My modern regional still utilizes cabeese. They are equipped with snowplows, horn, bells, and headligts for reverse movements but they are mainly used on regular freight trains that are over 20 cars long. I have a question, if the crew has to do reverse movement with the caboose would a Bay Window or Wide Vision Caboose be best? It seems the wide vision has better visibilty but the bay window looks more appealing and modern and does not pose a falling hazard to the crew. Thanks.
Indianapolis Railroad - Indy Rail! Route of the Brickyard Flyer! Established 1976.
On most reverse moves with a caboose that I see from time to time on the CP the crewman or crewmen are on the rear platform and blowing the air "whistle" for crossings. In theory I guess it is a shoving platform and not a caboose. Those are former Soo Line wide vision cabooses.
When the similar situation is seen on the UP locally, they use forrmer C&NW cabooses as their shoving platforms - and those are bay window cabooses. And again the crewman is on the rear platform, even in rough weather.
In short the answer does not seem to rest on which type of caboose is the best for that kind of service, but which kind of caboose seems to be on hand based on the preferences of the railroad (or as in these Milwaukee area cases, the predecessor railroad).
Dave Nelson
There really isn't any difference in visibility between a wide-vision cupola and a bay window but, as noted, you don't have the falling hazard from the bay window.
When shoving, the man protecting the move was supposed to be out on the rear platform, but it was very common to stand just inside the door in bad weather, bad neighborhoods, etc.
By the way, on a lot of local freights and work trains equipped with cupola cabooses, the crew never used the cupola.
Also, I knew some older through freight conductors who never used the cupolas because they couldn't climb up there (especially on the old PRR cabins)
If I were choosing cabeese, my clearances and my prototype's preference would rule.
Actually, since neither coupolas (wide-vision or standard) nor bay windows ever served on the JNR, I don't own a single one. When I use sections of US prototype crummies in my unlikely kitbashes, the bay windows and coupolas are left on the cutting room floor.
Chuck (Modeling Central Japan in September, 1964)
TrAcKr76 It seems the wide vision has better visibilty but the bay window looks more appealing and modern and does not pose a falling hazard to the crew.
It seems the wide vision has better visibilty but the bay window looks more appealing and modern and does not pose a falling hazard to the crew.
I recall reading that SP chose to go to bay window cabooses because they were safer than cupola, where men could get jarred out of their seats and fall down to the floor and get injured.
Rio Grande. The Action Road - Focus 1977-1983
TrAcKr76 My modern regional still utilizes cabeese. They are equipped with snowplows, horn, bells, and headligts for reverse movements but they are mainly used on regular freight trains that are over 20 cars long. I have a question, if the crew has to do reverse movement with the caboose would a Bay Window or Wide Vision Caboose be best? It seems the wide vision has better visibilty but the bay window looks more appealing and modern and does not pose a falling hazard to the crew. Thanks.
Either one would work equally well.
What falling hazard? I have ridden both types of while working on the Chessie and I never heard of anybody on my division falling and word of injury accidents or death gets around pretty fast.
There are safety rules to follow like your not suppose to walk around in a moving caboose without using the hand hold that runs the lenght of the caboose.
Larry
Conductor.
Summerset Ry.
"Stay Alert, Don't get hurt Safety First!"
BRAKIE What falling hazard? I have ridden both types of while working on the Chessie and I never heard of anybody on my division falling and word of injury accidents or death gets around pretty fast.
BRAKIEWhat falling hazard? I have ridden both types of while working on the Chessie and I never heard of anybody on my division falling and word of injury accidents or death gets around pretty fast.
Since you mention it, I can't recall ever hearing of anybody falling out of a cupola either. Of course, as I noted in my post above, some of the men wouldn't go up there at all.
Now, I guess, somebody's going to come up with a report of a "falling out of the cupola injury"
IMO some of the stuff you hear about nowadays about how dangerous cabooses were is exaggerated.
The only falling I can relate to is slipping on the ladder coming down from the cupola "seat" of a wide vision (still in WP paint, awesome). Much better view over and along both sides of the train over the bay window version (ex B&O I-17). Road in both (privately owned). Northfield/ Merideth to Lincoln, NH (Hobo RR)
Modeling B&O- Chessie Bob K. www.ssmrc.org
DSO17IMO some of the stuff you hear about nowadays about how dangerous cabooses were is exaggerated.
Absolutely..That was part of the Railroads PR story ..It lessen the shock of loosing thousands of jobs from carmen to brakeman and some conductors that had little seniority as a conductor as well.
As far as not wanting to ride in the cupola there was a reason..None of us was overly thrilled about being a target for a rock thrower especially in some parts of a city..We would ride there between urban areas.
Now our beloved railroads wants to go to one man crew..A scary thought on one of those 11,000 foot monsters seeing the engineer can not leave his cab even if his train goes into emergency.
Their plan? Is to have a carman station every IIRC 50 miles..If that man is busy then there will be a traffic melt down if the train stops on single track.Now if that train stops in a city blocking crossings I'm sure the public will be happy and jump for joy over that.
What a brilliant idea the management and bean counters came up with.
Not!