Privately owned cabooses

First of all, no class 1 railroad in the U.S. would handle just about any "private owned" passenger equipment, cabooses or passenger cars, unless it is the whole train of the Private Car Owners Association enroute to a convention.

 

Second, in order to have a "private owned" passenger car attached/carried on the rear of any Amtrak train, that piece of equipment MUST comply with, and pass all Amtrak inspections, for HEP and high speed passenger service, i.e. at least 90MPH. There is no way ANY caboose can meet those specifications or requirements.

 

Having ridden in a caboose, at almost 70MPH, I sure wouldn't want to "travel in style" in one of those ****ed things attached to the rear end of any Amtrak passenger train!

It may have to do with the FRA regulations and them considering a caboose as being unsafe especially in high speed passenger service. I believe  AMTRAK won't pull a caboose. Don't know who would.

Jim Brenner,

  Besides the safety aspect, I believe that it has to due with the cost, no matter the size I believe there is a minimum cost for a private RR car to be joined with a train, hooking up a small car might cost as much as the full size passenger/sleeper Cars, hence it'd would be foolish to restore the Caboose for actual usage.  One of the coolest small logging type Cabin Caboose sits in Coudersport, Pa, just around the corner from the Sheets gas station.  Totally restored the pre War Cabin Caboose looks fantastic, in it's red color with white letters.  I am planning to take a few pictures of her to post on the OGR, on my way past just before the 4th.    Paparay the Union Railroad still pulls them just about everyday.  The URR is a small Railroad here in Western Pa, just outside of Pittsburgh.  Further the ultra rich still travel in their private RR Cars and even have them shipped over to Europe.  The last trip my father took was from Washington DC to

Slidell, La to see the Space Shuttle being built.  My fathers close friend supplied his private RR Car for my fathers trip to Slidell.  That particular car is nicer than any RR Car ever owned by the RR's,even President Reagan's Car (Black Beauty) was not as plush.  Those ultra rich peoples RR Cars meet or exceed all the RR's inspection cryteria.

To them its just money, they take great pride in their ownership and way of life.

PCRR/Dave 

Second, in order to have a "private owned" passenger car attached/carried on the rear of any Amtrak train, that piece of equipment MUST comply with, and pass all Amtrak inspections, for HEP and high speed passenger service, i.e. at least 90MPH. There is no way ANY caboose can meet those specifications or requirements.

 

That's correct. FYI, I also learned last week from a private varnish owner that Amtrak is also now requiring pass-thru connections for the locomotive 27-pin m.u. cables, in addition to the HEP.

I'll add my two cents by way of the Strasburg Rail Road's recent investment of a freight car loading/unloading facility at the north end of the parking lot.

 

To handle modern freight cars, the curve at Lehman Place Junction was widened. After running around the train at Paradise, the locomotive now couples on out of sight far down that curve. The original stub track is still in place. I saw some MOW equipment on it.

 

Also, the Strasburg's one-and-only wooden bridge had to be replaced by a concrete bridge.

 

Freight cars and passenger cars are a lot longer and heavier now. As Hot Water and Paparay posted, a caboose would not fare well at the end of a train today, especially rolling along at 70 MPH. Modifying one would meet formidable mechanical, safety and insurance issues. I doubt that anyone except a hardcore railfan would even think of riding one, and no Class 1 would even consider it.

 

It would be interesting if a caboose could be coupled to an auto rack, a double-stack car, or an Amtrak passenger car for display somewhere. That would bring all these issues to light.

 

 

About the only chance you will get to ride in a caboose is on a tourist railroad where you will get to view the countryside at a blistering 20-25 mph. My only caboose ride was when I worked at Disneyland. By the way, the DRR's first train in the morning makes a run around the park with no passengers, night before there was a major storm, a low hanging branch sheared the copula off the caboose, fortunately it was not occupied. 

I have had two caboose rides, one about 9 years old up and down a siding on the

platform when the train was switching coal hoppers (my dad's buddy was a brakeman...

for sure that would not happen today, even if there WERE cabooses) and in the cupola

of one on the East Broad Top, which wasn't supposed to happen, as it was a ride out

to the end of the line on their gas electric (intended  to be a round trip, but the

gas electric developed a problem, they sent the steamer out to tow it back and

passengers were shooed to its caboose.  I commandeered the cupola, and considered it a two for one deal). That last was in the '70's.

I think we have developed a fantasy about cabooses. When the Bessemer was getting rid of their cabooses I mentioned to the yard master that I would like to have one. His reply was "Why would you want one of those things !!" There are two complete cabooses in the area where I live. One is wooden and used as an office.

Thank you all for your replies. I figured there was a reason why no one had used a privately owned caboose for travel and now I know there are several reasons why no one has. I hadn't even thought about the speed factor. Thanks again.

There are several privately owned caboose in central New Hampshire, and some of them look in excellent condition and could be used on the mainline, just not behind anything like an Amtrak train.

 

The best looking of them are a half dozen or so at the Hobo Railroad in Lincoln, where they are restoring the Flying Yankee.  A couple are in excellent condition and on sidings that lead to the mainline. Several years ago one of the owners took us for a tour of his really nicely restored caboose, although inside it was now like a small cabin and not a working caboose.  He stated they go on caboose tours; several privately owned cabooses being pulled by a railroad's engine over several states.  He has also done tours with passenger cars in the mix.  I took several pictures but cannot find them.

 

On the other side of the state (which is only a few miles), there are several privately owned cabooses in the yard near Conway Station, home of the Conway Scenic RR.  Most of these cabooses are not in running shape, and are used more like a cabin for their owners to visit the area.  Some look like they are in operating condition, and have access to the main line.  Here are some photos.

 

 

The rail excursions out of Jim Thorpe have a caboose as part of their inventory. It costs extra to ride in it. I also saw a Pan Am caboose on a freight train near Wilkes-Barre Pa a few years ago. A much nicer EOTD!

Don

It's never going to happen but.... go in style if it did.  Most engineman  gave us a pretty smooth ride with stretch braking, The cushion drawbar help as well..

 

Here a pic.. Ps I could have purchased one for around $500 . It would have made a great hunt camp.. I don't hunt but like to fish.

 

 

 

There are cabeese for rent in Durbin, WV, that I would like to someday do with the family.  The Castaway Caboose is part of the Durbin Rocket, and they have two refurbished Wabash cabeese that they cast off at camping sidings along the river.  I think this would make for a fun weekend!

 

Jim

Thankds, CAPPilot, for those caboose photo postings.

Gentlemen,

   My great Grandfather purchased one of the old Woodside WAG Cabin Cabooses for his Granddaughters to use as a Play House, in his Back Yard at 189 West Main Street in Galeton, Pa. way back in the late 1800's.  At that time the RR tracks of the old WAG RR ran right across the back of his yard, on West Main Street next to Pine Creek, he was the engineer who drove that train.  They simply unhooked the old woodside Cabin Caboose and pulled her into the back yard with his tractor.  My Mother and her sisters used the old Cabin Caboose from the logging train, as their play house until they went away to college.  When it got to old and rotten for use, just after I was born in the late 1940's, my Grandfather and my Father burnt the old Wooden Caboose where it sat, my Mother cried as she watched it burn, holding me in her arms.  The trucks were then sold back to the RR.  I wish I had some pictures of it, it's sister, which has been fully restored sits in Coudersport, Pa.   I will take some pictures of her this next week, and post them for the OGR members to see.  No way one of those old woodside WAG Logging Cabin Cabooses could pass inspection to run the rails today, even on the smaller Railroads.   Have to admit in our family there are some incredible memories tied to one of them.  Especially for my Mom and Dad, who now ride God's Passenger Train forever.  No doubt my Great Grandfather drives that train for his Supreme Architect.

 

Great pictures of all the Cabooses guys!

 

PCRR/Dave

It took me a while to find my photos but I was on a caboose/passenger car fan trip on the LIRR in 1989--four retired cabin cars and two coaches. We traveled around LIC on old freight trackage in the morning powered with an MP-15. In the afternoon took the mainline to Riverhead with 3 Alcos on the head, even did a runby. Those C-420s do put out a lot of smoke for diesels.

Rode in the cabin car in the AM, no lights but the day was a blast.

Scotie

Luckily I was one of few who got to ride RBMN's Anthracite Express where I was fortunate to ride in their caboose at speeds upwards if 40-45MPH.

I have had several slow speed caboose rides including a very nice privately owned crummy that tagged along a wmsr ride.  I have to admit sleeping in a standard work caboose isn't the best but if the stove works its okay.  I cannot imagine being in on at more than 40 mph or so, especially behind a through freight with slack running in and out.  Certainly getting pushed by a few 4000 hp locomotives would be a scary thought as well.  The fastest I ever pulled any cabooses was about 25 and the occupants were a little complainy at the end of the trip (However I was going to time out if I didn't keep the throttle open so tough nuts!!)

I can certainly see where a private car may be more practical,  but if allowed by Amtrak a caboose might be a good way to go just to limit your investment. 

 

That certainly was an interesting ride! But it was fairly smooth for the most part. I wouldn't have wanted to go much faster though.

 

 

As for the previous comment about riding in a caboose in Jim Thorpe, I heard that they no longer allow that. If you want to ride a caboose in the Lehigh Valley, you need to come down to Kutztown to ride the Allentown and Auburn. There is usually a CNJ (Reading style) caboose, B&O Bay window, and a Conrail Bay window on the train. Check the website for when the line is running.

I did that last year, and it was a very neat experience. The cabooses are very nice, and so is the camp. There is a river right there that is great for fishing or walking in, and many trails for biking. The Durbin "Rocket" doesn't go very fast, but that makes for good sightseeing- the line is perfect for that.