The BN caboose that was donated to Sulligent, AL and repainted as a red/black Frisco caboose is getting a fresh coat of paint and new decals. (It needed it!) This is apparently being done in preparation for "Old Fashion Day," (annual festival - 1st Sat. in Oct. Train crews often stop for BBQ - adding a new element to the idea of "drive-thru!") A contractor from our church won the bid. If it were a true Frisco caboose, I would offer to help just for fun. Oh well, he can paint that "green monster" himself. (Did I just say, "green monster?") Anyway, I'd take a green monster or even a modern "pumkin caboose" over a stinkin' FRED any day. "Stinkin' FREDs!!!" In other news, the last few days have been..."active" for me. About 12:30 pm on 9/15, I saw a BNSF coal consists northbound on the NS in Bear Creek, AL (between Jasper and Florence). I teach there 1/2 day and I can railfan from inside my classroom. Students think I'm crazy! HA! I rarely see anything "orange" on the NS there. Then on 9/17, I happened to be at the right place at the right time and saw a crew change take place in Sulligent...not unheard of but that doesn't happen often. Also on 9/17, I did a little tweaking on my 12' long 4-8-2 BBQ grill/smoker to help the casters underneath roll easier. I'm trying to prep it for it's 2nd front yard static display for the Christmas season. Actually, the darn things so heavy that I'm just trying to make it easier on myself to roll it from underneath the carport to the sidewalk in front of the house. I will probably have to pull it with the lawn mower. Now there's a double header... A 1980 Snapper and a loosely modeled 1926 Baldwin! On 9/18, I went to check out the progress on the caboose paint job and along came a mixed consist...a sight becoming all too uncommon on the B'ham sub now days. I also put 2 structure kits together this weekend... a sand bunker/water tower and a lumber yard shed w/office. I have a modeling tip from the experience... Be careful with exacto knives! When you stab your other hand by about 1/2"...IT HURTS LIKE HECK!!! I'm ok though. I played piano at church last night less than an hour after the accident so it could have been worse. Well, as Porky Pig would say, "That's all folks." Ship it on the Frisco.
I learned a similar lesson in that, when I wear shorts in the summertime, I need to make sure that the #11 blade stays over the workbench, or that my legs stay safely under the workbench.
Yardmaster, Your attachment of the Frisco Safety First logo after my exacto knife story is priceless!!!
