. Does anyone know if the Pere Marquette used a caboose on their Flint Belt or Union Belt lines when they were switching in the late 30’s?
I would assume they would have, cabooses were required on any freight train outside of a yard area until the 1980’s. They might have gotten by with some sort of transfer caboose, something for the conductor and rear brakeman to ride in. Trains then normally used crews of four or five men.
I did find an interesting NY Times article about the line.