I try to detour past the local BNSF yard when I can. Today, a short train is pulling out of the yard… and on the back, a beautiful red and yellow Santa Fe caboose. Haven’t seen that for ages. Why would they be pulling a caboose?
Because a caboose can’t move on it’s own…[;)] Sorry, bad joke.
Dave
It is probably related to their destination. Some cities, counties, and states still require trains to have a caboose when they pass through or perform switching duties in urban areas.
Could it have been destined to a museum or tourist line? A Santa Fe Caboose in good condition, to boot? If it did not have BNSF on it somewhere, then this may indeed be the case.
The UP uses a caboose on the local freight that runs near my work. The switchman rides in it, I believe. Since the local involves a lot of coupling, uncoupling and switching, having the extra seats for the crew is a nicety, if not a necessity.
CSX often uses a caboose on the switching engines for the Port of Cleveland and Cleveland Electric. I think it is a refurbished NYC car. I have pictures of the caboose/way car and the switchers posted my website. Just pu***he railroading button.
I see them sometimes here as well. I saw one the other day… it was about 2/3 of the way
back from the front of the train. I thought it odd that it was not at the rear, but the train
must have been locally moving the cars behind the caboose. Most of the trains I have
seen lately have been headed by Conrail locos… come to think of it, I haven’t seen
a CSX loco in awhile. The caboose was CSX. Dave
Good justification to keep cabooses on the layout!