Caboose or waycar?

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7 replies

ericsp

Member since
May 2015
5,134 posts

Posted by ericsp on Wednesday, December 1, 2004 8:02 PM

They also have the nickname of hacks.

You might try posting on this on the Trains forum.

"No soup for you!" - Yev Kassem (from Seinfeld)

johncolley

Member since
February 2002
From: PtTownsendWA
1,445 posts

Posted by johncolley on Wednesday, December 1, 2004 7:48 PM

Vans comes from England, as did Canada.

jc5729

Anonymous

Member since
April 2003
305,205 posts

Posted by Anonymous on Wednesday, December 1, 2004 7:44 PM

Why are they called waycars. For, there cars way in the back.

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Anonymous

Member since
April 2003
305,205 posts

Posted by Anonymous on Wednesday, December 1, 2004 6:51 PM

The CB&Q also called them waycars (short for way-freight car, which is essentially what a caboose is), others nicknames for cabooses included crummies and hacks.

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tatans

Member since
May 2004
4,115 posts

Posted by tatans on Wednesday, December 1, 2004 6:03 PM

I used to hear the term "crummy" for a caboose, never heard "van" I would assume that all the different railways referred to cabooses with very individual names, along with hundreds of other terms.

Anonymous

Member since
April 2003
305,205 posts

Posted by Anonymous on Wednesday, December 1, 2004 3:23 PM

Sometimes they are called "vans" in Canada, never heard the reason why. I prefer caboose myself, or the plural cabeese! [:D]

Bob Boudreau

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espeefoamer

Member since
November 2003
From: West Coast
4,122 posts

Posted by espeefoamer on Wednesday, December 1, 2004 3:02 PM

It depends on the railroad. Most roads called them cabooses, Santa Fe called them waycars,Pennsylvania Railroad called them cabin cars.Other roads may have used different names.