Originally Posted by Lehigh74:
I don’t recall where I read it, but the doghouse was a regulation/requirement to protect the brakeman from the weather.
That may have depended on the particular state involved. Also, some states, back in the day, had a more aggressive "full crew law", which required an additional Brakeman (sometimes positioned on the headend and sometimes in the caboose). Also, many Head Brakemen preferred to ride in the "Dog House" as it was much quieter and cleaner with less vibration. Many railroads had heat in the "dog House" for winter months, such as PRR.
