Train Caboose
Haunted Mason House Inn
Do you like haunted hotels?
Do you like trains?
I know, they don’t really go together logically, do they?
Well, they do if you’re at the Mason House Inn, Bentonsport, Iowa.
The Mason House Inn is a cool old haunted hotel with tons of ghostly activity. And if you’re just a bit weary of the ghosts keeping you up at night, you can always stay in their caboose lodgings.
There.
See?
Haunted hotels and trains do go together!
Mason House Inn was built in 1846 as a hotel for the steamboat travelers on the Des Moines River. That’s a lot of time for a place to acquire ghosts!
And they have a few. They’re usually pretty active, too.
There’s an old lady by the fireplace in the dining room.
There’s a boy in knickers on the second floor landing who likes to wave to people. Don’t see him? Wave anyway, you’ll make him happy!
A man was murdered in Room 7. He was just a traveler who had visited a local tavern and well, had a bit too much to drink since he tried to climb in a bed that wasn’t his. Surprise surprise. The man already occupying the bed took exception to the intrusion and promptly stuck a saber in the intruder’s heart. The instant making of a ghost!
There’s also a lot of normal ghostly activity like orbs in pictures (don’t forget your camera!), foggy images in mirrors, doors opening and closing by themselves, footsteps when no one is there, all sorts of things ghosts like to do to make their presence known.
And what’s more, you can take a ghost hunting class at the Mason House Inn, too. Yep, a real live ghost hunting class at a real live haunted hotel.
Way cool!
And what’s this about caboose lodgings?
Well, they also have a caboose you can stay the night in. It’s one where you can climb up into the cupola, too. A lot of caboose lodgings don’t have that little extra added bonus. So this one is special, with a little table up in the cupola, too!
Wow! A haunted hotel and a caboose, too. What an adventure!
For more information about a stay at the haunted Mason House Inn & Caboose Cottage or their ghost hunting classes call (319) 592-3133.
About the Author
The author, Mollie Manuell, enjoys traveling, writing and photography. She especially likes to seek out different and unusual tourist attractions. She maintains a website about weird tourist attractions that reflects this interest.
Train Caboose
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I loved the Caboose on Trains as a boy. Why is there no more today?
What happened that Trains no longer have them? What were they used for in the first place?
Mr. Goodbar's idiotic (I was going to say sophomoric but there is probably no chance he would understand this word or know how to navigate a dictionary to find its meaning) comments aside, the caboose is history.
The caboose served many purposes. Its primary function was as an office for the conductor. The freight cars in a train were accompanied on their journey with "way bills", which contained information regarding the shipper, the consignee, lading, tonnage, special handling or other needed information. It was the conductor's responsibilty to see that these papers were organized and handed off to a relieving conductor. In the earliest days, a conductor was assigned a caboose, and it was HIS, the same as for the engineer's locomotive.
In addition, the conductor had to keep records of the train's movements, delays, switching, time cars were set out, picked up or spotted.
Cabooses were also a place where the train could be observed more closely. The engine crew could only see so far back and eyes were needed at the end of the train. Also, when entering or leaving sidings, someone had to be at the rear of the train to realign the switch after the train had passed. This was either the brakeman's or conductor's responsibility. It was also required that when stopped, even on trackage where there was signal protection, a brakeman had to provide flag protection for the rear of the train.
Trains often carried three, four or five brakemen. One, on the head end (this was the lowest seniority position, as the head end did most of the work, although the term "head" brakeman sounded like a position of authority) with the rest bouncing around inside the now extinct cabooses.
When cabooses were employed on "work trains", they often carried maintainance of way people around. The same for snow service.
When testing of the air brake equipment was required, somone had to read the guage at the rear of the train to monitor the air test, as well as give the "highball" (proceed) signal and ensure the brakes had released and the brake pipe pressure was being restored.
These days this monitoring and other actions is accomplished via two way telemetry, allowing the engineer to keep track of what the condition of the rear end is, as well as initiate an emergency application of the air brakes from the rear of the train.
Though nostalgic, their passing has been a benefit. Some engineer's were not real proficient in controlling the "slack" in the train and many caboose rides ended in injury, often times very serious ones.
Hope this answers the question for you. Thanks for asking. By the way, tell someone to tell someone that when near ANY rail road tranks, LOOK before crossing, even if there is crossing gate protection. The truth is, they don't always work..............