The Real Reason The Caboose Disappeared

Comments · 144

• LO

  @LocomotiveLedger · 9 days ago (edited) · pinned

  Every video here starts with the record: railroad news releases, old issues of Trains and Classic Trains, museum updates, and archive photos checked to be the right engine. That&apos;s a lot of hours. If you&apos;d like to help keep it going, you can buy me a coffee here: <a href="http://buymeacoffee.com/locomotive.ledger">buymeacoffee.com/locomotive.ledger</a>

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• LE

  @leonarddeberry7104 · 9 days ago

  In 2007 my GF and her 2 daughter&apos;s rode up to the 2nd highest point in W. Va. via the Cass Scenic RR in a restored 1940&apos;s caboose. Once there they uncoupled us and we spent the night up there sitting around a small fire and grilled hamburgers. We went hiking the next day to the abandoned fire tower and got back in time for the train to come hook us back up for the ride down the mountain. What an adventure that was....

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• SC

  @Scotia77 · 9 days ago (edited)

  We had neighbours across the street from us when I was a kid in the ‘60’s and into the ‘70’s. Their daughter was the same age as me and we played a lot together.<br>Her father was a major boss who worked for the Frisco, so I got to ride in the caboose and even sometimes in the engine on the branch line that ran from Springfield to Ozark in Missouri.<br>It was fun times!

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• TE

  @terencebooth8271 · 9 days ago

  I was a brakeman for the Frisco in 1969 when the BRT merged into the UTU. I worked some local freights that had a dedicated caboose, but never spent the night in one. As I recall there was a $2.00 caboose pay per run if you didn’t sleep in the caboose. Union rules then allowed me to me to work 1 day out of 60 and keep my seniority. I worked weekends and breaks and made enough money to pay for my college education.<br>BTW I never saw a hot box while I was working. Almost every car had roller bearings by then. I did see a few dragging brakes and loads.

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• AN

  @andrewnelson3751 · 9 days ago

  I began riding in cabooses as a brakeman on the BN in 1977. I was taught not only to look out over our train from the cupola but to crack the window open, cup my hand and &quot;smell&quot; our train for hot wheel bearings, a wheel on the ground cutting into ties, fresh earth from dragging equipment, contents of a leaking tank car etc. Add to that your train going into emergency from a burst aur hose or broken knuckle near the end of the train and the time spent walking back to assess the problem yet alone getting the right gear if it was available to the break apart and fixing it and god help you if it was on a bridge or trestle . In the 80&apos;s and 90&apos;s it was estimated that 25% of grade crossing accidents were autos striking the side of a train which I&apos;ve seen had happened many cars from the locomotives . Shouting for help at a passing blinking red light would not stop the train or bring or bring first aid. Thats just railroading, stranger things happen all the time, ask a RR&apos;s legal department. Long shoving movements in the dark with 60 cars, unavoidable accidents and so much more, one can only wonder how little money was actually saved. It&apos;s &nbsp;not just railroading, money saving and efficiency isn&apos;t always what it seems.😅

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• SA

  @sammyday3341 · 7 days ago

  After working for the railroad for 30 years, it’s obvious every decision is based on $, regardless of how the decision is disguised.

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• BR

  @BrianCrowe-dc4iu · 7 days ago

  Funny thing is if stealing gets worse in areas railroads may have to put guards in a caboose.

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• ST

  @standubaj8989 · 8 days ago (edited)

  I worked as a schnabel operator we were called high and wide load had the engine a flat car the schnabel car another flat car( the flat cars were used as spacers) then we lived in the caboose. We hauled generators or turbines for nuclear power plants.N.F. Southern would pull us out of Siemens in charlotte N. C. Then CSX would pull us to our destination,was a great experience.

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• PH

  @phmoffett · 9 days ago

  The caboose was one of the greatest safety devices on railroads. Railroads eliminated the position of brakeman. America not only lost the caboose, we&apos;ve lost the railroads. Farewell Rock Island, Missouri Pacific, Southern Pacific, Cotton Belt, Katy, Santa Fe, Burlington Northern, Milwaukee Road, Western Pacific, Frisco, C&amp;O, B&amp;O, PRR, NYC, KCS, CB&amp;Q, GN, NP, SP&amp;S...and many more.

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• SE

  @sef1901 · 9 days ago

  Use to wave at the conductor and brakemen of the Rock Island railroad in Lincoln, Nebraska where their line crossed Randolph street. &nbsp;That street was the way to my home. &nbsp;Never did ride in a caboose, but I did get rides in my great-uncle&apos;s GE44 ton switcher until he passed when I was just over three years old. &nbsp;Yes, at age 70 I still have three memories of riding in Uncle Johnny&apos;s engine. &nbsp;I got to pull the horn cord 😀

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• MI

  @mikeyhowell5449 · 9 days ago

  My uncle work on Nickel plate road &nbsp;on a brakeman on caboose. He retired from 1986

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• SA

  @sawdust9929 · 9 days ago

  Everyone of my Lionel locomotives has a matching caboose on the end of the train .

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