Hi,
I recently discovered a working caboose in my town and was curious, for an article I’m writing, whether there are any other working cabooses – not refurbished museum pieces or tourist trains, but real, gritty, old cabooses?
Can you let me know of any you know of?
Lots are still in use as shoving platforms for reverse moves. BNSF and CP use them quite a bit up here in Minnesota (SOO cabeese are especially prevalent here). They certainly appear “gritty” - especially the SOO’s crummies. The CP local operating out of Hastings uses one for a long reverse move. The BNSF’s Osseo local and their Hinckley local also frequently use old BN extended vision cabooses.
as stated above…the caboose as in the days of old is DEAD… they are shoving platforms now used to provide a safe place to ride when making long shoves… alot of the things that use to be inside them are gone… your luck if they even still have chairs in them…but alot of times at least here…they have the framework that the chairs mounted to but no chair… alot of the windows have the glass missing if not plate steeled over… the speed recorders are gone and the dynamo that use to provide electric and batters are gone so nothing electrical inside works… the bathrooms are nothing but a bare room with the door oppitional… sometime ill see if i cant snap a pic inside one and show you what they are like inside now…
csx engineer
BNSF has been tacking on a waycar (BNSFese for caboose) to their local that runs from the Omaha yard up to Coon Rapids - Bayard Iowa branchline for the last couple of weeks. The waycar is used as a shove shelter and when the crew was picked up for transport to Omaha last week, they were told the doors were open on the waycar towit the crew said, “Who cares!” Will try and get a photo posted soon.
The term waycar was what ATSF referred to its caboose fleet. In KS, SF began running local trains w/ no waycar in 1984. For the next seven yrs this was a on again-off again routine until the cars came off for good in 1991. One of the yd jobs in town uses a "shove car’ to switch a flour mill. Doors & windows are welded shut. Really is an eyesore. Not impressive by any means
The Department of Defense (DODX) has six of them based in Mechanicsburg, PA (DODX 900-905), and one or two ex-DRGW cabs, not sure where they’re based.
the conductor has to replace the plexiglass window on the y 101’s caboose here in defiance.Fostoria,Garrett and Marion also use cabooses for shove moves on Csx.
stay safe
joe
In northern California and southern Oregon the Modoc Northern uses a caboose on there regular freight trains. They run from Klamath Falls Oregon to Alturas California on the remaining portion of the exSP Modoc line and from Alturas to Lakeview on the former SP Lakeview branch. And this is no shoveing platform it is a regular part of the train.
Mammoth Marmoset uses a fleet of working cabooses in conjunction with their Schnable type equipment.
There are outfitted fairly completly, because on most of the moves involving equipment this large, a crew must stay with the car the entire trip.
They have all the necessary equipment, toilets, small kitchenettes, bunks and A/C.
It this what you call a working cabooses?
Youll love this.
NS seems to have something like a dozen that are in nice working order…I believe they use them as “Research and Engineering” cars, for track survey and maintenance I assume.
Of course also have seen a lot of beat up old cabeese that are simply shoving platforms in yards.
The sailsbury switcher uses one every day has all the windows wielded in, just the doors are open.
Our local uses one as a shoving platform I guess. It is BN green. Someone spraypainted it to say “BN battering ram”. It’s used for local switching of cars into industrial sidings.
We still use one there Dave, the way a local used one in the past. Still has the seats, desk, stove, lights, radio…ect What is it you want to know besides that?