Cabooses were used on every freight train until the 1980's, when safety laws requiring the presence of cabooses and full crews were relaxed. They provided shelter for the crew at the end of a train, who were required to keep a lookout for load shifting, damage to equipment and cargo, or overheating axles. It's the end of the line for the iconic caboose, a railroad relic brushed aside by modern technology. Most of them have ended up like this one sitting on a rail siding mainly used as a tourist attraction.
Nice shot of a phenomena unknown in europe. It must have had its advantage over the situation today but of course its always money that decide in the end. Thanks for showing Andy.
ReplyDeleteYes I like those old trains, they look so nice.
ReplyDeleteReally? I had no idea cabooses had been given the brush off. I wonder if that's true here in the States. (I rarely see trains on the west coast of Florida.)
ReplyDeleteCabooses were one of my favorite aspects of a train. I don't even remember the last time I saw one in use.
ReplyDeleteAlways fun to see one as it brings back memories that our grandchildren will never have.
ReplyDeleteI know more about trains than I ever dreamed possible...because my boys love them so much. They were just watching a documentary this week about how cabooses were no longer needed. Now the train is finished off with an 'End Of Train Light" on the last car. Lovely caboose you have there!
ReplyDeleteThat is so true. I see many of these doing just that.
ReplyDeleteAnd given recent events, you'd think they should have never relaxed those rules.
ReplyDeleteI think we could use them on our trains today - think of the horror stories we are hearing about trains with only one crewmember!
ReplyDeleteNice image, Andy. I recently came across a caboose -- sitting at a museum, to prove your point -- and took three or four bland photos. I couldn't think of a way to make the photos interesting, so they will sit lonely in my archives.
ReplyDeleteI didn't know this. I wonder if it has a relationship to the more frequent derailments I've heard about.
ReplyDeleteAs a child my favorite part of the train was the caboose!
ReplyDelete