Cabooses have feelings too

[Atlanta]

Here in central europe specially in germany, it gave Caboose cars, too.
In the past every freight train used it. It was the right place to show End of Train Devices like lanterns or metal sighns or flags in space to show the interlocking towers that a running by freight train was complete.
The Caboose Cars here called Facultative Cars, a Canteen or Bunk Car or Canteen Car where the Train Chief had his Compartment, too.
Onto local freight or mixed freight and passenger trains such Falcultative Cars had been used as mobil office for freight agents or station agents connecting rural countryside areas with bigger town stations.

When I was a child of ten years that is 40 years ago, there was one daily countryside train onto a branchline who run with such Falcultative Car in end of train.
If passengers wanted to travel into next bigger town they could use this freight train an got their ticket from the train chief.
The small depots often had no RR personal and the interlocking towers personal staff did not bought tickets or did not doing freight house service.
Me I rode two times with such freight train. Onto next train stops the freight car switching was the first job before we continued the travel into next town.

In 1982 the Passenger and freight service had been closed for public use. Only a gravel company was the last company alongside that 20 miles long branchline. The branchline got partitionally abdoned in later years.

Onto my model RR Layout I do run Coboose Cars for my fictional US based RR.
Onto my Prussian RR project of first steam Epoche in the year of 1888 such Facultative Cars are a must have in every freight train.

Ya Ingo

[riogrande]

I like cabooses too. Here are some of mine that are the shop built D&RGW cabooses.

[Old_Hobo]

A bit of interesting history.....in Canada, cabooses are actually known as vans, although caboose works as well....

http://www.trainweb.org/oldtimetrain...eral/vans.html

[riogrande]

Aye, they seem to go by many names - Vans, Hacks, Crummies, cabin cars etc.

[Gramps]

Originally Posted by Old_Hobo

A bit of interesting history.....in Canada, cabooses are actually known as vans, although caboose works as well....

http://www.trainweb.org/oldtimetrain...eral/vans.html

Isn't that what they are called in the UK?

[LateStarter]

Originally Posted by riogrande

I like cabooses too. Here are some of mine that are the shop built D&RGW cabooses.

I've always been a fan of the D&RGW... especially the pre-diesel era.
John Allen's work did a lot to grab my attention. MR mag was always featuring his stuff, and his G&D railroad, and it was all closely tied to the D&RGW.

[Old_Hobo]

Originally Posted by Gramps

Isn't that what they are called in the UK?

That is correct....also brake vans.....maybe that's why Canada, being a British Commonwealth country, adopted the same nomenclature.....

[LateStarter]

This was the subject of a thread I started (a couple years ago I think).
It's a KCS stainless steel caboose from the '60's. I believe about 30 or 40 were built. Quite a jaw-dropper.
They had Rockwell trucks.
The scratchbuilt model has the wrong trucks, but it's a masterpiece.

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[Atlanta]

Hey Ya'll

I forgot to post my favourite Caboose car, an old MDC Roundhouse Kit of a blind end caboose.

Ya'll Ingo

[Lehigh74]

Count me in as a caboose fan. I’ve never thought of them as bridesmaids or ugly step sisters.

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