My understanding is that bay window cabooses were first used in railroading in the 1920's. And that the bay windows allowed crew to watch for load-shifting without having to climb the cupola of a standard caboose.
That being the case, was the bay window caboose positioned in the middle of a freight train rather than being the trailing car? This would seem to make sense, allowing crew to better see up and down the entire line of cars.
My O-gauge bay window caboose (Lionel 6-9174) has couplers on both ends, allowing for interior placement in the train. Would such a line of freight cars also have a standard caboose as the trailing car?
I am seeking realism in this regard.
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The first, rudimentary forms of bay window cabooses may have originated in the 20's, but they really took off and gained popularity in the post-war era when some boxcars grew to a size that caboose crews couldn't see over them if they were postioned at or near the end of the train.
That being said, I've never seen any photographic evidence of bay window cabooses being placed mid-train. They were always at the end of the train like other cabooses. I have seen photos of trains with cabooses right behind the locomotives, but those were typically on local runs with a lot of deliverys and pick-ups, it was a lot more convenient that way, one switch crew at the head-end and one at the rear.
So, go ahead and place that bay window caboose at the end of the train, you won't be wrong.
Cabooses were always at the end of mainline runs because of the rear breakman/flagman. In case of an emergency, or any time the train made a stop on the main, it was his job to run down the track a distance specified by the rule book to light fusees and place torpedoes to protect the rear of the train. Placing the caboose in the middle would extend the amount of time required to perform those duties and with the typical tight scheduling of trains it just wouldn't work. Crews often called cabooses coffins because they were prone to rear end collisions.
Trains, trains, wonderful trains. The more you get, the more you toot!
I will agree with the above comments. I can tell you after watching numerous trains on the L&N, Southern and Georgia railroads, all of which operated baywindow cabooses, that the caboose was always at the end of the train. The one exception to the rule was the Southern had a practice for short while back the sixties of building two trains in one and moving both of them for some distance to a terminal where they would be split up again. In a case like that, you would see a caboose cut into the middle of the train, but it would be ummaned. That practice didn't last long however.
Becky's absolutely right, she remembered what I forgot!
Listen, if you're interested in cabooses there's a fantastic and very entertaining history of the same called "The Railroad Caboose" by William F. Knapke. Originally published in 1968 it's never really been out of print. My copy is the 12th printing from 2001! It's worth looking for at train shows or on-line.
If proper placement is to be the trailing car, why then does my O-gauge bay window caboose (Lionel 6-9174) have couplers on both ends?
Is this car not a true representation of an authentic bay window caboose?
All cabooses had couplers on both ends. That way it could be coupled to the train from either end of the caboose without being wyed or turned on a turn table.
Correct. It was simply a cost cutting measure for toy train manufacturers to leave off the second coupler. Cost cutting is also why a lot of cars had one operating and one non-operating coupler.
Not really the same type as what ionel modeled, but here's a bay window caboose near me:
Just in case anyone's wondering what he's got, here it is...
http://www.worthpoint.com/worthopedia/lionel-9174-nyc-e-bay-window-135682371
Pretty nice model, but remember, it's a "toy." The couplers aren't exactly scale to begin with!
You know what? I'd run it with the "Road To The Future" catchphrase to the front, and the New York Central disc and caboose chimney to the rear. I think it'd look better that way but remember what "LandN" said, the real railroads would have run it in whatever direction was convenient.
And don't be spooked by the photo Becky posted, that's ONE variant of a bay window caboose, they didn't all look like that.
I understand you want to be protyipical correct, but the bottom line is, you can place it where you want. as others have said, in real life they all had couplers at each end, also, it was not the only place a caboose would be ( the end) I have seen them in the middle but also on the end. If it was in the middle, it most likey got picked up with a load of cars being switched to another area. Just like I have seen 3 engines a few cars and then 3 or so more engines, the engines where being taken to somewhere they where needed.
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