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Mechanical Department "No no that's fine shove that 20 pound set all around the yard... those shoes aren't hell and a half to change..."
The Missabe Road: Safety First
QUOTE: Originally posted by JBRogers BNSF has a caboose in Corona California, on the Riverside line. I've seen it sitting on a siding in an industrial area just SE of the Interstate 15/91 Freeway interchange. Last Tuesday morning (6/21) it had been moved out on an industrial lead while the local job switched covered hoppers. Has anybody else seen it or know what it's used for?
USAF TSgt C-17 Aircraft Maintenance Flying Crew Chief & Flightline Avionics Craftsman
Originally posted by railfan619 [ Living nearby to MP 186 of the UPRR Austin TX Sub Reply coborn35 Member sinceJanuary 2005 From: Duluth,Minnesota,USA 4,015 posts Posted by coborn35 on Thursday, June 30, 2005 4:47 PM I found this on the AAR website: Why don't railroads use cabooses anymore? Railroads simply made them better! The "little red caboose" at the end of freight trains had been there so long, most people think they are still there. But, like the steam locomotive of sixty years ago, the caboose has become a thing of the past. The caboose was heading towards obsolescence for many years, as increasing railroad automation took over more and more of the functions formerly performed by the crew members who rode cabooses. For instance, the caboose is no longer needed as an office for the conductor, since the conductor’s paperwork has been greatly reduced by computerization. It is no longer necessary for crew members to be stationed in the caboose to serve as lookouts for worn or dragging equipment, wheel malfunctions or other operational problems. Such problems, which are far rarer now than they once were, can quickly be detected by various kinds of sensors stationed along the tracks and attached to the end of the train. Modern switching, signaling and communication systems have reduced the need for crew to be at the rear of the train to perform manual switching of tracks, signaling with flags and other such functions. Things changed in 1982. The major railroads negotiated many issues involving modernization with the transportation unions, and the caboose was let loose from the rest of the freight train at that time. They concluded that cabooses "may be eliminated in each class of [freight train] service without undermining safety and operational considerations." The Board further expressed the belief that "the elimination of cabooses should be an on-going national program," negotiated locally. A subsequent labor agreement negotiated in 1985 allowed for total elimination of cabooses from unit-type trains (i.e. trains carrying a single commodity, such a coal or grain), and from intermodal-type trains (such as "piggyback" trains or double-stack container trains). These elimination’s did not count towards the 1982 agreement’s limit for through-freights. The caboose provisions of the 1982 and 1985 labor agreements remain in effect today. In the spring of 1986, the Nebraska state legislature repealed a law that mandated the use of cabooses on certain trains operating in and through that state. Not too long thereafter, Oregon, Montana and Virginia abolished their laws mandating cabooses, leaving no states in the nation with such statutes on the books. During the 1980s, rail labor unions, claiming safety concerns, attempted to get caboose laws passed in those states that did not already have them. Though bills were introduced in most state legislatures, all these bills eventually failed. Did it cost a lot to operate a caboose? Yes. Running cabooses brought about extra costs for such items as car switching, repairs, interior heating and the additional diesel fuel that the locomotive must burn to pull the caboose. There are also capital costs, costs that come from merely owning cabooses, since a railroads caboose fleet ties up thousands or millions of dollars that could otherwise be put into railroad improvements or some other productive use. Several years ago the railroads estimated that gross savings in operating costs alone from phasing out cabooses would come to about $400 million a year. Since the end of train monitoring devices that are now used on trains would cost about half as much to operate, there would be a net savings in operating costs of about $200 million annually. Cutting needless costs frees up funds that can be invested in improvements to provide better service for railroad customers and the North American consumer, and to help insure a brighter future for the rail industry. What is at the end of a cabooseless train? Trains are now equipped battery powered end of train monitoring devices. These devices fit over the coupler of the last car, and monitor the air-brake pressure and the speed at which the end of the train is moving. They then transmit this information to the locomotive crew. The devices also have a marker light to improve the train’s visibility at night. How long have cabooses been around? The caboose probably first appeared on U.S. railroads in the 1850s, although it was little more than a rolling hut at the time. The word "caboose" probably came from the Dutch kambuis, meaning "cabin house" or "ship’s galley." The word was used in nautical language in English before it was introduced into railroading. Over the years, the caboose grew in size and in function. It became an office and a "home away from home" where crews could work, cook, eat and sleep. From the caboose’s cupola, crews could watch the train ahead to see that everything was working smoothly; and they could signal to the engineer up front in the locomotive if anything went wrong. At various times, the caboose has been given the names of conductor’s car, cabin car, accommodation car, van car and way car. In the more informal lingo of the train crews, it has been known as a crummy, a doghouse, a bird cage, a bone breaker, a snake wagon, a cigar box, a hearse, and a library. Here are the web sites of some historical societies and other organizations concerned with remembering the legacy of the proud caboose: Union Pacific: A Brief History of the Caboose American Railway Caboose Historical Educational Society, Inc. Conrail Cabooses Penn Central Cabooses Catawissa Railroad Company The Caboose Hobbies Mechanical Department "No no that's fine shove that 20 pound set all around the yard... those shoes aren't hell and a half to change..." The Missabe Road: Safety First Reply UPJohn Member sinceFebruary 2004 From: New Jersey 222 posts Posted by UPJohn on Thursday, June 30, 2005 5:31 PM Cost.......... Everyone wants more money!!!!!!!!! and new improvements in technology! John Reply Anonymous Member sinceApril 2003 305,205 posts Posted by Anonymous on Friday, July 1, 2005 5:53 PM coborn, Thanks for posting that, I enjoyed reading it. Reply Edit Join our Community! Our community is FREE to join. To participate you must either login or register for an account. 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Living nearby to MP 186 of the UPRR Austin TX Sub
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