Making Light :: Wanna Buy a Caboose? :: comments

Wanna Buy a Caboose?

Stopping by the Tilt'n Diner tonight on our way to Arisia, spotted a flyer pinned to the corkboard in the...

Wanna Buy a Caboose? -- comment #1 from Christina

Sat, 16 Jan 2010 01:39:37 -0500

I know someone whose parents have their own caboose. With a fainting couch, yet! Of course, moving one into your backyard can be a little tricky.

(Photos &c. at http://www.spcoast.com/wp668/)

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Posted January 16, 2010 1:39 AM by Christina

Wanna Buy a Caboose? -- comment #2 from Kip W

Sat, 16 Jan 2010 01:56:10 -0500

When I was twelve or fourteen or something, Dad read about someone putting a caboose in his yard for an extra room (he likes strange homes as much as I do and spent years investigating rammed-earth building techniques: I gave him a tree-house book for Christmas). I yearned for that -- had my hopes up for years. I'd been in a caboose one time, so I knew just how cool it would have been.

To dreeeeeam... the impossible dreeeeeam...

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Posted January 16, 2010 1:56 AM by Kip W

Wanna Buy a Caboose? -- comment #3 from Jim Macdonald

Sat, 16 Jan 2010 02:07:38 -0500

Ron gives more details, and an asking price ($20K), here.

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Posted January 16, 2010 2:07 AM by Jim Macdonald

Wanna Buy a Caboose? -- comment #4 from Serge

Sat, 16 Jan 2010 02:17:43 -0500

This brings back fond memories of the times my wife and I stayed at the Caboose Motel, a bit south of Mt Shasta.

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Posted January 16, 2010 2:17 AM by Serge

Wanna Buy a Caboose? -- comment #5 from Tom Whitmore

Sat, 16 Jan 2010 02:52:46 -0500

At least it's relatively easy to ship, for something so large. As long as it'll go by rail, that is.

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Posted January 16, 2010 2:52 AM by Tom Whitmore

Wanna Buy a Caboose? -- comment #6 from Cadbury Moose

Sat, 16 Jan 2010 06:14:22 -0500

This moose does _not_ need a caboose.

That is all.

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Posted January 16, 2010 6:14 AM by Cadbury Moose

Wanna Buy a Caboose? -- comment #7 from TexAnne

Sat, 16 Jan 2010 07:27:10 -0500

I'm most intrigued by the way Jim posted this FROM THE FUTURE dun dun duuuuun.

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Posted January 16, 2010 7:27 AM by TexAnne

Wanna Buy a Caboose? -- comment #8 from Jim Macdonald

Sat, 16 Jan 2010 07:40:33 -0500

I'm most intrigued by the way Jim posted this FROM THE FUTURE dun dun duuuuun.

Fix'd.

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Posted January 16, 2010 7:40 AM by Jim Macdonald

Wanna Buy a Caboose? -- comment #9 from Mark

Sat, 16 Jan 2010 09:47:59 -0500

Well really, and c'mon, he was going to Arisia....

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Posted January 16, 2010 9:47 AM by Mark

Wanna Buy a Caboose? -- comment #10 from 'As You Know' Bob

Sat, 16 Jan 2010 10:13:05 -0500

There's a guy about five miles west of me who's restoring a locomotive in his yard. I should pass the word.....

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Posted January 16, 2010 10:13 AM by 'As You Know' Bob

Wanna Buy a Caboose? -- comment #11 from Michael Roberts

Sat, 16 Jan 2010 12:44:25 -0500

That would be cool as a travel trailer. Mount a tire undercarriage, jack it up, haul it off.

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Posted January 16, 2010 12:44 PM by Michael Roberts

Wanna Buy a Caboose? -- comment #12 from Alex R

Sat, 16 Jan 2010 14:04:28 -0500

Not listed on a cork board, but there are other cool vehicles for sale these days...

Ahh, for a spare $29 million...

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Posted January 16, 2010 2:04 PM by Alex R

Wanna Buy a Caboose? -- comment #13 from Joel Polowin

Sat, 16 Jan 2010 16:20:24 -0500

In the 1966 Batman movie, Batman calls Vice Admiral Fangschliester at the Pentagon about recently sold submarines.

Fangschliester: Answer affirmative, Batman! We disposed of a war surplus submarine last Friday. A pre-atomic model. To some chap named, uh, "P. N. Guin".

Batman: P. N. Guin?

Robin: The Penguin!

Batman: Did this... "P. N. Guin" leave an address?

Fangschliester: No, just a post office box number. Would you like it?

Batman: No, thank you, Admiral. [gritting his teeth] You've been very helpful.

Fangschliester: Avast and belay, Batman. Your tone sounds rather grim. We haven't done anything foolish, have we?

Batman: [slowly] Disposing of pre-atomic submarines to persons who don't even leave their full addresses?! Good day, Admiral!

[They hang up.]

Fangschliester: Gosh!

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Posted January 16, 2010 4:20 PM by Joel Polowin

Wanna Buy a Caboose? -- comment #14 from Chuk

Sat, 16 Jan 2010 16:48:34 -0500

My daughter is four and loves trains in general. A local museum has a restored caboose from the 40s -- it's not fully finished yet but it's pretty cool inside.

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Posted January 16, 2010 4:48 PM by Chuk

Wanna Buy a Caboose? -- comment #15 from abi

Sat, 16 Jan 2010 16:51:39 -0500

The only plots I can think of for which a criminal mastermind would want a caboose are rather far-fetched and possibly steampunk.

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Posted January 16, 2010 4:51 PM by abi

Wanna Buy a Caboose? -- comment #16 from Serge

Sat, 16 Jan 2010 18:11:04 -0500

abi @ 15... You mean, someone like this criminal mastermind?

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Posted January 16, 2010 6:11 PM by Serge

Wanna Buy a Caboose? -- comment #17 from meredith

Sat, 16 Jan 2010 19:04:17 -0500

Years ago, I knew someone who lived in a caboose in one of the New Jersey suburbs of Philadelphia. He had it very well set up, it was really slick. Not for the claustrophobic, though. :)

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Posted January 16, 2010 7:04 PM by meredith

Wanna Buy a Caboose? -- comment #18 from Xopher

Sat, 16 Jan 2010 19:42:10 -0500

I am ideologically opposed to paying for caboose.

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Posted January 16, 2010 7:42 PM by Xopher

Wanna Buy a Caboose? -- comment #19 from Chris Quinones

Sat, 16 Jan 2010 20:11:48 -0500

My company could buy that caboose for a mere couple months worth of our rent in midtown.

If it's more than about 1400 square feet inside, we could talk, but I suspect the landlord will not be cool about us breaking the lease.

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Posted January 16, 2010 8:11 PM by Chris Quinones

Wanna Buy a Caboose? -- comment #20 from Kip W

Sat, 16 Jan 2010 20:24:00 -0500

I googled on CABOOSE INTERIOR and came up with this enticing portfolio. Now, if this was mine, I expect there would be some kind of shelving up above, in the corner of wall and ceiling, in as much of the place as possible, for picture books and sheet music. (Books that were all text would be in digital format, as much as possible -- sheet music too, I daresay.) It's just kind of creepy to see this place with not even a single book sitting on a horizontal surface, but what a swell little joint.

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Posted January 16, 2010 8:24 PM by Kip W

Wanna Buy a Caboose? -- comment #21 from Marilee

Sun, 17 Jan 2010 02:36:52 -0500

We have a caboose set up as a museum, since the railroad junction was what caused the city. Kids always love looking at it and turning the wheel inside, and so forth.

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Posted January 17, 2010 2:36 AM by Marilee

Wanna Buy a Caboose? -- comment #22 from Jim Macdonald

Sun, 17 Jan 2010 13:29:35 -0500

We have a caboose set up as a museum, since the railroad junction was what caused the city.

Which city would that be?

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Posted January 17, 2010 1:29 PM by Jim Macdonald

Wanna Buy a Caboose? -- comment #23 from Elaine

Sun, 17 Jan 2010 16:58:54 -0500

did anyone else read "The Boxcar Childred"?
That series has always stuck with me...and a caboose...sheer heavenly.

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Posted January 17, 2010 4:58 PM by Elaine

Wanna Buy a Caboose? -- comment #24 from Marilee

Sun, 17 Jan 2010 20:18:22 -0500

Jim, #22, Manassas City. It's the junction that went into the Shenandoah Valley that put a city here, then led two battles of the Civil War here, and remade the city afterwards. Here 'tis, that's a reproduction of the original train station behind it -- part of that is a museum and the rest is actually a train station for Amtrak and local commuter rail.

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Posted January 17, 2010 8:18 PM by Marilee

Wanna Buy a Caboose? -- comment #25 from Allan Beatty

Sun, 17 Jan 2010 20:18:36 -0500

If you're not ready to buy your own caboose, you can try out the experience of sleeping in one at Two Rivers State Recreation Area in Nebraska.

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Posted January 17, 2010 8:18 PM by Allan Beatty

Wanna Buy a Caboose? -- comment #26 from C. Wingate

Sun, 17 Jan 2010 20:47:13 -0500

A nursery near us has a B&O I-5 caboose. You could also stay at the Red Caboose Motel, which is in Strasburg right near the Strasburg RR and the RR Museum of Pennsylvania and the National Toy Train Museum.

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Posted January 17, 2010 8:47 PM by C. Wingate

Wanna Buy a Caboose? -- comment #27 from Josh Jasper

Mon, 18 Jan 2010 01:28:54 -0500

Drop by the green room on monday and say hi

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Posted January 18, 2010 1:28 AM by Josh Jasper

Wanna Buy a Caboose? -- comment #28 from thanate

Mon, 18 Jan 2010 10:22:18 -0500

Marilee @ 24 I'm told there's a caboose as mini museum in Vienna, VA as well.

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Posted January 18, 2010 10:22 AM by thanate

Wanna Buy a Caboose? -- comment #29 from Serge

Mon, 18 Jan 2010 10:29:18 -0500

Meanwhile, at the opposite end from the caboose...

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Posted January 18, 2010 10:29 AM by Serge

Wanna Buy a Caboose? -- comment #30 from ajay

Mon, 18 Jan 2010 10:51:05 -0500

Well, I learned something today: now I know what a caboose is. It was extremely entertaining trying to work it out from the comments, though.

Comments 6 and 18 were not helpful in this process.

You still see a few repurposed railway carriages in Britain, normally as part of transport cafes - much commoner sixty years ago, when building materials weren't easy to come by.

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Posted January 18, 2010 10:51 AM by ajay

Wanna Buy a Caboose? -- comment #31 from Paul A.

Mon, 18 Jan 2010 11:50:06 -0500

abi @ #15:

One of Philip Pullman's Sally Lockhart novels features a criminal mastermind with a dastardly plot revolving around a railway carriage with cunning, and arguably steampunk, modifications.

I don't think it's actually a caboose, though.

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Posted January 18, 2010 11:50 AM by Paul A.

Wanna Buy a Caboose? -- comment #32 from Serge

Mon, 18 Jan 2010 12:39:42 -0500

Paul A @ 31... I don't think it's actually a caboose

A pullman car then?

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Posted January 18, 2010 12:39 PM by Serge

Wanna Buy a Caboose? -- comment #33 from Fragano Ledgister

Mon, 18 Jan 2010 13:37:31 -0500

Serge #32: Very sexist vehicle that. When I was a boy, and I'd see the carriages marked "Wagons-lit" go by on the tracks near Clapham Junction, I wondered what the unlit ones were for.

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Posted January 18, 2010 1:37 PM by Fragano Ledgister

Wanna Buy a Caboose? -- comment #34 from Allan Beatty

Mon, 18 Jan 2010 20:37:24 -0500

Comment 19 might help you work out an extended metaphorical slang use of the term.

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Posted January 18, 2010 8:37 PM by Allan Beatty

Wanna Buy a Caboose? -- comment #35 from Marilee

Mon, 18 Jan 2010 21:55:52 -0500

thanate>, #28, so there is!

ajay, #30, the caboose is not a regular car -- it's at the end of the train and the train staff slept in it, taking turns as needed. There aren't cabooses on trains anymore, other than some private ones.

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Posted January 18, 2010 9:55 PM by Marilee

Wanna Buy a Caboose? -- comment #36 from Michael Roberts

Mon, 18 Jan 2010 22:42:45 -0500

There's a caboose and an engine at the Children's Museum in Indianapolis. That's one of the exhibits I like there, and a perennial one. (Once you get the train into the museum, it's pretty much there permanently.)

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Posted January 18, 2010 10:42 PM by Michael Roberts

Wanna Buy a Caboose? -- comment #37 from Linkmeister

Tue, 19 Jan 2010 01:11:43 -0500

One of the most interesting museums I've ever been in is the London Transport Museum. I'm pretty sure it's got at least one locomotive inside its walls.

It's a neat place.

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Posted January 19, 2010 1:11 AM by Linkmeister

Wanna Buy a Caboose? -- comment #38 from Rikibeth

Tue, 19 Jan 2010 19:58:02 -0500

The last restaurant I worked at was built in an old railroad depot, and there was a caboose out back serving as the office. It had as many excellent built-in cupboards and drawers as the pantry in the 1913 apartment I used to live in.

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Posted January 19, 2010 7:58 PM by Rikibeth

Wanna Buy a Caboose? -- comment #39 from richard barak

Thu, 22 Jul 2010 11:52:58 -0500

For people that want to own a caboose but never could afford one. Check out www.dogpatchandwesternrr.com

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Posted July 22, 2010 11:52 AM by richard barak