I hardly ever see cabooses anymore, what gives?

Question

With the exception of on the backside of some larger women...i rarely see any cabooses anymore. I live like 2 blocks away from some train tracks, so i see trains go by all day long. What became of the caboose?

Answer 1

CN engineer you should know that the cabooses was used back in days of old when train air brake's where limited! Not only did it house the conductor crew and mark the end of a train.  The crew use to get on top of the train and walk it and turn manuel wheels to help slow the train.  With modern day locomotive's can supply enough air to all the cars that the brakeing power can be operated from the engineers console.  Weight is not a problem with a locomotive!!!!!!  But that's not all, fedral government steped in and passed a law that would allow train's to have a total of 50 cars or less between the locomotive and caboose.  Larger Railroads reaction to this was:  The railroad has went to a two man crew now (Engineer & Conductor who both ride in the cab) we don't need the caboose, and without it we could pull as many cars as we want.

Cabooses are no more!

Answer 2

The railroads wanted to reduce train crews significantly for many years. The caboose was, primarily, the "office" of any freight train, where the conductor prepared paperwork, planned switching routines, etc. It also served as a shelter for the brakemen. The cupola served as a "lookout" point for brakemen, who could observe the train from that vantage point, looking for hot boxes, etc. Beginning in the late '50s and continuing forward from that point, railroads installed hotbox detectors at intervals along main lines, which sent a radio signal to the train crew if one were detected. In addition, technological improvements in wheel bearings, brake systems, etc. effectively rendered "manual" or "visual" monitoring of most train conditions redundant. The major railroads lobbied the Federal Railway Administration for many years to allow reduction to a 2-man crew, which was granted in the late 1970s or 1980s. This led to the elimination of the caboose, as the 2-man crew (conductor and engineer) could be housed in the cab of a modern diesel engine. There were, of course, significant negotiations with unions before the companies could divest themselves of the larger number of train crew. Following that process, cabooses were retired en-masse, and End of Train Devices (EOTD) came into play, essentially a piece of equipment mounted to the trailing coupler of the last car in a train, which has a flashing red light (newer units are lit with LEDs) and often contains telemetry linked to the locomotive cab.

Answer 3

I"d answer this........but in the little amount of time that I've been doing this.........I've answered this particular question like 5 times......so has Budgie and Hoghead.........more I'm sure.  Rest assured you will always get correct answers from the two of them when it comes to railroading..........don't waste your time buying the "I think".....or...."I've heard from my uncle".....and all of that..........these guys are doing it or have done it.............Trust.

Just a follow up........most railroaders kinda know the history with the way "it used to be"...........we don't always put all of that information in our answers simply because it's not needed and just takes more time to type.............we're railroaders........we look for the fastest and easiest way to get done.....and going through all of the past history isn't worth it especially for someone who isn't a railroader.  If you want specifics.......these two guys mentioned above can give it.

Answer 4

All of the above, as well as safety concerns has relegated the caboose to the same fate as the dinosaurs.

A caboose was a serious injury waiting to happen.  At the end of a long train, it was like riding the end of a whip due to excessive slack action.  Most engineers were competent enough to do a good job of keeping the slack under control to minimize cracking the whip, but in the event of an emergency application of the brakes, either initiated by the engineer or occurring as a part of a malfunction, such as a train separation, derailment, or other undesired emergency application of the brakes (UDE), this took away almost all of the engineers' ability to control the slack.  Kind of like riding your bicycle into a brick wall, with predictable results, except in this instance you were usually caught unaware, therefore unbraced and at higher risk.

Injuries sustained by the crew members of the caboose at times have proved fatal, due to broken neck, crushed skull or winding up with a caboose stove on top of you.

Answer 5

Due to cut-backs, etc. railroads realized that a four or five man crew wasn't economically feasible when a two man crew would suffice.  Therefore there is no longer any need for a caboose.  Instead  railroads use an EOTD  (End Of Train Device.) to monitor brake line pressure.

Answer 6

They went the way of the buggy whip.  There is no longer a need for someone riding in the back of the train observing for possible problems and hotboxes.  It's all monitored now by computer and sent directly to an information center in the cab.  Think of it as an over-engineered "Check Engine" light.

Answer 7

Cabooses were done away with as a labour saving move. Train crews, decades ago, used to have a full five members - three in the locomotive, two in the caboose. As the crews were pared down (modern ones have two or three, depending on the assignment), a second place wasn't needed, and now everyone rides in the locomotive.

Technology also helped rid the railway of the caboose. Tail-end devices mounted on the last car monitor brake pipe air pressure, can deploy the emergency brakes from a toggle on the engineer's control stand, and are equipped with motion detectors. The engineer's control stand also usually has a DMD (distance measuring device), kind of like an odometer in footage, which allows them to measure distances along the way.

Wayside inspection systems have also replaced the visual inspections previously offered by crew members in the caboose. Every so often on a main line, these systems will scan the train for defects, such as hot wheels, overheated bearings, shifted loads, and dragging equipment. They broadcast their results over the main line radio channel.

Cabooses can still be seen on short lines, yard assignments, and some road switchers. However, many Class 1 (large) railways only use them as "rider cars", meaning the doors are usually boarded or welded shut, and it's nothing more than a fancy platform for crew members to ride on in the event the train needs to back up for an extended length.