I have a freelanced Virginia short line I plan on modeling. It's set in the 90s and so I figured I could tweak the infamous Virginia caboose laws and say it didn't get repelled till the 90s. That way I can use a CHessie Safety Caboose and patch it with marks for my own pike.
I have collected some cabooses for my Conrail layout. I'm limiting it to 5 because CR was eliminating during my time frame of 1987.
1.) Ex-El MofW wreck caboose.
2.) Ex-PRR caboose for coal service.
3.) Ex-NYC caboose for freight.
4.) Ex-NYC Early CR transfer caboose.
5.) Ex-NH caboose.
#3 is still in service wearing its Conrail blue along the Norfolk Southern line.
Amtrak America, 1971-Present.
Of course my modern era layout has cabeese... They act as "shoving platforms" now, or as a shortened version of a "OCS" for my rail lines superintendents. (They happen to be railfans...) I also have a couple that act as "break rooms" on work trains.
Of course, this sometimes means that they are not always on the end of the trains.
Ricky W.
HO scale Proto-freelancer.
My Railroad rules:
1: It's my railroad, my rules.
2: It's for having fun and enjoyment.
3: Any objections, consult above rules.
I have a caboose for every road name that I run on my layout. They are in the top drawer.
I still run them, even though my period spans from the late 80's to present, well maybe more realistically, to maybe 2008?
It seems that trains I have seen, and try to model, have changed by the time I get them done.
But I also have the EOT's
Mike.
My You Tube
One rule on my layout is every train must have a caboose. That way if I see a train on the track without one, I know I better start looking for the rest of the train.
Dust off that caboose, assuming you have one to dust off. Cabooses have been used in specialty moves after they were taken off mainline trains for a number of years.
But to me not having a caboose on "every train" is just a let down, which is one major reason I back dated to late 1970's thru early 1980's. It was solid in the caboose era.
For those who grew up mainly after mid-1980's, it's probably a lot more acceptable to model trains without cabooses.
Rio Grande. The Action Road - Focus 1977-1983
Many DOD shipments require guards or escorts to accompany them. After the railroads elimnated their cabooses, DOD had to provide their own cars. What you saw on the end of the coal train was a car being ferried to or from a move.
Got another one today. Why does the Dept of Defense have cabooses and why are they on coal trains. Shenandoah VA
Henry
COB Potomac & Northern
Shenandoah Valley
mbinsewiNow look what you've started Henry,
The world needs more cabooses. There is an inverse relationship between the elimination of the caboose and the rise of political correctness and viagra ads.
I used to railfan at the Thomas Viaduct. There is no close parking and I am no longer comfortable walking through certain neighborhoods with an expensive camera, masquerading in my old man costume. In my reckless youth, I used to prowl around Baltimore's Inner Harbor at night before it was a tourist destination and photograph abandoned buildings in dubious neighborhoods.
Brakie, I wondered if that was you.
Back when there were people in Interlocking towers, there was a B&O guy that would welcome visitors. He had some good stories, like switching a train from track 1 to 2 only to have it inadvertently switch back to track 1
Now look what you've started Henry, I just logged into RS, and caught a caboose on the Fostoria East cam. Didn't see much of the train, just the last couple of cars and a caboose. It looked like CSX.
I think CSX saw your post.
Brent, Google virtual railfan, it will be on the top of the list.
Henry, how about posting a link or two. That would be awesome, thanks.
Brent
"All of the world's problems are the result of the difference between how we think and how the world works."
BigDaddyThe webcam fans are a different breed. I find the psychology social science of it fascinating. A lot are school age, some claim to be modelers. They ban the trolls pretty quickly. Plenty are adults and there are also people in their 70s and probably 80's as well. One of the sites has a free cam, that rotates to their various webcams, and you do see the same people folowing where the site goes.
Henry,I suspect those that stay on the cams all day/night has nothing better to do, some may even be in rest homes. Without a doubt it may be safer for them to watch the cams.
At any rate those that likes to type "train or "horn" seems to be the youngsters.
I'm sure you have seen me on the RS cam and like you I don't stay very long especially on those train every two hour cams..
Larry
Conductor.
Summerset Ry.
"Stay Alert, Don't get hurt Safety First!"
rrinkerThat CSX bay window caboose more than anything illustrates how useless a cupola caboose became - all you'd see would be the end of the auto rack.
There was far more going against the demise of the caboose and the biggest force was several FRA rulings that would cost the railroads millions.
Having rode in a side bay I can say you see more then it appears however, the newer extended vision cabooses was much better including giving a superior ride..
How far have we come when what used to be the period on the sentence rates more attention than what begins it? As a 70 something, we now accord the caboose or, "shoving platform", steam locomotive status as a lost piece of railroading, since most railroads had their own distinct design, as they did with their steam power.
I'd rather just go to HSC and watch. I've seen it from both sides - standing trackside and from on an Amtrak train. ANd you kids can just get off my lawn, too.
That CSX bay window caboose more than anything illustrates how useless a coupola caboose became - all you'd see would be the end of the auto rack.
I've seen a caboose shoving platform used by NS crews switching the steel plant in Coatesville. Pretty sure it was still Conrail blue last time i saw it.
--Randy
Modeling the Reading Railroad in the 1950's
Visit my web site at www.readingeastpenn.com for construction updates, DCC Info, and more.
BRAKIEHenry,I like the way a CSX exB&O safety caboose is called a "mystery" caboose.
It did look like a derelict, left rotting in the graffitti yard. Maybe the mystery is why they attached it to a train at all? My theory is someone bought it and it was being transported.
The webcam fans are a different breed. I find the psychology social science of it fascinating. A lot are school age, some claim to be modelers. They ban the trolls pretty quickly. Plenty are adults and there are also people in their 70s and probably 80's as well. One of the sites has a free cam, that rotates to their various webcams, and you do see the same people folowing where the site goes.
I do not sit for hours and hours watching, but I may pop back from time to time and see what's going on. Everytime it's the same people there, all day long and a good part of the night waiting for a train and "chatting" about nothing, waiting to be the first to type "horn" or "train".
I've been checking into the HSC cam, whats interesting is the people in the chat, seems to be the same characters every time, like they have nothing else going on.
Interesting yesterday was a brush fire, and a helicopter dumping water.
Henry,I like the way a CSX exB&O safety caboose is called a "mystery" caboose.
I guess I will never understand such comments.
video railfans saw 4 caboose (cabeese?) on Friday