What is the current use for a caboose?

[081552]

Last Saturday night I saw a U.P. freight train go by in Baldwin Park, CA on the Metrolink track with three freight cars and a beat-up U.P. caboose on the end. What's the caboose used for?

[dwil89]

I know some lines still use Cabooses on secondaries and industrial trackage, where back up moves are required, so locomotives don't have to be placed on both ends..The crew on the Caboose can protect the rear of the train and alert the engineer of any problems...

[dehusman]

They are used where the train has to make a long shoving move for the crew to be able to protect the shove.

Dave H.

[JoeKoh]

csx uses theirs here in town for switch moves.the conductor and brakeman enjoy the ride on the cabooses porch.
stay safe
joe

[dknelson]

Cabooses are also used when extremely valuable cargo is shipped on huge cars such as Schnabel cars. A crew of some sort usually accompanies the load because it is so expensive to ship and is shipped under various restrictions.
Dave Nelson

[chad thomas]

SP assigned many cabooses to it's police dept. I don't know if UP continues this practice.

[samfp1943]

Trains pictured a couple of cabooses that were used by the UP to give crews a rest..Not sure what the explanation was..kind of thought they would send them out to pick up a crew shut down for hours on the road, but that would require another crew.. Maybe someone familiar with this process could advise..Thanks, in advance.

[BudKarr]

Whatever the current use happens to be, my hope is that they do not entirely vanish from the railroading scene. I have seen a Van or two while traveling north of the border, not on a routine basis, but did see a couple in operational mode. Must admit that the consists were rather short - no 100 car freights or anything like that.

FRED just is not railroading, but then I am hardly one to qualify as an authority. I just know what I prefer to see.

BK

[TheS.P.caboose]

SP also used cabooses on their locals (i.e. the Northridge Local, Saugas Local, Leesdale Local, etc.). Other trains like the WCBKL ( West Colton to Bakersfield local ) and the old Surf Turn had cabooses.

I'm not sure if other roads used cabooses on their locals.

[Anonymous]

I HAVE TWO IN CENTRAL NJ I AM IN PROCESS OF RESTORING BOTH OF THEM AND REMOUNTING THEM ON ONE SOLID RAIL BODY AND I HOPE TO MAKE IT AMTRAK CERTIFIED BEFORE THE END OF 2005

[Anonymous]

I work for a short line tourist train, and when we hook on three passenger cars, we will take one of our four cabooses...people pay extra, just to ride in a caboose. Why, I don't know.
Most cabooses around here, are used for exhibits, at museums, etc. The BNSF doesn't use them anymore.

[Zebrails]

I live north of the border, Kamloops, BC. There are three actively used cabooses. They are used for back-up moves when the locomotive cannot get to the other end of the train. It is used for crossings and whatever else may wander onto the tracks.
Imagine that, the caboose as the head of the train.[:D]

[theswitchman]

Cabeese are used for diners, cabana's at swimming pools, mother-in-law appartments and a source of income for those who sell them for the above mentioned purposes.

[Anonymous]

At the NC Transportation Museum we use one for overnite stays when necessary to cut down on travel. We call it the "Taj Mahal".

[Anonymous]

A former PRR caboose is used as an information museum at Galitzen, PA which is located at the summit of the horseshoe curve.
Near the Strasburg, PA RR there is a motel comprized of all kinds of cabooses modified as rental motel units. Even a Lionel caboose. Great place to stay,they even have a dining car, with sound and muted moving affects, very realistic.

[Anonymous]

BNSF uses theirs for only Transfer runs.
Allan.

[siberianmo]

Interesting stuff! I've always enjoyed viewing the caboose bringing up the rear of a freight ... just looks "normal" to me. Don't care for the modern stuff with FRED.

As with someone else who mentioned seeing a caboose or two recently on the line, I did too. Was in Canada in May 2005 and saw two of them on separate freights between Montreal, Quebec and Halifax, Nova Scotia. They looked great!

[mrunyan]

The CP still uses several old SOO cabeese on the their Bensenville to Elgin runs, for switch crews. One is so rusted through the white paint, it matches the faded orange of the MILW geep.
They may get stuck out in the sticks waiting for METRA clearance between scoots. And it would not be fun to have all the engine and switch crew crammed in the cab for hours. But when backing up, I've seen the EJ&E use a man up on the ladder of the last car on a empty coal drag at Eola yard.

[Chris30]

QUOTE: By: theswitchman:
Cabeese are used for diners, cabana's at swimming pools, mother-in-law appartments and a source of income for those who sell them for the above mentioned purposes.

I have a feeling that a least of few of those mother-in-law apartments are still on the rails and just might be at the top on long downhill grade.[}:)][;)]

CC

[jeffhergert]

QUOTE: Originally posted by BNSF railfan.

BNSF uses theirs for only Transfer runs.
Allan.

The BNSF's Bayard local, out of Council Bluffs, uses a caboose.
The UP has converted some ex-MP cabooses into what they call, "gang cars" for work train service. They have removed the original seats and placed two rows of seats, length wise for transporting MOW personnel to the job site. Plus, most seem to be outfitted by the assigned gangs with gas grills for preparing lunch.
Some are painted into the UP's MOW green paint, some aren't. Yet.
Jeff

[Ibflattop]

NS uses them on their locals here in Indiana. Kevin

[fuzzybroken]

I found a neat use for a caboose on Railpictures.net:
http://www.railpictures.net/viewphoto.php?id=119419

[Anonymous]

An ATSF caboose is currently being used to house video games at the KOA campground near Yosemite/Mariposa California.

[Anonymous]

QUOTE: Originally posted by 081552

Last Saturday night I saw a U.P. freight train go by in Baldwin Park, CA on the Metrolink track with three freight cars and a beat-up U.P. caboose on the end. What's the caboose used for?

[Dr. John]

Just about 5 miles from where I sit, a former L&N bay window caboose is living out its days as a beauty shop! [:D]

[Anonymous]

Cabooses now days are only good for use on work trains. I worked as a brkmn on a rail train couple yrs back where the mtce crew was dumping welded rail. This job had a BN cab that was able to ride inside of it but the car was not equipped--that is no running water or electric power. Basically my job was to watch the shove on reverse moves. Other that that I kept the car clean, well stocked w/drinking water, had lots of food on hand and stuff to read. This is what you title kjb--kick back jack. Did this for about two months until the job was abolished. Several BNSF yd jobs in KS use cabooses for the crew to have a 'rider car". To me this is somewhat silly. The main reason the rr is providing these cars is so they will not have to pay a HO code for riding the side of a car on a reverse move for over one mile. This pays 25 miles which is about $38.00. Figure that a crew working 5 days per wk, this comes out to an extra $190.00 weekly. That is over $9000. a yr . If I had a choice I would rather not have the silly caboose to mess with and be able to claim my HO code and collect more money that only will go into the bank for retirement.

[JimValle]

The Norfolk Southern yard crew at Dover, DE has an old NYC caboose that they use as a place to get in out of the weather and eat lunch. It gets shifted around the yard a lot but never seems to go out on backup moves. The yard is small and very open so the crummy is now covered with graffiti over its fading conrail paint.

[nbrodar]

CSX uses cabooses on mine runs that have to shove up to the tipples and other local trains that have long shoves. This for safety, and of course to avoid paying the shove penalty.

There are also some private cabooses that are used to accompany high-value shipments.

Nick Brodar

[Anonymous]

The BNSF dose use caboose on the broomfield branch for long backing move they leave it on a siding ;the switch crew , called the buck local, takes a cut of cars south out of longmont colorado ,when they hit broomfield they pick up the caboose that lives in the siding, and then backs in to deliver the cut of cars>>>>[^][^]>>>>glennbob

[Anonymous]

Where the heck is Catawissa? Well, its in Pennsylvania. I visited the "caboosenut.com" and spent a night several years ago in one of the 14 cabeese that are on display. At that time, there were four cabeese that were finished inside as lodging. Now there are eight. I'm also familiar with the Red Caboose Motel in Strasburg, PA which sports a collection of over 40 cabeese each making up a motel room. The Red Caboose Motel sits just off the right of way of the Strasburg Railroad, a tourist railroad near Lancaster, PA and nearer to the Pennsylvania Railroad Museum.