Not sure if someone has talked about this before, but has anyone seen when they were still around a transfer caboose. I have read of the various roads that had them. I just recently purchased a Custom Brass N-6a PC/CR transfer caboose and wanted to know if they were also used in local service as well?
Transfer Cabooses
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Cjcrescent
Master Mechanic
While they were generally used in a transfer service, they were also used for short local runs.
As a child, I remember seeing them on GM&O trains in my cousins hometown of Centerville Al, on short locals from Tuscaloosa to Maplesville. I also occasionally saw them on the SRR out of my hometown of Selma, Al. I never saw them run in true transfer service, even in my hometown, which had 4 RR's servicing the town. There was the SRR yard, and then the combined L&N, WofA, and GARR yard. The yards were less than 1.5 miles apart, and "transfers" consisted of parking cuts of cars on a SRR siding, that ended near where the L&N/WofA/GARR yard began.
As a child, I remember seeing them on GM&O trains in my cousins hometown of Centerville Al, on short locals from Tuscaloosa to Maplesville. I also occasionally saw them on the SRR out of my hometown of Selma, Al. I never saw them run in true transfer service, even in my hometown, which had 4 RR's servicing the town. There was the SRR yard, and then the combined L&N, WofA, and GARR yard. The yards were less than 1.5 miles apart, and "transfers" consisted of parking cuts of cars on a SRR siding, that ended near where the L&N/WofA/GARR yard began.
Old 97
Hogger
I still see them from time to time around here. Old conrail ones:
http://thecrhs.org/ConrailSurvivors/Cabooses/N11
A transfer caboose might be employed in any of a number of situations where a local freight could have to do long, or involved, backing movements for switching particularly in close quarters, being dropped perhaps only just ahead of the final spotting of the desired car. The same was sometimes true for work in very large yards moving long blocks of cars and, of course, inter-yard moves.
Here's a transfer caboose that I kitbashed for use in association with inter-yard movements and carfloat yard runs on my layout.
NYW&B
Here's a transfer caboose that I kitbashed for use in association with inter-yard movements and carfloat yard runs on my layout.
NYW&B
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trainman78
Member
NYW&B if i can ask what did you do to create that transfer caboose?
NYC_George
Well-Known Member
Back in 1975 when they abolished the 5 man crew law there was no more need for them.
George
George
Trainman - It's a kitbash starting out, as I recall, with a standard Athearn offset cupola caboose I had around, the type with 3 windows on one side and 5 on the other.
To the car floor I added a very thin piece of scribed wood sheeting to create a deck. Railing stanchions were cut from tiny right-angle brass stock and drilled to receive brass wire hand rails. The stanchions were notched to attach to the chassis. Formed brass grabs and cut levers were also added to the chasis.
I cut the original body in half at about its mid-point, then cut narrow sections out of each side wall at a rivet line to free up the roof extension. The cuppola end wall was cut free of that portion of the body and trimmed to fit into the opened end of the caboose's other section. The body and chassis were then primed, painted, decaled and weathered. Clear styrene was applied to the window openings.
The smoke jack and ladders from the kit were relocated to the places illustrated. At some point I'd still like to add a small stove fuel tank to the deck.
NYW&B
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