L&N Memorial Caboose in Waverly, Tennessee USA
Posted by: 
doc_tracker
N 36° 05.245 W 087° 47.542
16S E 428664 N 3993935
Memorial to railroad disaster
Waymark Code: WM1BJR8
Location: Tennessee, United States
Date Posted: 02/19/2025
Views: 0
Louisville and Nashville Railroad (LN) caboose in Waverly, Tennessee (Humphreys County). The caboose serves as a museum and memorial to the tragic tank car explosion in 1978 which killed 16 people and injured almost 200 more, some very badly. The train had derailed two days earlier and as the work crews were hoisting the stricken cars the explosion occurred. The caboose was moved to its present location for the 25th anniversary of the disaster. It sits very near the wreck site.
This is a bay window transfer caboose typical of cabooses built by the Fruit Growers Express in Alexandria, VA. In 1981, Fruit Growers Express built a batch of 50 transfer cabooses for L&N , numbered 6600-6649.
There are no markings on, in or under the caboose to indicate its car number. The outside of the caboose has not been noticeably changed since its railroad days. The inside has been remodeled to be a museum. The caboose has city power but no plumbing. The caboose is in a public area. Visitors are allowed to climb on the platforms and can enter the cabin if it is unlocked.