I saw a caboose last week - why?

[Anonymous]

Last week I saw a caboose on an eastbound BNSF freight in the Columbia River gorge just west of John Day. I suspect that it was going down the Deschutes River branch to Bend - but why the caboose - any of you BNSF experts know???

[BentnoseWillie]

Many roads still use cabooses as "rider cars" on the end of locals that may have to make long reverse moves. Reverse moves have to have a crewman on the "front" to verify to the engineman that the crossing is clear, and the caboose gives him a safer (and more comfortable) place to be than the end of a freight car.

CN used to have a number of vans in such service, but they don't bother maintaining them in most cases, so their numbers are dwindling. The only such car now active east of Joffre, Quebec is in Truro, Nova Scotia.

[adrianspeeder]

To give you an excellent photo op.

Adrianspeeder

[Noah Hofrichter]

The WSOR has a caboose that they use once and a while. Its a transfer caboose and it's supposed to be used to protect a shove on a Ten mile line, but they rarely use it.

Noah

[athelney]

Southern Railway of BC uses cabooses on all their turns still , and they are kept in good condition , lots of local switching involved so thats why they are still in use

[Anonymous]

QUOTE: Originally posted by athelney

Southern Railway of BC uses cabooses on all their turns still , and they are kept in good condition , lots of local switching involved so thats why they are still in use

Looks funny to, because sometimes they'll have a caboose and an end of train device.

The caboose is used more as a place to go and have lunch when the local's are out in the boonies, lots of times the conductor will ride up in the loco now.

[Dough]

CSX uses them all of the time on thier locals around here for end of train protection. As mentioned above a guy rides for reverse moves. I even saw one labeled "shoving platform."[:D]

Of course I have also seen them on other long haul freights for no apparent reason.

Oh and by the way, Welcome to the Forum!!![;)]

[Anonymous]

The Conrail/Norfolk Southern uses cabooses all the time in the Vallyforge area.

[Anonymous]

Wilson,

Union Pacific runs a six-day-a-week local via trackage rights on the Oregon Trunk (the Deschutes River line). The train runs to Bend one day and back the next and was still using a UP bay window caboose when I photographed it in 2002. I'm not sure about BNsf trains using cabooses, but I believe there is/was a BNsf local farther south on the line that uses/used a caboose.

Scott Lothes
Cleveland, Ohio

[CSSHEGEWISCH]

Iowa Interstate uses cabooses on its mainline runs into Chicago since delivery to the IHB at Blue Island involves a long back-up move over several grade crossings and through at least one interlocking.

[Anonymous]

I railfan this line about 3-4 times a year (the trunk). I almost always see cabooses. I belive they use them here because all the switches are manual, and someone rides the caboose to line the switches behind the train. I can't recall ever seeing one between Bend and Klamath Falls or beyond Wishram, So they must just run Wishram-Bend.

[Anonymous]

I saw a caboose behind 2 ex C&NW switcher locomotives in Janesville, WI at what is called the 5 points a few weeks ago. Had a few box cars, gondolas, and lumber flatcars to the best of my memory. Weird site to see. BTW theres also a caboose thats unused and parked at an old depot in Brodhead, WI. It along with the locomotive are old Milwaukee Road units.

[Kozzie]

Welcome aboard wilsonr97124! [:)]

Nice to see cabeese still around the place! Go cabeese! [;)] [:)]

Dave

[Train Guy 3]

QUOTE: Originally posted by macguy

QUOTE: Originally posted by athelney

Southern Railway of BC uses cabooses on all their turns still , and they are kept in good condition , lots of local switching involved so thats why they are still in use

Looks funny to, because sometimes they'll have a caboose and an end of train device.

The caboose is used more as a place to go and have lunch when the local's are out in the boonies, lots of times the conductor will ride up in the loco now.

OOOO the irony..... a caboose attacted to the device that killed it...... oooo the irony.

[Anonymous]

BNSF uses cabeese all the time on locals that require a lot of switching. they use them all the time in the Los Angeles area and i have seen them on the local out of Springfield, MO.

[Anonymous]

in Louisville KY behind Cardinal stadium they have 13 cabs coupled toghether
stairways on the side chairs on the roof and Central heat & air beautiful site and dont forget the L&N Building on 10th & Broadway in downtown
also lots of ex IC cabs on trackside mueseums




after ridin a train from paduca to louisville once i was droped off at fort knox
arrested interogated escorted back to town and was not givin a tour of the so called vault


(THE GOVERNMENT DOES NOT WANT YOU
TO KNOW THERE GOLD IN FT KNOX)