*Are there any freight trains, in the US, which still use a caboose?
*Other than the Indiana Railway Museum, are there cupola cabooses, with bay windows, at other RR museums around the country? I don't think the Calif. State Railway Museum has one.
Besides the Izaak Walton Inn, it looks like the Dunsmur (Calif) Railroad park has a room made from an old cupola caboose:
I hope to get up to Dunsmuir for a night at the RR motel. I haven't seen a working caboose since I was a kid, most likely attached to a Southern Pacific or Northwestern Pacific freight train.
Richard
Posts: 1909 | From: Santa Rosa | Registered: Jan 2004
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Yukon, there are still cabooses in use. These days they are often called shoving platforms and the interior is closed off. This provides a safe place for a brakeman to stand while controlling a long shoving move as the engineer on the rear is unable to see the tracks ahead. This usually occurs in an industrial area or in the coal mine territory.
But, I do believe the Strasburg railroad was using one for railfans on their new freight service. I think it is an early morning run a couple days a week and in the summer uses the caboose and steam power. I have heard the popularity of it may require the caboose to be replaced with a coach.
Posts: 2397 | From: Camden, SC | Registered: Mar 2006
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I sure wish these were still in use. I love seeing a caboose on the end of a train. I also have to wonder how many serious accidents could have been prevented from getting worse if there was a human being back there to see something going wrong. Those EOTs are good, but not as good as human eyeballs.
Posts: 2355 | From: Pleasanton, CA | Registered: Apr 2007
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You might try the Minnesota Transportation Museum, Osceola & St Croix Valley Railway, in Osceola, Wisconsin. The caboose they use is on old Great Northern X71. There web address is - trainride.org. They used to have rides on selective dates. Contact them for more information. Hope this helps.
Posts: 39 | From: Saint Croix Falls | Registered: Aug 2005
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When I win the Lotto, I think I'll investigate a caboose for my "Private Varnish" coach. Properly fitted out with a decent cupola and small kitchen, it could be a great adventure.
Posts: 1418 | From: Houston, Republic of Texas | Registered: Jan 2001
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I once contacted an amateur radio operator who bought a caboose for his back yard, complete with train tracks. He had his amateur radio gear set up in the caboose. Really neat, but I would imagine his wife would probably not agree.
Richard
Posts: 1909 | From: Santa Rosa | Registered: Jan 2004
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