I see Horizon is offering a “Drover’s Caboose” in the Roundhouse line. No
picture yet. Just what is a “Drover’s Caboose”?[?]
For trains transporting livestock, the drover’s caboose was where the stockmen rode. The caboose would have seats/bunks for them. The stockmen took care of the animals during the trip at rest stops.
Enjoy
Paul
There were various types. Some were cabeese with seats and/or bunks in them. Some, like ATSF’s were akin to box cars with windows and bunks that converted to seats, including a stove for preparing meals. Others, like Katy, used converted coaches. The specific RR historical society can give you more specific info.
A second car, added onto a Livestock train, that housed the Drover’s (AkA livestock handlers). this was required on the longer hauls, since the law stated that every so often the stock had to be unloaded, grazed and rested before moving on. The drover’s would perform all these dfuties, as such they got to ride in either a modified box car or caboose that was outfitted with more bunks and a small kitchen. the car usually was situated midway in the train to allow the drovers to quiicky get to any car, should there be an emergency in one of them (dead stock needing removing, re-watering, ect).
In the days when cattle were shipped by rail, the law required a stop every 50 miles or so to allow the cattle to be unloaded, fed, and watered. A crew of cattlemen rode in a drover’s caboose, which was an extended length caboose usually made from a converted boxcar with bunks and cooking facilities for the drovers. Some drover’s cabooses just added benches for the drovers in one end of the same caboose that the train crew used, and some were a second caboose just for the drovers, depending on the number of cattle cars and drovers being transported.
Special sidings were built where these trains could stop while the cattle were unloaded, and there were usually holding pens for the cattle.
I see. Well, since I’m not going to have livestock cars, I guess I better not have a drover’s
caboose. I’m glad I asked before I ended up buying one just to have something “different”.