Narrow gauge crummy from Bosnia

This month's contest is somewhat discriminatory, as here in Europe we do not have cabooses, this putting us in handicapped position. Well, actually, we do have kind of caboose or office car, as it is called here, which is used on the local freight jobs for transporting train conductor, switching crew, and eventually LCL load, and is, contrary to US practice, coupled immediately behind the locomotive. However, this thing is ugly, and I could not stand the chance with it.

Fortunately, 30 years ago, while visiting narrow gauge logging railroad in Bosnia, I took the picture of one and only caboose I ever saw in this part of the world. This 2' 6" (actually 760 mm or 29,92") crummy could easily rival those homemade shacks or brain wagons from Oregon or Washington logging lines hundred years ago.

So, here is my entry, showing this crummy standing on the siding at Miljevina, some 30 miles southeast from Sarajevo. Behind it is a coaling gondola, with fireman shoveling coal into locomotive coal bunker, while engineer of 0-6-0T dinky oils its running gear. Barely seen in the blue yonder is Jahorina Mountain, once site of the winter Olympic games, and later bloody battlefield between Bosnian Serbs and Moslems. But in 1972, when this picture was taken, everything was still peaceful and friendly.

Few additional photos from this line are posted in Miljevina Logging Line thread in International section

Photographer: misko