Comments on: A few things strike me as interesting in this image… The automobile is a 1955 Chevrolet Model 150 (six cylinder)… There was no shortage of power lines back in 1958… Del’s state-of-the-art Nikon camera was no match for a speeding Pacific-type locomotive. I’m guessing that he was frustrated by his inability to split a second into a thousand tiny pieces.

By: Stephen C. Host

Stephen C. Host — Wed, 12 Aug 2015 15:21:28 +0000

Peter Thank you.

By: Peter Newman

Peter Newman — Thu, 06 Aug 2015 01:12:55 +0000

Thanks for the challenge, Mr. Host! Well, I found the original slide and held it up to the light. Even with a magnifying glass, the caboose number was just a tiny speck. I then loaded the digital discs I received from DigMyPics.com (I had the Rosamond slide scans recorded in both JPEG and TIFF format). The JPEG file was too blurry to answer your question. The TIFF file measured in at a whopping 44.5 MB. On max zoom and sharpness, I’m pretty sure the number is 437054 (the first digit and the last two digits were reasonably clear). With some interpolation from internet research, this falls in line with a series of wooden cabooses manufactured in 1943 (numbers 437039 – 437084). The first round of malt beverages, Sir, is on you!

By: Stephen C. Host

Stephen C. Host — Wed, 05 Aug 2015 14:11:52 +0000

Any idea what the caboose number is? can you read it on Del’s slide Peter?

By: JP

JP — Mon, 03 Aug 2015 21:44:07 +0000

Very nice photo.

By: awmooney

awmooney — Mon, 03 Aug 2015 12:57:35 +0000

You know it was personal service, Mr. Cdntrainphotog. Some of us guys remember personal service. That is what this photo was probably all about. And the van? No matter how short the trip, the boys had to keep the coffee hot.:o) People cared about each other once upon a time. Looking around these days, you’d never know it.

By: Cdntrainphotog

Cdntrainphotog — Mon, 03 Aug 2015 12:29:19 +0000

Agree with Mooney about the classic look of the shot. Power wires and telegraph wires. The train makes one wonder what they were doing…a locomotive and caboose (van) to move a single tank car? The 55 Chev also harkens to a time when cars sold in Canada were a planer version of their U.S. cousins, less chrome trim and fewer paint options. Thanks for posting this.

By: awmooney

awmooney — Mon, 03 Aug 2015 02:39:01 +0000

Good thing Del put in the effort though. What was a standard effort back in 1958 has since metamorphed into an old time classic.