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Will Our Rail-Friendly President Reinstate the Caboose?

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Posted by SD70Dude on Friday, December 18, 2020 12:48 PM

Greetings from Alberta

-an Articulate Malcontent

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Posted by tree68 on Friday, December 18, 2020 12:50 PM

n012944
A caboose doesn't help with that.  

And it's a lot easier to move an EOT/FRED than it is a caboose...

LarryWhistling
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Posted by Shock Control on Friday, December 18, 2020 12:52 PM

n012944
Potential freight customers  don't care if the model railroads are accurate in their portrayal of the real thing.

Model Railroads are the real thing.  It is about life-size railroads being accurate in their portrayal of model railroads.  As Oscar Wilde said, "There was no fog in London until Whistler started painting it."  

 

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Posted by Ulrich on Friday, December 18, 2020 12:57 PM

I well remember several TV documentaries and interviews back in the 1980s when the elimination of the caboose was imminent. The sky was going to fall, and with it safety and everything else. Yet here we are.. But having grown up in the 70s I do miss seeing them.. and back in those days it was nice to get a wave from someone up in the cupola. 

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Posted by Overmod on Friday, December 18, 2020 1:01 PM

Ulrich
... back in those days it was nice to get a wave from someone up in the cupola.

I shudder slightly to think that the generation after ours might be saying the same thing about a wave from a cab...

(NOT to reopen the troll session about waving! Surprise)

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Posted by York1 on Friday, December 18, 2020 1:01 PM

This whole topic is silly.

This thread is taking up valuable space that should be used for discussing a real issue -- the disappearance of wigwag crossing signals.

York1 John       

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Posted by Overmod on Friday, December 18, 2020 1:06 PM

York1
This thread is taking up valuable space that should be used for discussing a real issue -- the disappearance of wigwag crossing signals.

They were nearly all gone by the time I was a teenager --I found the one remaining one on the Erie Northern Branch in Northvale and was astounded, as if I'd found a dodo or a live dinosaur.

What needs discussion is the loss of real crossing signals -- the Holley Rudd kind with red glass lenses and real bells.  There are surprisingly few of them in the places I go, now, and it's troubling to think of them only in museums like the remaining Patenall CPL heads...

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Posted by Paul Milenkovic on Friday, December 18, 2020 1:09 PM

BaltACD

Caboose has the same likelyhood of coming back as the coal fired steam engine does of replacing the diesels.

 

As the Jim Carrey character in a movie told a woman who was trying to  brush him off, "So you're telling me there's a chance!"

so you're telling me there's a chance - Bing video

If GM "killed the electric car", what am I doing standing next to an EV-1, a half a block from the WSOR tracks?

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Posted by Electroliner 1935 on Friday, December 18, 2020 1:25 PM

Shock Control
No one cares about the intricacies about how railroads work.  We demand cabooses for their aesthetic appeal. 

Your demands and $5.15 will get you a cup of coffee. But its a nice diversion from other threads on the forum. Keep dreaming. Never know what might come of them.

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Posted by Shock Control on Friday, December 18, 2020 1:42 PM

Electroliner 1935
 Your demands and $5.15 will get you a cup of coffee. But its [sic] a nice diversion from other threads on the forum. Keep dreaming. Never know what might come of them.

Unless our rail-friendly President-Elect shares my concerns!  Yes

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Posted by Murphy Siding on Friday, December 18, 2020 1:51 PM

Overmod
 
Murphy Siding
Coincidence?  Or shall I say, "oincidence?"

 

You should say "oinidene".  Just like Lithonia should have said "onspiray"

It's only foolish onsisteny that's a hobgoblin of small minds.

 

You quoted me, but that wasn't me. It was Shok ontrol. Geeked

Thanks to Chris / CopCarSS for my avatar.

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Posted by wjstix on Friday, December 18, 2020 1:54 PM

Prez-to-be Biden has long been a champion of Amtrak and passenger rail, don't know that I can recall him saying anything re freight trains / railroads. I believe as a Senator he did vote 'yes' on the Staggers rail deregulation act under Pres. Carter.

Stix
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Posted by Overmod on Friday, December 18, 2020 2:22 PM

Murphy Siding
You quoted me, but that wasn't me. It was Shok ontrol.

You are orrect, and I have hanged the post aordingly.  I have no idea what rap Kalmbah ommitted to put your name in that itation; I used their 'add quote to your post' faility.

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Posted by Erik_Mag on Friday, December 18, 2020 2:25 PM

You misspelled Kalmbah.

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Posted by Overmod on Friday, December 18, 2020 2:27 PM

Erik_Mag
You misspelled Kalmbah.

Fixed before you posted.  I had to pee.

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Posted by Flintlock76 on Friday, December 18, 2020 3:52 PM

BaltACD

Caboose has the same likelyhood of coming back as the coal fired steam engine does of replacing the diesels.

 

Stranger things have happened.  In 1960 whoever thought muzzleloading firearms would get popular again?

Hence my avatar.

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Posted by BaltACD on Friday, December 18, 2020 4:03 PM

Flintlock76
 
BaltACD

Caboose has the same likelyhood of coming back as the coal fired steam engine does of replacing the diesels. 

Stranger things have happened.  In 1960 whoever thought muzzleloading firearms would get popular again?

Hence my avatar.

Popular as curiosity's, not as first rank firearms.  We alread have the curiosity steam engines operating as various tourist attractions - some of which probably have a caboose in their operation.  Neither steam nor cabooses will become the requirements of operating one of the current Class 1's profitably. 

Never too old to have a happy childhood!

              

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Posted by Flintlock76 on Friday, December 18, 2020 4:31 PM

BaltACD
Popular as curiosity's, not as first rank firearms. 

Not first-rank?  These guys might disagree with you!  Here's first-rank, as in:

"First rank, FIRE!"

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=l3k8Bv35bJE  

Lighten up a bit Balt, we're having fun being silly, you know?  Beats all the gloom, doom, and discontent that's been going on around here lately. 

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Posted by York1 on Friday, December 18, 2020 4:32 PM

BaltACD
Neither steam nor cabooses will become the requirements

What about wigwag signals?  Please don't rain on my parade of hope.

York1 John       

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Posted by Shock Control on Friday, December 18, 2020 4:34 PM

York1
What about wigwag signals?  Please don't rain on my parade of hope.

When approximately did these go out of vogue?

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Posted by BaltACD on Friday, December 18, 2020 5:45 PM

York1
 
BaltACD
Neither steam nor cabooses will become the requirements 

What about wigwag signals?  Please don't rain on my parade of hope.

Build it and MAYBE someone will install it.  to paraphrase 'Field of Dreams'

Never too old to have a happy childhood!

              

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Posted by BLS53 on Friday, December 18, 2020 6:10 PM

The more I see of these contract vans running around on indirect routings, hauling crew members from one end of a train to another, the more I think eliminating the caboose was a bad idea. Put one guy in the loco, another in the caboose. Problem solved without adding crew cost. Or in the age of DPU's, have them function as a caboose.

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Posted by Gramp on Friday, December 18, 2020 6:15 PM

How 'bout a large terminal full of belching steam locomotives. Wouldn't the environmental crowd love that?

Better than the fragrance of jet fuel permeating O'Hare Field. 

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Posted by 54light15 on Friday, December 18, 2020 7:18 PM

BLS53- I think you're on to something. Don't OTR trucks often have co-drivers? One in the sleeping compartment and one behind the wheel? A caboose would amount to the same thing, wouldn't it? 

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Posted by tree68 on Friday, December 18, 2020 7:22 PM

BLS53

The more I see of these contract vans running around on indirect routings, hauling crew members from one end of a train to another, the more I think eliminating the caboose was a bad idea. Put one guy in the loco, another in the caboose. Problem solved without adding crew cost. Or in the age of DPU's, have them function as a caboose.

So now the crew van has to get to both ends of the train to swap out crews.  Not to mention that doing a crew briefing on a 13,000 train will have to be via radio... 

LarryWhistling
Resident Microferroequinologist (at least at my house) 
Everyone goes home; Safety begins with you
My Opinion. Standard Disclaimers Apply. No Expiration Date
Come ride the rails with me!
There's one thing about humility - the moment you think you've got it, you've lost it...

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Posted by Overmod on Friday, December 18, 2020 7:38 PM

54light15
A caboose would amount to the same thing, wouldn't it?

It is if your idea of a driver swap involves the same distance as commuting from Hoboken to midtown Manhattan.

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Posted by Paul Milenkovic on Friday, December 18, 2020 7:53 PM

Overmod

 

 
54light15
A caboose would amount to the same thing, wouldn't it?

 

It is if your idea of a driver swap involves the same distance as commuting from Hoboken to midtown Manhattan.

 

 

Swimming, by the PATH train or by taking the bridges?

If GM "killed the electric car", what am I doing standing next to an EV-1, a half a block from the WSOR tracks?

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Posted by Overmod on Friday, December 18, 2020 8:20 PM

Paul Milenkovic
Swimming, by the PATH train or by taking the bridges?

Bridges????

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Posted by SD70Dude on Friday, December 18, 2020 8:22 PM

Overmod
Paul Milenkovic
Swimming, by the PATH train or by taking the bridges?

Bridges????

Go far enough upstream and you'll find others.  Or loop around via Staten Island.

Greetings from Alberta

-an Articulate Malcontent

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Posted by Semper Vaporo on Friday, December 18, 2020 8:51 PM

Once the Steam Locomotive has gone past, I don't much care what follows (though I do have a preference for a General Merchandiser freight).  If there is no Steam Locomotive on the front, then there is even less reason to care what is on the tail end.

Semper Vaporo

Pkgs.

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