A freshly painted S&NC caboose, SNC 1001, brings up the markers in a D&H inspired scheme on the inaugural run of S&NC service on the former D&H Sanford Lake Branch. The train is crossing Rt 28 in the Town of Indian Lake, Hamilton County at milepost SL 24 (24 miles from Sanford Lake). This marks the return of any type of active rail service to Hamilton County for the first time in over 20 years. The caboose is ex UHRR 101 and ex Penn Central, Conrail 24548, built in 1971 as class N12. This line was urgently built during World War II to reach a titanium deposit deep in the Adirondack Mountains at Sanford Lake-Tahawus. For 40 years daily trains of hopper cars hauled ore down this line but in 1989 that ended with the closure and mothballing of the line. S&NC now offers freight service on this line. The tracks are currently in service to the Barton Mines Garnet Processing Plant in North River.
An assortment of photos of the distinctly unique (and 'cute') little locomotive EMD ever built, the BL2! I understand it also makes a tasty sandwich..Oh, that's a BLT! (When a new BL2 photo is "ordered", it will be served fresh!)
Have you ever watched cabooses, enjoyed their uniqueness, wondered about the men inside, or the jobs they do? Once an everyday sight on the rails, they have decreased in numbers, yet they are a very important part of railroad history.