Transfer Cabooses


Greg@mnrr

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Purchased a HO Milwaukee Road transfer caboose. Just have some questions about transfer cabooses and how railroads used them in their operations.

Were the transfer cabooses used only for local switching and what was the maximum distance they could travel in a day? Anything else related to their use of interest?

Thanks.

Greg
 
I'm no expert but I think they were pretty much for local jobs and reverse moves.
That's the only time I remember seeing them on the CNR anyhow.
I guess every railroad had their own usage but I don't think there'd be any AAR rules or laws regarding them.
I'm looking forward to getting one of the Blueford Shops BN releases for the locals on my layout!
 
I picked up one of the Blueford shops NYC cabooses. On the branch I lived on, they would run about 35 miles, one-way, with a transfer caboose. Power was usually a switch engine or small road switcher.
 
Where did you find the Milwaukee transfer caboose. I have been kind of looking for one off and on.
 
Their use depended on the railroad and the individual area. I've seen video of Milwaukee Road (and very similar KCS) transfer cabooses on jobs running between yards in Kansas City, which would be the most typical use. Chicago was an area where they were common, along with places like Council Bluffs and the Twin Cities. However, the NYC/PC style could be found in main line service. The Missouri Pacific's cars, which are the basis for the Bluford models, were used in main line service. The UP was so impressed that it copied them more or less for its final caboose design, also in main line service.
 
Montanan:

Walther's had the transfer cabooses in their recent sales flyer, but were sold out last Friday when I visited Walther's showroom. I ordered mine from Lombard Hobbies.com on-line, the caboose was under Lombard's minimum order amount of $50.00, so I ordered another car to make up the order. We can always use more rolling stock, right?

They have a limited amount of MR transfer cabooses in stock.

I placed the order last Friday and the box arrived via UPS on the following Tuesday. The box was well packed and arrived in good condition.

The model was a Fox Valley model and the detail is good with clean, crisp lettering. I ordered the Milwaukee Road caboose numbered 990022. This caboose fills out my roster of Milwaukee Road cabooses that were offered by Walther's in a series of different numbered cabooses.

Hopes this information helps.

Greg
 
Forum Members:

I've seen the Union Pacific, from their Butler, Wisconsin yards, use old an C&NW caboose in local switching moves as a transfer caboose. I was surprised to see a short, UP local traveling by with a C&NW caboose in the rear. This was on the North Avenue railroad bridge in Wauwatosa, WI while I waiting for a traffic signal on Mayfair Road to turn green.

Several months later, I saw an old C&NW caboose sitting on a siding in the Butler yard. The old caboose had seen better days and was really dirty and rusted. I'm not sure if this was the one I saw on the bridge still doing some work.

There is a back road that runs along the east side of the yard from Hampton Avenue to Capitol Drive. This is a good training watch spot.

Greg
 
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That's a little rich for me. I'm now thinking about the thousands that will be spent on our remodeling projects.

Thanks anyway.
 
Chet, I'll check the next time I go to my LHS, and see if they still have a MILW transfer caboose. I got a Blueford Shops one for $40.
 
I know that nobody has asked yet, but when the NYC/PC/CR used a transfer caboose on our branch, they placed the caboose directly behind the engine so they didn't have to waste time switching it behind the train.
 
Forum Members:

I think I paid just under $48.00 for the same model that was shown on eBay.

Greg
 
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I know that nobody has asked yet, but when the NYC/PC/CR used a transfer caboose on our branch, they placed the caboose directly behind the engine so they didn't have to waste time switching it behind the train.

Asked for or not I love those interesting facts!
 
Transfer cabooses were sometimes used on locals and long reverse moves but as their name would imply they were mostly used for transfer movements between yards or interchanges. Transfer cabooses often lacked a lot of the amentities of an over the road caboose. Usually they had maybe a bench for the crew to sit on, a desk for the conductor, and a stove or heater for them to keep warm but that was usually about it. Since they usually pretty much only ran from one yard to the other the railroads really didn't bother putting in bunks for sleeping or toilets. The modern day equivalent is called a "shoving platform." They're usually an old caboose that has had the windows and sometimes doors plated over. They're used to give brakemen a place to ride while cars are being moved or switched and to serve as a lookoutpoint during long reverse movements.
 
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