Posted by admin | Posted in Model Railway | Posted on 20-06-2010
Tags: burlington northern caboose, caboose, california, great northern caboose, kids, places, vacation
Looking For Northern Caboose ? Then This is Where You Want to Be
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 Railroad Shutterbug Jim Fredricksons Northern Pacific  US $74.18
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 Microscale O 48 224 BN Freedom Caboose Decal sets US $8.00
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 HO DECALS BN WIDE VIEW CABOOSE c1977 HERALD KING NIP US $3.99
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 Bachmann N Explorer Train Set SF BAC24008 US $109.78
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 TYCO OVERNIGHT FREIGHT TRAIN SET HO SCALE US $99.99
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 MANTUA HO TRAIN CAR GREAT NORTHERN CABOOSE NEW IN BOX US $8.00 |
 Lionel Great Northern Freight Train Fallen Flag 3 US $650.00
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 N Atlas assorted rolling stock lot Used but look great Cheap US $14.99
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 LIONEL 27736 6017 SP TYPE CABOOSE US $25.00
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 58 piece model train collection US $1,200.00
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 HO TRAIN ATHEARN RAIL RUNNER CUSTOM BAY WINDOW CABOOSE KIT BURLINGTON NORTHERN US $17.99
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 LOT 3 OF 20 HO SCALE CARS PARTS LOT BOXCARS CABOOSE HOPPERS US $7.50
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 TYCO SANTA FE FREIGHT TRAIN SET US $69.99
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 Bachmann O Williams Blue Ridge Hauler Train Set BAC00304 NEW IN BOX US $399.99
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 BACHMANN Overland Limited Train Set HO 00614 US $179.99
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 Aristo Craft G Scale REA Great Northern Caboose US $36.00
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 Tenshodo Great Northern Railway X305 Brass Caboose Model Train US $20.49
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 G Scale Great Northern Caboose US $50.00
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 1981 LIONEL 6 6438 GREAT NORTHERN BAY WINDOW CABOOSE L0543 US $87.00
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 N SCALE TRAINS FLORIDA CST BOX GRT NORTHERN CABOOSE PENN CENTL BOX UP BOX US $14.98
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 CON COR N SCALE BURLINGTON NORTHERN Bay Window Caboose US $6.99
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 NP Northern Pacific AAR 40 Boxcar KIT from Red Caboose HO US $6.99
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 Northern Pacific Railway Fire Extinguisher for Journal Box US $14.95
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 The Haywire History Manistique Lake Superior Railroad US $40.00
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 HO DECALS BN CABOOSE 2 DIFFERENT STYLES CHAMP NIP US $3.99
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 LIONEL Great Northern Empire Freight Express Set 31799 US $399.99
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 Williams 47712 Great Nothern N5C Porthole Caboose US $40.49
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 SOUL AND RB THE GREATEST HITS 120 TRACKS ON 8CDs ft JOE TEX DOBIE GRAY US $22.21
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 Atlas 35557 Cupola Caboose BN N MIB US $11.65
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 Great American Railroads Amber Collectors Mug US $12.99
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 MTH Premier BN Burlington Northern Steel Caboose 20 91026 US $42.00
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 American Model Builders HO 877 GN BN Trans Caboose US $39.99
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 HO F40 BN DIESEL LOCOMOTIVE ENGINE W Caboose NIB US $33.99
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 GREAT NORTHERN CABOOSE X 106 US $30.00
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 USATRAINS R12175 Great Northern Red Center Cupola Caboose MINT IN BOX US $184.95
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Why did railroads sometimes use 2 or three cabooses on one train?
I've looked and never really found an answer. But I have this picture of a Burlington Northern Train that had 3 cabooses at the end. I know a caboose before they were phased out were mostly used as brakes at the rear, and even on short line transfers today, the Elgin, Joliet & Eastern uses a caboose on certain trips. But what reasons would there be to use 3 on one train?
From the information people have provided me, I have a better understanding of why they did this. I would also note this picture was of a standard BN Coal Drag with 3 cabooses on the rear. most likely being pooled back into BN's Cicero, Chicago yard.
The cabooses were probably being deadheaded somewhere. It was not uncommon to see multiple occupied cabooses in snow service, carrying maintenance of way personnel, lineman. signal maintainers, laborers, etc., as these folks were in very high demand in heavy snow storms, fighting to keep the line open.
But, by 1900, the Westinghouse Automatic Air Brake had already been around for 28 years, and the need to be atop the equipment (and caboose) lasted until the early 1970s, even as roof walks were disappearing rapidly, as did survive the employment of "swing" brakemen, although their number had been pared from 5 to 3.
All gone the way of the dodo...