NW Caboose - Old Smoky Railway Museum

The Old Smoky Railway Museum is a collection of rolling stock outside the historic Southern depot in Knoxville, TN.

Doc: The L&N LeprechauN - Erin, TN

This combines the two things Erin is known for, it's Irish Heritage and it's placement as a railroad stop on the line that used to run from Memphis to Clarksville.

The city of Erin was initially inhabited by Irish laborers working to construct the railroad and the city has remembered its Irish heritage. When the railroad completely pulled out, the town decided to construct a park in the heart of town where the tracks used to be. This park is Betsy Ligon Park.

Among the things you can see in the park are a blue L&N Boxcar and Red L&N Caboose (seen in the background) and a picnic pavilion made to look like a train depot.

I think the highlight of the park is Doc the leprechaun. He's wearing an L&N Logo conductor cap, with rail worker overalls and gloves. He also has the leprechaun shoes and socks with a clover on his front.

Ridgetop Station Park caboose

Ridgetop, TN is known for the Ridgetop tunnel, a railroad tunnel completed in 1905 which was the longest in the world. The tunnel runs under the town and is about a quarter mile from this park.

Family Lines System caboose - Ethridge, TN

Most people who pass through Ethridge see all of the Amish stores along highway US43. However, the caboose is located in the small central business district along Depot St.

Family Lines System is a precursor to CSX with the consolidations of several other railroads into one: Seaboard Coast Line; Louisville & Nashville; Georgia Railroad; Clinchfield; Atlanta and West Point Railroad.

L&N Caboose #156

L&N Caboose #156 appears to be on private property but easy to view in Ardmore, AL. The spot labelled as Steve's Junction is along 7th St. fairly close to the live tracks.

Home of Hank Williams Caboose

The Boyhood home of Hank Williams is in Georgiana, AL and this caboose is on the property.

Illinois Central Caboose - Halls, TN

With the IC tracks in the foreground. Halls is a small town in Lauderdale County.

Caney Fork & Western Caboose

The Caney Fork and Western Railroad (CFWR) is a shortline railroad operating since 1983 from a connection with CSX at Tullahoma to McMinnville, TN, 61 miles along old NCStL tracks. Currently the railroad is a subsidiary of Ironhorse Resources. Principal commodities include lumber, steel, fertilizer, grain, propane, and carbon black, generating approximately 1,350 annual carloads. This caboose is seen parked at their main office in McMinnville.

L&N Caboose 6339 - Big Sandy, TN

Located in a mini-park in the middle of the small town

L&N Caboose #369 - Guthrie, KY

Guthrie, KY is a city that became important because of the railroad. Over the years, L&N main lines intersected here, such as the one from St. Louis to Nashville or the one from Louisville to Memphis. Honoring the town's railroad history, they display this caboose in a small city park.

L&N is no more, but there are plenty of trains in town. CSX runs along the old St. Louis to Nashville line. The smaller RJ Corman Railroad also has a major presence in town.

Southern Caboose X741

This Bay Window Caboose is seen at the Bluegrass Railroad museum near Versailles, KY.

Random Caboose at Casey Jones Village

As part of the Casey Jones Village mega tourist attraction is the Casey Jones Motel. Behind the motel are a couple of old passenger trains and this caboose. I don't know if this is part of a "sleep on an old train car" or just something else to see while in the area.

Tennessee Central Caboose #9828 at Night

Seen at the Depot Museum at night in the Cream City Historical District in Cookeville, TN

Southern X561 caboose - Collinsville, AL

located at Veteran's Park in the center of town.

Chessie Caboose #3255 - Jackson, TN

This Chessie caboose is on display outside the historic NCStL Depot Museum. According to the museum's sign:

Chesapeake & Ohio Railway Extended Vision Caboose # 3255

The sides of the cupola project beyond the side of the car body. Introduced by the International Car Co. and saw service on most U.S. Railroads. The extended cupola allowed the crew to see past the top of the taller cars that began to appear after WWII.

The C&O, B&O, and Western Maryland Railroad became the Chessie System in 1972., taking on officially the mascot kitten used in and since 1934 "Chessie". In 1985, Chessie system became part of the CSX Railroad.

GM&O 2618 - Union City, TN

Union City is near the northwest corner of Tennessee and the rail lines that run through town go into Memphis. This caboose is located behind the old GM&O Depot which is today used as the Chamber of Commerce.

Illinois Central Gulf Caboose 199331

This vintage Illinois Central Gulf caboose is seen at the Railroad Museum in Princeton, KY. Illinois Central merged with Gulf, Mobile & Ohio in 1972. So, this caboose was painted with that logo sometime between then, and when they dropped the Gulf in 1988.

Illinois Central Gulf Caboose 199331 - Princeton, KY

This vintage Illinois Central Gulf caboose is seen at the Railroad Museum in Princeton, KY. Illinois Central merged with Gulf, Mobile & Ohio in 1972. So, this caboose was painted with that logo sometime between then, and when they dropped the Gulf in 1988.

Family Lines System Caboose # 16447

This Family Lines System bay window caboose was formerly L&N #6447. Today the caboose is part of the rolling stock equipment owned by the Tennessee Central Railway Museum. However, they must be out of space at the museum as I found this and several other train cars a couple of counties away stored at a passing loop near Carthage Junction, TN.

Carl Perkins Express - Tiptonville, TN

About a decade ago, this vintage Illinois Central caboose was relocated next to the Carl Perkins Boyhood Home. At the time, the caboose functioned as the Tiptonville and Lake County Visitors Center, but more recently a new Center designed like a train station has opened up at the same location.