Has anyone ever seen or have a freight car with the ETD (End Train Device) device on it? It’s usually a flashing light on the car after the last one has passed to signal the end of the train. Since alot of railroads don’t use cabooses that much anymore, its more common to see these ETD’s on the last car, and at night its pretty noticable.
Has anyone seen one of these cars in the modeling world?
Lionel has made a bunch of them in the last 15 years. Check the catalog.
As for the prototype, crew rule changes spelled the end of cabooses on most trains back in the 80’s. Railroads still use them on certain trains, if they will be doing switching operations. In addition to the flashing light, there is a brake line monitor in the device.
You can also buy kits to add a TED/FRED to any box car you chose. Train America studios has one:
I have a Lionel CSX boxcar with an EOT built in. I think it was made in the ninties but don’t hold me to that.
George
Bring back the caboose. It’s just such an abrupt end to a train without a caboose. Other than on my layout I dont think my kids have ever seen a caboose at the end of a train.
George, perhaps that is the 16622. I have one but transplanted the FRED to an Amtrak boxcar.
George, I think that was the very first one, and I have a couple of them myself. I want to say the year was 1992 or 1993, but I’m too lazy to go and look it up right now.[;)]
I have heard a rumor that in Virginia a train with more than 20 freight cars must run a caboose.
If you want to see some real cabooses parked in a hotel type setting try the Pennsylvania Railroad Museum in Strasburg PA, I think it is called Red Caboose Motel.
Lee
I think it’s 1990, Elliot.
Thanks Bob. I was guessing based on the fact that I used them at enterTRAINment, which opened in 1992.
As for the prototype using cabooses, here are a couple of shots of CP locals with cabooses. Actually, it may be the same caboose on different trains on different days. (note the rust pattern)
NS runs cabooses on a lot of their coal trains. Some of the coal trains are backed up to 50 miles back into a “holla” to a coal mine [no room to turn train around]. Seen them on videos. They have shrill little whisles on them for crossings.
Yes, Lionel made several Freight Cars with the End of Train Device.
Some of them are
the 1990’s CSX Box Car with EDT,
the Chicago & North Western 1950’s Scheme Box Car with EDT,
the 1997 scheme BNSF 3-Bay ACF Center Flow with EDT,
the J.B. Hunt Trailer on a Trailer Train Flat Car with an EDT from the Conrail DASH 8 Set,
the Maersk Maxi-Stack with an EDT from the Maersk SD70MAC Set,
the CN Tank Train Tank Car with EDT from the CN Tank Train Set, and
the BN Bathtub Coal Gondola with EDT fromt the BN SD70MAC Unit Coal Train Set.
I only have the BNSF 3-Bay ACF Center Flow with EDT and the CN Tank Train Tank Car.
The 1950’s era Chicago & North Western Box Cars were rare by the time CNW and other big railroads started using the EDTs in 1988. A CNW Modern 50’ Box Car with the 1980’s paint scheme would have been more appropriate for use with the EDT.
Andrew Falconer
What about the Limited Edition LOTS Virginian 3-Bay Coal Hoppers with an ETD that was made by Lionel in 2005! Somebody has to have that in their collection.
When did Norfolk Southern start using the End of Train Devices? Were there any VIrginian Coal Hoppers left by the time NS started using the End of Train Device? It seems highly unlikely, but possible.
Andrew Falconer
Cheifeagles.The NS uses them in the coal fields out of Williamson and Bluefield,WVa.Talking about the whistle reminds me of a story an old head conductor once told me.He was forced to work out of Williamson from Portsmouth Ohio back in the 80’s.So all the jobs you worked on the West side of Williamson was shifters.One day he was riding the shove into one of the mine’s track they were loading at (on the back porch of a caboose).So he was getting ready to go across a road crossing,and he started to blow the cab whistle.Well he sorta over did it on blowing the whistle and he put the train in emergency.See the caboose whistles are feed directly from the train line.It sucked too much air out and put the train in emergency.And falconer I’d say your correct about no VA. hoppers surviving that long.I know where theres an old N&W 50 ton coal hopper setting at.Can’t believe it’s still in exsistance.But it is outlawed to run due to the age of it’s wheels.I can remember my Dad saying people at work called e.o.t.d’s “idiot lights” back when the Chessie started using them.I’m glad I see the occasional cab on the rear of our NS trains.[^]
To add more length to the Conrail DASH 8 J.B. Hunt Trailer Train Set, the people at Lionel produced a J.B. Hunt Trailer on Trailer Train Flat Car 2-Pack.
One End Of Train Device was mounted on one of the Trailer Train Flat Cars.
For some reason, the Trailer Train Flat Car scheme was from the 1960’s, while the J.B. Hunt Trailers and Conrail DASH 8 40B were common sights of the Late 1980’s and 1990’s.
Andrew Falconer
Lionel produced a Southern Pacific Tank Train Set.
The last GATX Tank Train Tank Car had an End of Train Device.
Andrew Falconer
I don’t know when cabooses disappeared from the end of trains, but I remember still seeing them from the early to mid-eighties.
mackb4, I still see N&W hoppers being used on the trains through my area.
I have a Santa Fe boxcar (wanna say it’s a wood reefer) from the 1990 Santa Fe set with the ETD light.
Lionel Produced a Santa Fe DASH 8 Set in 1990.
The Train Set contained these items:
Santa Fe DASH 8
Santa Fe 40’ Boxcar with RailSounds
DuPont ACF Center Flow 2-Bay Covered Hopper
Santa Fe Trailer on Flat Car
Santa Fe ACF Center Flow 3-Bay Covered Hopper
Santa Fe 40’ Reefer with End of Train Device
The Trailer, Boxcar, and Reefer had Santa Fe Markings that were from the 1950’s and 1960’s while the motive power was built in the late 1980’s. That might have confused some people as what era the train set represented.
Andrew Falconer
It has been pointed out by other posters that cabooses are still used on some switching jobs. There is an old conrail caboose that works around my home town of Murfreesboro TN. At some point the FRA(?) mandated that the remaining cabooses had to have bullet proof glass in their windows. Instead of going to the trouble of installing the glass, CSX welded metal over the window openings. It has to be as hot as hell’s half acre in the summer. That to me was sad.
George