Freight trains roll past Caboose Falls on a daily basis, but their arrival times are utterly unpredictable. The only warnings we receive are from the eastbound trains when they sound a signal for the nearby grade crossing. Unfortunately, by the time we hear their horn blasts, it’s too late to hike down the ravine before the locomotives go roaring by.
This week, we implemented a solution that enables us to capture a trackside view of every eastbound train. We are now using a scanner radio which allows us to tune in to the transmissions from an equipment defect detector that is positioned up the line. Whenever a train activates this detector, a message announcing the condition of the train is broadcast. This announcement gives us enough time to hike down the ravine before the trains roll past. The arrival of westbound trains remain a complete surprise for us.
The trains that we see at Caboose Falls are always interesting. This week, along with a lot of great freight consists, we saw a maintenance of way train filled with track repair equipment and another train that included a retired Chattooga & Chickamauga Railway GP11 locomotive #1804.
Miscellaneous Updates
The atrium garden now includes parsley and plans for a permanent herb garden are in the works. Additionally, we planted grape vines near the stairs and, although it’s still quite early in the process, they seem to be thriving.
The toilet in car 518 is functional, mostly. We still have a lot of work to do to restore the plumbing at Caboose Falls, but for now, we can make the toilet flush by pouring in a few gallons of water from a bucket. A big thank you to my father-in-law who took on the task of cleaning the toilet and managed to get it looking better than any of us could have imagined.
Aurelius has been working hard to build his firewood stockpile at Hobo Camp. With every trip to the ravine, he returns with additional stock for his project.