkirk, another set of calls was needed but, as of Thursday, October 12, the caboose arrived in Springfield, MA, to be handed off to Guilford. Pictures of the train in Springfield were captured by Adam Sullivan (amsphotography.fotopic.net). Oddly enough, CSX's car tracing line reported that the caboose is in Portland, Maine! Evidently, the removal of the caboose from the train in Springfield was not noticed. CSX had control of the car from the night of September 28 to the afternoon of October 12 -- about 15 days. That's an average of about 11 miles per day. Based on a rate of $948, we paid about $5.75 per mile.

Thanks to Paul Hayhurst for sending pictures of the caboose on its own in Springfield waiting to be accepted by Guilford. 

<strong>
Related galleries:
<UL><LI><A HREF="/Caboose-Trains-and-Our-Caboose/Rutland-51-Our-Caboose/Moving-the-Caboose/8472815_gaxUM">Moving the Caboose</A>
</UL>
</strong>