Beauty in the Shadows
In another recent blog post, I wrote about how I found beauty in a scrap heap.
Yesterday, I found beauty in the shadows.
This caboose was parked way back in the shadows of a huge diesel locomotive, over three times its size. It’s the Milwaukee Road #1984, built in 1946.
It’s diminutive size and colorful exterior really appealed to me and I wanted to bring it out into the light with my drawing.
In the U.S., almost all cabooses were retired by 1988, superseded by superior technology.
The American icon of the Little Red Caboose was suddenly history.
At the end of the day, Joel, the Conductor on the Mainline, stopped by to look at my drawings. “Oh, that’s the caboose that’s tucked behind the CN&W in the South Yard.”
Pretty good, considering there are 375 pieces of equipment in the museum, which has the largest collection of ‘rolling stock’ in the U.S.
I’m happy that I’m not the only one who appreciates these treasures of a bygone era.
Sometimes the most beautiful things are hiding in the shadows.
Filed under: Being a Reinventer, Adventures of a Reinventer, Lynne's Reinvention Journey on June 1st, 2009
Dear Lynne,
Don forwarded me your response to him and I checked out your blog. I was delighted by the little treasures that awaited me. I’m restraining myself and not reading the archives so I have more to look forward to.
I love your writing pieces–they are so direct and clear, and they capture so well the cadence of your speaking voice! I will enjoy visiting from time to time and receiving new posts. Thank you for your inspiration.
Mary