What is inside a caboose of a train ? people ? cafeteria ?

Question

What is inside a caboose of a train ? people ? cafeteria ?

Answer 1

Inside the caboose are two or more storage lockers for some basic tools, and hanging up rain gear or extra clothes. There's a diesel oil fired stove for heat. A few chairs. One or more gang benches (upholstered foam rubber pads) if someone wants to lay down for a while. A desk at each end for the Conductor to fill out the mass of paper work that goes with each trip. A bathroom. A radio and lights powered by 12 volt batteries and recharged by a generator driven by the rotation of one of the axles. Many have a small refridgerator or at least a built in ice cooler for the lunch the crew may have brought. That's about it. Kind of a boring way to spend a train trip. Not many cabooses around now. Technology now replaces the eyes and the safety aspect of the caboose.

Back in 1990, I was a Brakeman. I was in the caboose with the Conductor on a night train to Wilmar, MN. It was a beautiful summer night. The Conductor says, "Hey, let's sit outside." The train was under a slow speed order due to length and weight. So we sat on the roof (A very big no no). When we got to Wilmar, it was still dark. We yarded the train and walked into the yard office. Other train crews were going and arriving at the office. When we walked in, everyone stopped and looked at us. I first checked my zipper since I didn't know what they were staring at. I went in the bathroom. And in the mirror, I saw I was covered in white dust. This meant the Conductor was too. I could hear the laughter out in the office area since the Conductor was still out there. The car just ahead of the caboose was a flour car. A bunch of loose flour that spilled on top of the car during loading was blowing back onto the caboose, and us, and we didn't know it in the dark.

Answer 2

An engineer to make sure there are no problems, just a back up to the train engineer

Answer 3

It's pretty spartan.  You've got something for heat, a few seats, a table, and usually a bunk to sleep in.  It's mostly a rolling office.

Answer 4

A shopping mall, a hotel, a movie theater, and of course a McDonalds.

Answer 5

When we have one(which is rare) the conductor rides back there.Most trains now days he rides the lead unit with the engineer.

Answer 6

If you find a caboose these days all you're likely to find inside are cobwebs.

And, the only time you'll find an engineer in the caboose is if he's got something cooking on the stove...