Secret City Scenic Excursion Train

[McFortner]

I was watching Turner South last night and saw a piece on the Secret City Scenic Excursion Train near Oak Ridge, TN. Restored 40's Southern Railway cars pulled by 50's Alco engines. Who could ask for anything more! :thumb:

The link to their site is here if you want to find out more.

Growing up in Georgia, I saw a lot of these cabeese. I sure do miss them.

Those were the days.... :cry: :cry: :cry:

 

[Vic]

Some Fun With Mac's Pic

Hey I remember those cabooses too!!!

Let's have some fun with that pic.....and see who can tell us why the caboose's side bays are painted yellow.... ....there's a specific reason for that

I know the answer and the first one that gets it right gets to be Yardmaster of the Week!!!!

You and I are disqualified 'cause we grew up with 'em

 

[jon-monon]

Great pics!

OK, WAG here, cuz it sticks out and brakemen got sick of getting wacked by it?

 

[Vic]

Originally posted by jon-monon
Great pics!

OK, WAG here, cuz it sticks out and brakemen got sick of getting wacked by it?

Is that your final answer? Well you are absolutely...WRONG!!

 

[jon-monon]

:curse:









Well, I can't send you a horn hook coupler as a fine, cuz I already gave 'em all away, so there!

 

[roryglasgow]

OK, I'll bite...

I either read, dreamed or made up that they made the bay windows because freight cars were getting taller and they couldn't see over them with the standard height cupola cabooses. I guess they couldn't make the cabooses higher because they'd run into things?

 

[Tyson Rayles]

Rory that has nothing to do with why they were painted yellow.

 

[roryglasgow]

Oh...yeah...sorry... I guess I wasn't quite awake when I read that!

Was it something to do with where the caboose worked? Like on a branchline or something?

 

[TR-Flyer]

Hi:
How's about, that's where the people sat so that helped you focus on them?

Ted

 

[Vic]

We Have A Winner!!!

(Congratulations Rory!! You are Yardmaster of the Week!!

The Southern's bay windows fell into 2 classes. The road version was fully equipted and was painted all read.

The "turn" version, painted red with yellow bays was not fully equipted and was used for switching movements outside of the yardlimits and short branch line movements that would require only a few hours to complete. They had yellow bays so they would not get mixed up with the road versions in the yards when making up trains. "Turns" usually spent their lives assigned to one particular yard or division.

The "turn" versions lacked:
1. An axel driven generator and batteries
2. A "wall" (built in) radio.
3. A "hopper" (toilet)....definitely not for the long haul

Some road versions as they aged were downgraded to "turn" service so there were some in existance that had the road equiptment but it may or may not have been functional.

 

[roryglasgow]

Woohoo!

Well, I guess as Yardmaster of the Week, I've already learned to keep my yellow bay window cabooses around the yard and let the red ones go out on the long hauls!

 

[Vic]

Originally posted by roryglasgow
Woohoo!

Well, I guess as Yardmaster of the Week, I've already learned to keep my yellow bay window cabooses around the yard and let the red ones go out on the long hauls!

But....with rank comes duty! ....You have to see that the traincrew is fed So, Mac, Tyson and I shall be droping by for steaks soon!

 

[roryglasgow]

Originally posted by Vic
So, Mac, Tyson and I shall be droping by for steaks soon!

Hey! Anytime! Just give me a little notice to run down to the meat market and to bring my only operating layout home from the office...

 

[billk]

Re: We Have A Winner!!!

Originally posted by Vic
1. An axel driven generator and batteries
2. A "wall" (built in) radio.
3. A "hopper" (toilet)....definitely not for the long haul

Gee, none of my cabeese have this stuff - does that mean I have to paint their sides yellow?