Why dont trains use cabooses anymore??

Question

Why dont trains use cabooses anymore??

Answer 1

hey thats a good question!

Answer 2

I remember when they decided to do away with cabooses a few years back. The railroads wanted to boost profits, and getting rid of cabooses was a simple way to do it. They said the caboose wasn't even being manned any more, wasn't needed, and added to the weight the engine had to move (which added to the cost of running a load of freight). If they dropped the unused caboose, they could add more weight in the form of paying freight.

Answer 3

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.

Answer 4

In the early day's of railroading there was no such thing as air brake's on a train.  The actual braking came from the conductor crew that was housed in the caboose.  The conductor crew was assigned a railroad route and knew it well, they would actually walk on top of the cars and turn brake wheels to slow the train down....now remember that with all that weight the locomotive can only do so much for braking!

  Modern day locomotives and rail cars come equipted with air brakes (each car on a train has it's own brake's its controlled by the engineer in the cab).  Of cource this concluded the use of cabooses......but that's not all!  Alot of railroads still used caboose's until the Federal government steped in and passed a law that made the RR's have only 50 cars between the loco and caboose.  The RR's steped up and did away with cabooses so they can pull as many cars as they want. That's why you see a red flashing light on the end of a train now!

   One more thing...this will blow your mind!  It would only take 8 dash 9 type locomotives to pull a loaded to capacity air craft carrier!  Weight is not the issue!!

    I'm was an Engineer for Ashley, Drew & Northern Railroad until the closeure of the line.  BA

Answer 5

Because cabooses were where the workers lived during the trip.  They don't have or need them anymore, hence no cabooses!

Answer 6

They aren't required or necessary anymore.

Answer 7

a few reasons 1# it;s saves the railroad money by not making cabooses and not having to put extra people in it so theres no extra poeple tp pay 2#theres this little box thats transmit brake line pressure to the lead engine 3#one less car to pull and one more frieght car to generate more income for the carrier.

Answer 8

Budgie has alot of correct answers.  There is no 1 particular reason that cabooses stopped being used.  With all of the new technological advances such as end of train devices, air brakes, etc.........the caboose slowly went away.  What I have been told, "and believe the most" as far as the caboose not being used is this.  The RADIO.  The trains back then didn't have radio communication to talk to other trains or dispatchers for that matter.  They had track and time.  You went from point A to point B and you had this much time to make it.  Another train would be at point B and proceed after you reached that destination and it was his "time" to go.  The conductor on the caboose would line the switch back after his train went into the siding so that the other train could leave.....and to let the engineer on the head end of his train know that they were clear of the main line track.  The radio wiped all of this out.  Now you have communications with approaching trains and dispatchers.  Instead of having the conductor on the caboose to line the switch back for the main line after your in the siding, the dispatcher can just radio the other train and tell them the switch is open and to line it back before they proceed.  Now you don't need anyone on the rear in a caboose to do these things......just call on the radio.  The dispatcher can now give you "authority" over the radio to proceed to wherever at any time, where before you had the track and time planned out for your day/trip before you left the depot since you had no communications once you got on the train.  Combine these things with the RADIO communications that are transmitted from the end of train device, the wayside detectors that transmit info. over the RADIO..............and you come up with......THE RADIO.

Answer 9

Cabooses were attached to the back of trains in case any trouble

arose, there was a man to see it.  The conductor of the caboose lived in it. Back in the old days they took long trips. They did all of their paperwork in here and also cooked their meals.

Cabooses are no longer used.  Remote radio devices or end of train devices (EOT) tell the train engineer whether or not the last car is moving, the brakes working, and if the flashing red light is working.

Scource: All my life in a railroad town.