Does the caboose always go with the engine and cars on its run?
I am building a small industrial switching layout with SP tiger stripe era engines.If so what SP caboose should I use?
Thanks Tomas
Well, this one would work: http://www.walthers.com/exec/productinfo/932-7602
OR, if it’s 1956 or later, this version of the same thing: http://www.walthers.com/exec/productinfo/932-7603 (with the details added, of course)
Andre
Tom,
If this is a 50’s era layout, the above posts are good suggestions. As far as would the caboose always go with the engine:
A caboose may be required if the train went out on the mainline, or some type of warning like a red flag would be affixed to the last car. If the switch job was in ‘yard limits’, the a caboose may not be required. A caboose on a long industrial lead may be used anyway it the cut of cars is too long, or there is a long backup movement. One still sees old cabooses used a ‘rider’ cars so the conductor has a sheltered place to stand, rather than hanging off the side of a freight car.
Jim Bernier
For your “tiger stripe” swtr Walthers’ wood SP caboose would be ideal. While cabooses were rarely used in yard service (except in transfer service between yards) yard engines were frequently used on locals and for industrial switching in and near yards and it would be common to have a yard caboose (pretty much a “shed on a flatcar” arrangement) or a former road caboose down- rated to local or yard service for the convenience of the crew and to provide “office space” for the condr/foreman.
Depending on the town local switchers sometimes had to have a caboose.My hometown for example still requires that a train must have a caboose when backing down the city streets and it has to be manned.I know before the caboose was mostly eliminated they would go with the train as the rear end brakeman and the conductor and his paperwork would be stationed in the caboose. Rob
on my layout its a rule to have a caboose on all trains expect Intermodel and auto trains.
SP also used C-30 bay window cabooses starting in that era…it was common to see a bay window caboose at the end of a train pulled by the tiger striped or black widow paint schemes…chuck
I’m glad this came up because it was a question I wanted to address myself. I have a large classification yard. On the opposite side of the double track main are most of the local industries. If the local switcher is going to take a cut of cars from the yard to the various industries on the opposite side of the tracks, would typical railroad practice require a caboose to go along. Would the rules vary from one railroad to the next or was their a standard practice.
It depends: the RR, the era, the division, and sometimes even the subdivision! Sounds like some research?
There is some great info on the link below. I don’t know if it has exactly what you are looking for, but a great reference nonetheless.
waltersrails where abouts in ill. are you at?