I thought cabooses were no longer used anymore. I just happen to be driving by my neighborhood rail yard in northern RI and found this caboose parked there. It’s on a very active rail system and it has a very new looking paint job. P&W is a regional RR. Anyone familiar with this? I’m very curious. . . .
I am not familiar with the caboose in your photo but I have seen a few cabeese used in the Inland Empire of southern California. There is almost laways a BN in Corona, and I have seen one in Ontario also. There is usually a caboose in the Victorville area as well, mostly taking up space where the RR crosses under the 15 freeway in the old section of town. There are many major industries to work up there like Cemex, the pet food place, and the paint manufacturer.
So it looks like they are on a comeback.
There are almost no cabooses in the U.S., Canada, or Mexico still used as “cabooses” in the traditional sense – where a conductor (and brakeman) ride and provide visual inspection of the train, flag the rear of the train, and close switches behind the train. What IS in use are what the industry calls “shoving platforms,” which are used for a crewman to ride and protect the “point” of the train during long reverse moves, and to operate hand-throw switches. Reverse moves are not legal by rule (or by statute) across public roads, unless a man is riding the point of the train to tell the engineer by radio to stop if it is unsafe. Because it is tiring and becomes unsafe to ride the ladder of a freight car on a long reverse move, shoving platforms are introduced. Generally their use is restricted to locals and branch line trains where regular long reverse moves are regular and necessary.
Shoving platforms are usually a caboose but sometimes an old, short flatcar with a small doghouse on top for a crewman is made up by the railroad.
As much from an aesthetic point of view I would be pleased to see cabooses return, pragmatically speaking they reached the end of their value a long time ago, and the chance of their returning is nil.
There are also cabooses used to offer rides to tourists and rail enthusiasts but that’s not a “caboose” in the traditional sense. As I recall people have mentioned a few odd places where a railroad still uses a caboose as a caboose, but I cannot recall where they are.
RWM
BNSF’s local here in Memphis uses a caboose in its train. Its the only caboose on BNSF being used around here!
The local CSX train coming through Fortville, Indiana often uses a caboose. They use it for not only a switching platform, but also in the classic sense.
I believe if a train, usually a local, “pushes” its train (cars in front of locos) they will use a caboose.
A few are still in use, both on Class 1s as shoving platforms, as noted, and on smaller shortlines and regionals. One of the local terminal shortlines, the Richmond Pacific Railroad (RPRC), has a spiffy new paint job on its second-hand (former GN/BN) caboose. I’m told one of the reasons the caboose is there is to provide comfort facilities for the crews, but because the crews know they will have to clean said facilities at the end of the shift, they never use the caboose for that purpose. There are a lot of somewhat blind shoving moves to get cars into some industries, so it’s definitely handy for those occasions as a crew platform. Here’s a photo:
You can read more about the RPRC here and here. It’s a neat little railroad and would be a fine prototype to model in the contemporary era. RMC has had the material for an article on the RPRC for a year or two, hopefully we’ll see that soon.
Byron
Model RR Blog
On the BNSF we have them assigned to most all work trains. In Seattle there are still a few jobs that use ‘‘real’’ cabooses. Last work train I was on this last fall had a ‘‘real’’ caboose, working lights, radio and thank god the stove worked. I will try and post some pics. On the other hand there are some pretty shabby ‘‘riding platforms’’ used in switching operations. If I remember tomorrow I will post some pics if I remember.
I have seen one myself in the last few years. Owned by CSX here in virginia at there Petersburg yard. Only seen it runing behind a few cars and one engine.
Great info - thanks everyone!
Norfolk Southern uses an ex Conrail caboose on its local through Goshen Indiana.
I think Union Pacific had one in use in Janesville, WI until a few years ago. Presumably it was for longer backing moves, as mentioned.
The Alaska Railroad has cabooses in common use. This is because the majority of their trackwork is “dark territory.” Every frieght train I saw when I road the train from Seward to Fairbanks had a caboose on the end. Here is some cabooses on the caboose track in Anchorage.
Hydro One, Ontario’s Hydro company uses one when they move large generators or equipment.
I think the UP still has a caboose in Janesville, and in Jefferson Junction, for that job. Long shove from Fort Atkinson back to Jefferson.
CP has one or two in Muskego Yard, for the local jobs there.
I saw a caboose on a BN train (think it might have been a work train i cant remember) near my house a couple months back, I had to do a double take and my dad who was in the car with me said “Now theres somthing you dont see every day!”
I miss cabooses [V]
CP uses a couple of old Soo Line cabooses (one white, one brown - both rusty!) basically as shoving platforms between Pig’s Eye yard in St.Paul and the big refinery on the St.Paul Park/Cottage Grove border a few miles down river. I believe there’s another local run that uses a caboose in the St.Paul suburbs, but can’t remember right now if it’s BNSF or CP.
BNSF still uses cabooses on some jobs in Superior / NW Wisconsin, in fact I saw pics a few months ago that they had just re-painted some in c.1980 BN paint and lettering.
It happens…sometimes.
Just wanted to toss another log on the fire…
I saw a bay window caboose on the tail end of a westbound CSX train passing through Plant City, FL within the last couple of years. Not sure whether it was a work train, local freight, or whatever, or in what capacity the caboose was being used (shoving platform or true caboose). Nevertheless, it was still nice to see it bringing up the rear! [:)]
In Quesnel, BC (Canada) the yard crew usually takes an old two-tone green BC Rail caboose with them when they go up to the north end of town to switch the lumber and pulp mills. Also, Southern Rail (of BC) usually has a caboose on the end of each train.