Crow's nest

[Anonymous]

How did one reach the cupola or observation structure (also called the crows's nest, I believe)raised above the roof of the caboose? Missed opportunity seeing real thing.
Also is the Reversing loop used extensively in turning a train around?

[Jackflash]

There are rungs like in a ladder set into the
wall, darn its been a long time, I've seen several
methods, I think I remember a enclosed toilet area
under one side with foot holes and grab irons
going up the wall I know there was more than one
method, but all involved some sort of ladder method, not sure what you mean by reversing loop,
at a power plant I go into, there is a large tear
drop shape loop 7500 feet from clearence point
back around to clearence point that the train goes
around either before or after unloading coal, we
just refer to it as "the loop" and it is indeed
used just to turn trains around, the only trains
that use it are coal trains delivering to the
power company, there is a self lining switch
at the entrance to the loop so that each following
train enters the loop on the oppsite leg, they say
this to balance out wheel wear, hope this helps
jackflash

[CShaveRR]

Two or three steps up was all that it took. If there was a bathroom underneath the cupola, it would be kind of cramped...the cabeese I was in had enough room for a couple of storage cabinets. For me, the cupola floor was at about eye level from the caboose floor--all you needed up there were a couple of seats (benches?) on each side of the center aisle of the caboose (it would narrow down to an aisle at that point).

[Anonymous]

It helps. Thanks, Jackflash!

[Anonymous]

Reversing loops are usually only used with equipment that cannot use a turntable or reverse (i.e. trolleys, light rail). Some equipment uses wyes, which are made up of three tracks connecting to each other, with turnouts, in a triangle-shaped junction. Both wyes and reversing loops take up a lot of space, and are now rarely used.

[Anonymous]

The Santa Fe Caboose's that I seen had seat belts on the chair up in the cuppola. The seat was padded and was adjustable for comfort. Looked to be a nice ride. Underneath one side was a fuel tank for the stove. The one I saw even had a cot in it. (Probably for the conductor's, for we all know how hard they work.)
TIM A

[BR60103]

CN in Toronto had a reversing loop around the roundhouse and the coach yard. I think CP had one too, but it went before I was aware of it. The CN loop was used for turning entire trains (The Canadian was one) when they had cars that were directional (Observations, domes).
The loop and all the rest of the facilities were removed to put ion the Skydome. The Canadian now is turned by circling Toronto. There is a wye at VIA's Mimico yard, used mainly for ONT's Northlander.
--David

[Anonymous]

Wich loop was torn up first, the CN or the CP?
i can't remember now. I beleive they both still existed in 1978.

[edblysard]

The only caboose I have been in was a ex Santa Fe, now owned by Davenport Mammoth. The interior has been redone, the front or long end now has bunks, a fullsized refridgerator and a two burner stovetop and water cooler, and a small toilet. Under the cupola were four seats, somewhat like captains chairs, two on each side, facing each other. The access to the cupola was a wooden ladder, offset to the front, with wide rungs, four of them. The cupola had two bench seats, wooden and very uncomfortable looking, one to the front, with a access hole slightly to one side for the ladder, the rear one was solid all the way across the width of the cupola.
As for reversing loops, we have two, one at the Arco coker unit for loading coke trains, and they run them in the same way every time, and one at what we call the "bulk plant", a unloading dockside facillity, where coke and other bulk loads are transfered to ocean going ships. The loop there is just like jackflash described, with a V switch at its turnout with the main, it saves having to stop and line the switch, and because each time a train uses it to leave, its lined to go in the opposite side of the loop, the next train will just go that way. One train goes in and runs east to west, the following train will go in the west end, running west to east, so forth and so on. We assumed it was designed that way for speed, we run four coke trains a day in winter. The turnout and loop are off a two track main, with a crossover just before the plant entrance. We stage one two trains on one main, and run one into the plant from the other, around the loop, out of the plant and through the crossover, back to the main it was on to begin with, and then we start the first one off the other main, around the loop and through the crossover, following the first, then the third, while all this is going one, we can keep stacking bulk trains up on the one main, and using the other as a escape route back to the yard. This loop is only about three years old, it replaces a bunch of stub end tracks. We used to have to drag up, cut off the train, use the crossover to get on the other main, run around our train, cross back over, then shove the bulk train into the stub tracks. Took about 5 hours to spot one train, now, with the loop, in five hours, we can run three train through the place and have them back on the way to Arco or Sweeney Tx to get filled up again.
Stay Frosty,
Ed

[BR60103]

Most of the CP train yard went in the early 70's when the CN tower was put in. (Still don't know how the CN managed to put its tower on CP land!). The CN loop was still in use in the 80's until the Skydome was built.
--David