I am familiar with the terms “SP”, “Work”, “Bay Window”, “Tuscan” etc.
In what ‘era’ or ‘area’ (line) would a “Woodside” caboose be seen? As always, thanks.
Well the area could be really anywhere, many railroads used the woodsided cabooses. about the era I would say anywhere from the late 1800’s to the late 40’s.
Speaking of cabooses, I watched a NS DVD [Charlotte to Spencer NC] today. Shot several months ago. One of the local trains had a caboose at the end. I have also seen videos of NS coal trains. Some have to back miles into the “hollow” to a mine as no room to turn a train around. They have cabooses with shrill whistles to warn at crossings and the conductor is in the back as he is the “eyes” for the train.
Chief brings up a good point. Although the Stagger’s Act allowed railroads to discontinue common caboose usage, they are STILL in use.
Before the breakup and purchase of CR by NS and CSX, Conrail had ordered a small number of baywindow cabooses for local use. Norfolk Southern also did the same as was mentioned in a news blip in Trains magazine. CSX and BNSF are also still using some.
Being more in the know about Conrail, CR had taken older cabooses and put them in gray paint with black lettering for localized or specific area use. Others for MOW or snow removal service (equipped with snow removal flanges) were painted bright yellow with black lettering. Some older woodside cars were devoted to crew service and painted either yellow or grey. Many railroads have some unusual MOW paint schemes as cars were ulilized from other uses with as little money being put into them - since they would now be in non-revenue service.
Conrail had their well-known business inspection train done up in pullman green that has been produced by K-Line as a Conrail employee-only premium. These cars were first painted in CR blue. Some older passenger equipment was also done in grey for MOW or crew service. Conrail even had some steam engine tenders in use painted in grey with black lettering - so there’s a prototype for at least having a Conrail steam engine tender on your layout.
I’m sure there are many other specific and unique cars to other rail lines. An important point to remember is that the REAL railroads are in the business of making money. Therefore they do what they have to do inorder to achieve this goal. The Lehigh Valley Railroad was famous for rebuilding locomotives, and rolling stock from one use to another differing use.
Something we haven’t seen in 3-rail (though I’ve made them for my layout) are the “Tupperware Lids” to convert open hoppers into covered ones for sensitive material hauling - developed by the Chessie System and also used by Conrai
Alex/Chief/Brianel: My education continues…Many thanks.
Interestingly, you can find all sorts of things on work trains too - the UP has an ex-CGW caboose - inherited from C&NW - on a Chicago-based work train that I see from my Metra scoot this time of year. Painted grey, windows plated over. There’s a few bay-windowed former C&NW cabooses in yard service - or rather in transfer service - whenever, a long consist has to be pushed somewhere outside the yard or from yard to yard, I’ve seen the caboose put on the ‘front’ end and it is used basically as a platform.
Caboose useage has declined but is not totally dead as one or two states still require a caboose at the end of a freight train depending on how long or how heavy the train is, one of the states I think is Virginia or West Virginia, and one other state out west in the U.S.
There were many styles of cabooses; work caboose, SP, extended vision, center cupola, bobber caboose-usually for a train company forman to ride in, and probally a few more that I didn’t mention. The style of caboose depended on the railroad executives and available caboose models when ordered from manufacturers.
One other note about cabooses, generally they would be put at the rear of a train or in front of an engine and not in the center as the frame for a regular caboose was not as strong as for a freight car.
Traindaddy, Tuscan to the best of my knowledge was a shade of red paint that the Pennsylvania railroad had made up for their fleet of engines and freight cars.
Lee F.
Pior to the absorbtion of the SP into UP, I saw white painted SP cabooses with “Southern Pacific Railroad Police” on them while I was living in Houston.
Doug/Lee/Roy: Appreciate the info. Thanks.
In MBI Books about Cabooses and the Burlington Northern there were Woodsided Cabooses actually repainted in the BN Scheme. I know they wanted to be frugal, but the continued use of Wood Cabooses in a heavy freight era was not a safety minded idea. Steel Cabooses were safer, but they must have not bothered to spend for both new Locos, new Cars, and enough new Cabooses in the 1970’s. Then in 1985 cabooses started to give way to the End of Train Device.
Andrew
Andrew: Thanks for researching the MBI Books for me.
Lee, I did not know that states could regulate Railroads. I was under the impression that it fell under federal regulations. I know from my days on the FD, that we had issues when haz mat was part of a railroad incident. Fines, etc., were not levied against a RR, unless it came from Federal EPA.
Dennis
Wow, i wish they’d bring back the caboose. there is about 4 rotting way a few miles from me. Its sad to see them rotting.