Why no more cabooses?

As an aside I still see a good number of Soo cabooses on the CPs mainline in Chicago and boy are they in bad shape. I think it's actually the Belt who uses them.

Caught this one in Moline, IL.
http://jwdp.rrpicturearchives.net/showP ... id=2131236

The use of a caboose as a shoving platform which can still be opened and crew can get inside opens a big contractual claims ball of wax, such as, being properly equiped, working facilities and such. Part of the purpose is to reduce overhead costs, such as wages, retirement cost, reduced injury claims/disability claims. Yes, jobs were lost. Do not fool yourselves. Those who's positions were eliminated were furloughed, unless they're seniority allowed them to hold another position or they changed craftsor had to wait for vacancies to occure in the remaining ranks to get recalled. RR's went from a 5 man crew to 2 man crews. As far as one man road trains. It is in the future. Just how far, is difficult is guess. But the PTC systems now required by the FRA to be in place by 2015 on class ones are part of the initial steps towards that end. There's even talk of crewless trains being operated by remote control. The technology already exsist today. Just consider the fact that remote/radio controled aircraft have exsisted since the early 1940's during WW2. That is real fullsized airplanes, not toys!

...There's even talk of crewless trains being operated by remote control. The technology already exsist today. Just consider the fact that remote/radio controled aircraft have exsisted since the early 1940's during WW2. That is real fullsized airplanes, not toys!

Heck, there's already automated crewless trains running, and carrying passengers. Granted these only exist currently as grade-separated light-rail systems, but it's essentially the same idea.

lets face it , all a guy sitting in a caboose on a long trip , is going to do is catch up on some shuteye .

Aside from the one summer I did track work for a small scenic railroad operation, I'm not really a railroader, I'm just a railfan. The funny thing is how well defined the line is between railfan and foamer, this thread was a perfect reminder of where that line is.

If railroads had any reason to still be dragging cabooses, they would be, but they don't, which is why they stopped using them years ago.

Thanks guys for the replies! I thought I was gonna get crucified for asking such a topic. Do the Engines have bathrooms then?

yes except for Passenger and swicch engines, the normal freight road power has a bathroom.

Ok one more question: What is a typical work week like for a Conductor? Do we travel all week and come back home after five days or do we go home every night? Stay in hotels? Do we need to bring our own food and drinks? (sorry, that was more than one lol) Do we wear uniforms?

you provide own work clothing, and meals. unless your overnighting in an away from home termminal.
Some jobs are always home every night, some jobs have you stay at hotel every other day.
If your looking for 8 hour job, railroading is wrong place, if your looking far quality time with family, railroading is wrong place for you.
Railroading is a lifestyle, not a job,forget about kids birthdays, baseball games or holidays.
It is however a good way of providing for your family but at great sacrifices.

The yard I work out of still has some honest-to-goodness cabooses. They even have heaters in them for winter. But we also have to do some long (10miles+) shove moves, hence why we have them.

Sure, we could use a spare locomotive as a shoving platform (they make really nice shoving platforms - comfy seats, heat/ac, bright lights, loud horn) but we always seem to be short on available engines. Plus it isn't the best use of locomotives to use them solely as a caboose. We could ride a car, but if a shove is over 1 mile (I think) then it's a penalty claim - if there isn't a caboose available. If there was one available and you are too lazy to dig it out, then you don't get the claim. Plus, if you don't have a good rider (covered hopper with solid floor, or tank car) it can be a real pain (literally) to ride a shove that long.

So they aren't ALL gone.

The slack action on the 2+ mile long trains that are being hauled around now is WAY more severe then on the 4/5000 foot trains that were common back in the time the cabs were in use. With the new train handling policies in place you are not allowed to power brake to keep the slack as uniform as you can. Power braking on long trains that are poorly marshalled (almost every one) could easily break you in two.

For shoving ... on CN anyway - if you are caught riding on the deck of a flat car or in the cage of a hopper, you're in big trouble.

We clerks used to catch up on equipment and ride down to where cuts of cars were.
It was against the rules, but it was (mostly) winked at because most bosses knew that we just trying to do our jobs. A few Alpha Hotel TM's would really chew you out, not many tho. We usually knew where the TM was when we did that! And we often sought out hoppers so we could ride/hide in the end well, OR use it to cross over to another track. None of the train crews would rat us out, and we often rode on the engine steps or platform to get where we wanted to go in a long switching yard. Sometimes a cab would do fine, and sometimes we would sneak into one (they were usually open) in the winter to warm up by a still-warm coal stove! BOY! THAT was some GOOD heat, too, tho a bit smelly if you didn't like smelling coal clinkers.

You haven't LIVED until you have to cross over a cut of cars with a lantern, switchlists, tape recorder and one of those old-style "lunchbox" Motorolas with the telephone handset!!! Older railroaders know what I am talking about!

GF

Gadfly wrote:
You haven't LIVED until you have to cross over a cut of cars with a lantern, switchlists, tape recorder and one of those old-style "lunchbox" Motorolas with the telephone handset!!! Older railroaders know what I am talking about!

GF

How about: lantern, switchlists, remote control box, and brakestick?

THAT'LL work! Man, did we EVER welcome the 'new" walkie talkies that replaced those "lunchbox" radios. Towards the end, they provided us with orange "suspenders" with a pouch to hold the radio. Looked kinda like an "X" across your chest. It put the handset right in front of you. It helped a lot, but it sure was nice to get the HT's. I can still hear those things squawking,
"SHOVE TO THE REAR 5 CARS, FIVE! TWO!!! ONE! THAT'LL DO WHEN YOU GET STOPPED, OOOO=-VAH!"


GF