1908 - Caboose on the Jump

[NW Mailing List]

Oh no! Who cut loose the caboose!
This sounds like an episode of Thomas the Tank Engine!

Jerry Kay, Portsmouth

---- Original message ----

>Date: Thu, 07 Feb 2008 22:00:00 -0500

>From: NW Mailing List <nw-mailing-list at nwhs.org>  

>Subject: 1908 - Caboose on the Jump  

>To: nw-mailing-list at nwhs.org

>

>Roanoke Times - February 8, 1908

>

>Caboose on the Jump

>

>   Much excitement was created in the neighborhood of the 

passenger 

>station of the Norfolk & Western Railroad yesterday 

afternoon by the 

>obstreperous conduct of a caboose. While some shifting was 

being done 

>some distance above the Jefferson street crossing, a caboose 

took it 

>into its head to start upon a voyage of its own, and it 

forthwith 

>began rolling at lively rate of speed in the direction of 

Norfolk. As 

>it proceeded, it rapidly gathered headway, and when it 

passed 

>Jefferson street, it was making about twenty-five miles an 

hour. Of 

>course it had the advantage of a down grade, and this 

enabled it to 

>laugh at such things as locomotives and pinch bars.

>   When the caboose was within a hundred yards or so of 

Jefferson 

>street, it ran into a hand car that was enjoying a little 

leisure and 

>sunning itself with great content. The hand car was 

naturally 

>surprised at being thus rudely disturbed. And it was still 

more 

>surprised when the caboose refused to run over it, but 

shoved it 

>along the track as if it had been a bundle of straw.

>   Near the crossing, an employe of the Norfolk & Western 

managed, at 

>the risk of breaking his neck, to jump on the runaway, but 

when he 

>tried to apply the brakes, he found that he could not do so, 

and 

>seeing that it was useless for him to remain on the car, he 

jumped to 

>the ground.

>   The caboose fortunately met with no serious encounters 

and with 

>absolute disregard to precedent, railroad regulations, and 

the 

>dignity of things in general, continued its journey gaily. 

And it did 

>not consent to stop until it was a half mile below the 

passenger 

>station, where it came in contact with an up grade, that in 

railroad 

>Thursday afternoon by the its independence.

>

>-----------------------------------

>

>- Ron Davis, Roger Link

>

>

>

>

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