Rule changes for larger cars?

[whitroth]

In the current issue, on p. 36, there's a couple of boxcars, and a caboose. Even in the cupola, you couldn't see around the large boxcar in front.

Would there have been some kind of national rule change to prevent this?

[PC101]

Ok, the September 2020 issue, Volume 87, Number 9, page 36. I'd go for a baywindow caboose. Cheaper to build and you did not have far to fall to the floor in a bay window caboose as compared to a cupola type caboose.

I read that the New York Central switched to the bay window design in '49.

[NHTX]

    Many roads adopted the extended vision caboose where the cupola extended the full width of the loading gauge in their efforts to remedy the problem.  Southern, New York Central, Baltimore & Ohio, and Southern Pacific were early proponents of the bay window caboose although, SP's Cotton Belt susidiary did break with its parent and order some extended vision cars from International Car in 1959 and 1963, while SP went all bay window.  SP's first bay window cars were built by AC&F in 1947.

[BRAKIE]

Since I rode many miles in a cupola I will tell you this.  We was mostly watching for wisps of smoke from a hotbox but, in all truth roller bearings ended that watch.. Then through urban areas we was required to close the screens over the windows and move to a interior seat until we cleared the urban area. 

Why was this?

Rock and bottle throwers along with BB and pellet gun users.

 

[dehusman]

whitroth

Would there have been some kind of national rule change to prevent this?

No.  They just got rid of cabooses.  Automated defect detectors did a better job at detecting hot boxes and dragging equipment.  EOT's provided the engineer with real time information on air pressure.  Roller bearings reduced the number of journal failures.  CTC reduced the need to line switches behind the train.  Singal systems eliminated the need to flag.  About the only thing the caboose was needed for was making reverse moves.

[BRAKIE]

 

Dave, There's much more to that then FRED.. The FRA help the demised of the caboose by requiring railroads install window glazing that would stop a .22 long rife bullet. Then there was maintenance and of course eliminating thousands of jobs.

Also know having men in a caboose was also a safety facture.. Either the conductor or brakeman could dump the air in the event of a emergency  like wheels boucing along the ties or a shifted load.  

A lot can happen those 30 miles between defectors. 

[wjstix]

Just a little background...up until the later 1930's, a "standard" house car (boxcar, reefer, stockcar) was 8'-6" high. Cabooses were built to the same height, so the cupola on the roof allowed a clear view along the top of the cars in front. Once the "standard" car changed to the 10'-6" high car that was so prevalent in the transition era, cupolas didn't work so well. Railroads began switching to bay window or (starting in 1952-53) the "extended vision" caboose which kind of combined a cupola and bay window.

[dehusman]

wjstix

Railroads began switching to bay window or (starting in 1952-53) the "extended vision" caboose which kind of combined a cupola and bay window.

Still didn't really help much, you can't really see anything clearly more than maybe 20-30 cars ahead of the caboose.  Way cool when railroads ran 40-50 car trains.  When trains got to 75-100-125 cars and the cars went from 40 to 50 to 60 ft cars, what could be seen, even from a bay window caboose.  All cabooses have to fit in the same clearance plate as the cars, so they can't really be that much wider.

The other HUGE cost of the caboose, both financial and human, was personal injuries.  The highest probability location of a crewman getting hurt was on the caboose, due in a large part to the slack action.

[BRAKIE]

dehusman

When trains got to 75-100-125 cars and the cars went from 40 to 50 to 60 ft cars, what could be seen, even from a bay window caboose.

Actually 150-230 car was the normal on some railroads. I have rode both wide vision and bay window and could see some of the train if I leaned but,not many cars ahead.  IMHO the bay window gave you a slight advantage.

 

[wjstix]

whitroth

In the current issue, on p. 36, there's a couple of boxcars, and a caboose. Even in the cupola, you couldn't see around the large boxcar in front.

Would there have been some kind of national rule change to prevent this?

 

Keep in mind the boxcars were making money for the railroad, not the caboose. They wouldn't keep freight cars from getting bigger - thereby being able to haul more freight and make more money - just so the crew in the caboose had a better view.