caboose

Model Railroader Prototype information for the modeler
1

Do any railroads use caboose in 21 century USA . thanks

2

Yes. Norfolk southern uses them in roanoke and maybe other areas as well. RON

3

Sort of. A lot of railways still have cabooses on the roster, BUT, they are normally used as a “shoving platform”. This shoving platform allows a train crew member to ride in safety as a cut of cars is shoved to a distant location that doesn’t have a run-around track. Crew members are not allowed to ride on car ladders for any sort of distance. Also a second set of eyes at the rear of the train helps the engineer at grade crossings.

4

You can actually find pics of use on various sites like rrpicturearchives and others. Basically in switching/local work.

5

I have seen a caboose “parked” at the far end of a local yard as a crew shelter (large porta-potty?). It is usually only there in bad or cold weather.

6

Last time I checked, the UP has been using an old (and rather run-down) C&NW caboose for local freight operations.

7

This question comes up every so often, and the answer is that there are still a fair number in use. Canadian Pacific has at least three old SOO cabooses (two white, one brown) it uses as shoving platforms from Pig’s Eye yard in St.Paul downriver to the Marathon Oil plant and back.

8

I think the Goderich & Exeter Railway uses an old CN caboose as a shoving platform between Exeter and Centrailia Ont. I have seen it stored on a siding in Exeter.

The Lone Geep

9

Here’s one in use at the Penn Eastern Railroad in Pennsylvania

10

Here’s a few still on the tracks.

11

Ooops. The original post here was intended for a different thread.

12

I have seen cabooses in Greensboro and Winston-Salem, NC with Norfolk Southern. To me, that is the coolest piece of rolling stock made.[8D]

13

You are right about the other areas bit j610. In the suburban dc area in Alexandria, VA NS employs a local that has both an interesting job and an ex NW caboose. It originates out of their interchange yard nearby, travels onto csx’s ex rf&p line via traffic rights and serves a spur located near Reagan National Airport. The caboose is used as a shoving platform as the spur has no run around track. Another factor that I believe makes the local unique is that the spur serves two major industries.

1.) A Mirant plant that receives coal in top gons and trash containers on spine cars.

2.) The Robinson Terminal Warehouse which receives newsprint from boats from the neighboring Potomac River. They then ship them in 50-60 ft box cars, and NS takes them to the Springfield branch of the RTW where they are used to print DC’s daily news. The whole operation serves The Washington Post. In addition, NS also brings some of the cars to interchange with their yard at CSX. The latter of which serves another plant somewhere near I want to say Aberdeen. I can’t remember directly off hand.

In regards to the caboose it can be seen anywhere on the NS system in that area. I have seen pictures placing it in nearby Burke on the Washington District and on the nearby B-Line serving Riverton and Front Royal. In both instances they are both used for a shoving platform.

14

BNSF has a few.

Ed

15

Norfolk Southern also uses an old caboose as a “shoving platform” in Chesapeake , Va. It switches an industrial park on the old Virgianian Railway main line, with no runarounds. The caboose is very rusty and shabby looking, with NS painted in large block letters on the side. I would love to get a photo, but every time I’ve seen it I didn’t have my camera with me.

John

16

Time to resurrect this thread with some photos I took yesterday. This was a Norfolk & Portsmouth Belt Line train switching at a tank farm in the Berkely area of Norfolk, on the NS main line to Lambert’s Point. This train had a N&W class C31P caboose on the rear, still in N&W paint (barely!)!

!(http://i234.photobucket.com/albums/ee101/jfallon_tar/the real things/IMG_2084.jpg)

!(http://i234.photobucket.com/albums/ee101/jfallon_tar/the real things/IMG_2085.jpg)

!(http://i234.photobucket.com/albums/ee101/jfallon_tar/the real things/IMG_2086.jpg)

I hadn’t seen this particular caboose before, I’ll be watching for more!

John

17

The Grand Trunk Western still uses them for some Local Freight Trains and maintenance of way trains.

Andrew

18

I have a model train magazine (will have to look for it, can’t remember off hand), with an article about a modern shortline that uses EMD switchers for locomotives and has a couple of very nicely kept ‘cab cars’ (that’s just what I call them) that are used so the railroad keeps current with laws and has bathroom facilities available to the crew. I remember it being something like Richmond Pacific, like I said I will have to check.

19

The Alaska Railroad still uses cabooses on many of their trains. When I rode it a couple years ago at least 4 trains that I saw had a caboose. Much of the railroad is still “dark territory” as they are still establishing CTC signalling on parts of the railroad. While I was there the CTC system ended about 40 miles outside Anchorage. I not sure if the two are really related but they do have several cabooses that are still in prime condition.

Here is some of their cabooses in Anchorage.