Last week, a question was asked about “front” versus “back” end of cabooses. My immediate response came from what I had learned and assumed for many years – on an offset cupola caboose, the cupola should be towards the forward end. Any stacks or equipment that would block the view from the cupola are typically towards the back. The reasoning being that the cupola is for observing the train, hence you want minimal view blocks, and you want it as far to the forward end as possible. Of course the question is actually somewhat moot since the caboose front/back reverses when direction of travel reverses – which is every return trip! The railroads would not have taken the time to turn a caboose – it was coupled on whichever direction was facing the train. The only items that truly determine front versus back on a caboose are the marker lights, and they are switched to whichever end faces the rear.
But, of course, I had to do due diligence and search a bit to find out the “facts”! On the blogs, it seems the railroad people say there is no front or back – you simply place the marker lights on the rear end. In the model railroad realm, there is a lot more doubt floating around. There’s a group that says that when you view pictures, the majority of the time the cupola is towards the back. Several sources claim that’s because its more aesthetic when the cupola is towards the back – so the photographers tried to take pics that way. So would a photographers generally let as many as two or three trains go by until they had the “correct” direction for the caboose? (!!!) Of course the odds are 50/50, but you know Murphy’s law!
The argument I gave above was used by a few to justify the cupola towards the front. But the counter argument to the cupola towards the front was that if you had a large (tall) boxcar in front of the caboose, you’d have a more restricted vision with the cupola towards the front than with the cupola towards the back. The counter-counter argument was that the purpose was generally to look down the sides of the train to check wheels and journals – see if there was smoke or unusual movement that was a sign of bad bearings, a bad wheel, locked brakes, or maybe a derailed wheel. So when looking down the side of the train, the height of the car in front will have little affect on the view from the cupola.
Anyways,…pics are needed!
Here’s a nice bay window caboose eastbound @ Chilcoot, California, 1982 – Western Pacific Railroad caboose no. 449. Good weathering ideas for an older caboose.
This is EJ&E #539 with a large offset cupola at Rondout, IL, 1977 – cupola towards the rear, marker lights placed as such.
Here’s a center cupola – Pittsburg & Shawmut Line (PS) #189, Timblin, PA, 1983.
How about an old wood caboose – Sumter Valley Railway, SVRw #19, McEwen, OR, 2018. The train is being pulled by a 2-8-2. Several notes – Start with a caboose on a train in 2018! I don’t see marker lights, but being 2018, maybe there’s a transmitter hidden somewhere. The stack is behind the cupola. And I think that’s a safety violation hanging on one of the steps of the rear platform. Nice shot of a great looking caboose!
A modern caboose with a wide view – Indiana Harbor Belt # 30, Riverdale, IL, 1990.
Here’s a couple of NW cabooses – #555029, center cupola, & #562794, offset cupola, Wilco, WV, 1985.
Here’s a modern caboose with an offset cupola with the cupola on the forward side – BN #11299. Pic was taken at Superior, WI, 1981. You can see the marker light mounting clips on the sides of the caboose, but I don’t see any marker lights or equivalent. Weatherers note the wheel spray marks – not sure if they are worse than normal because of winter (??).
I believe this is an inactive caboose pic – UP #25408 in Walden, CO, 2008. Somebody’s done a nice job keeping it up.
This is restored GN #X426 – a nice classic wood caboose.
Another GN wood caboose #X746 (I don’t have a location or date). I like the yellow lettering and black trim. The style of caboose looks to be close except check out the roof lines at the bottom of the cupolas.
Here’s an interesting steel bay window caboose – MILW #992077, McCook, IL, 1985. Another weathering challenge! Look how the exterior skin appears to be horizontal sheets with a lap joint
A bay window caboose meet. Union Railroad URR #C-101 & C-109 run parallel on trains in Dravosburg, PA. This was taken in 2007 – I didn’t know that any railroads other than scenic ones ran cabooses (except as MOW). Another winter scene – note the heavy wheel spray marks up the back.
This looks like an inactive caboose – Wichita Falls & Southern #5 at Wichita Falls, TX, 1952. It’s a shorter wood caboose with offset cupola. It has a little different window style than typical.
Here’s PRR #476042, New Egypt, NJ, 1952. Besides being an old style wood caboose, it looks like it only has two axles / 4 wheels.
At the Colorado Railroad Museum you can find restored (2010) CB&Q #13862. It’s a bit longer than the previous PRR caboose.
We’ll close out with Ann Arbor #2700 at Toledo, OH, 1973. It’s simple and plain, and yet still unique for a caboose. And, it solves the issue of deciding which direction the cupola should go!
Cabooses really don’t have a front and rear, but there is an A end and a B end which the brake piston points toward ( as on all cars ).
The Sumpter Valley train appears to be shoving towards the rear, note that the engineer is facing rear, the brakeman is positioned to pass signals.
Amazing all the different cabs.
Cabooses really don’t have a front and rear, but there is an A end and a B end which the brake piston points toward ( as on all cars ).
The Sumpter Valley train appears to be shoving towards the rear, note that the engineer is facing rear, the brakeman is positioned to pass signals.
Amazing all the different cabs.