I was asked by someone when the last wood cabooses were used in North America and my guess was the late 1960s or early 1970s. I really had no answer and now I’m curious. When were the last ones in service?
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Mike Kieran
Port Able Railway
I just do what the majority of the voices in my head vote on.
I suspect a few wood cabooses continued in use to the end of caboose use in the 1980's. Since cabooses normally stayed on one railroad, they were exempt from most federal regulations regarding cars in interstate / interchange service. I know a few CB&Q wood cabooses - some going back to the 19th century - lasted long enough to be repainted by BN.
Robert C. Del Grosso's "Burlington Northern Railroad Cabooses, 1970-1995 has a table of wood cabeese. In January of 1982, BN had:
BN 10907 (ex NP)
BN 11065 (ex CB&Q)
BN 11224 (ex GN)
BN 11272 (ex GN)
In January of 1978, BN had 101 wood cabeese.
From Strack and Ehernberger's "Cabooses of the Union Pacific Railroad", a quick scan appears to show:
The last CA-1 was UP 25766 (with sidedoor), retired November 1971
The last wooden caboose (a transfer caboose) UP 25904, retired April 1976
Ed
Hi,
I don't have the exact date of this rather poor condition photo but it was either 1975 or '76. B&O still had quite a few steel-underframe wood sheathed cabooses.
C2127 was still in daily use. This photo was taken at B&O's Cleveland W. 3rd St. Roundhouse. According to a book by Dwight Jones on B&O cabooses, the last I-5d was retired in 1983.
Good Luck, Ed
1970's in the below article.
http://www.american-rails.com/caboose.html
Rich
If you ever fall over in public, pick yourself up and say “sorry it’s been a while since I inhabited a body.” And just walk away.
I photographed a wood Soo Line caboose in Michigan's U.P circa 1980-81. It was in service.
Dave Nelson