I saw a caboose!
Yes I did! I really did! Some years back, the major railroads
in this country stopped using the caboose (cabeese, cabesi?). They started
using a puny little red light in some kind of metal box on the end of the
train. The so called EOT device (end of train).
What ensued was a train looking incomplete and bound for nowhere. Oh
well, the passing of an era. This past Saturday I decided to take a little trip
to Gadsden, Alabama. Actually, first Springville, then Attalla, then Gadsden. I
left about noon after finishing a little work. I went by Irondale and saw some
CSX locomotives pulling some cars as well as Norfolk Southern locomotives doing
the same. Next to Trussville, Argo then Springville. Checked out an antiques
shop. Then I went to lunch. Next stop, Attalla. I got off the freeway at
highway 77 and went over to U.S. 11 and went north. As I was getting into the
downtown area I kept my eyes open for railroad activity. All while driving
safely. At the stop sign I glanced right. I was astonished to see a caboose.
“Wow!”, I thought. I thought those were extinct. I slowed down and looked some
more. It was a good thing that there was little to no traffic. I saw the
Norfolk Southern markings. I noticed the paint looked brand new. I wondered if
the caboose itself was somewhat new. It looked new. I am still amazed as I
write this. I wonder if anyone knows something about this caboose? Please
comment and let me know. And on a previous note, I called the electronic die
cutting machine help number. They could not locate a hard copy of the manual. I
was not surprised. I had also entered a help ticket on the manufacturers web
site. I got an e-mail telling me to use Adobe reader to use the manual. I do
not have this software on my home computer. I explained this to the person on
the phone. I did make a hard copy of the one suspect page at the public library
at a small cost. I can read the rest on my home computer. I will not be
purchasing acrobat reader. This will help keep costs down. OSR readers know I
am very frugal. I am still learning to use the device. The initial trial was
not successful. This was as expected. More to follow. Thrifty, omscaler
