RIchard H. said:

True, no doubt, on many RRs. But out west, where freight trains ran
hundreds of miles in a day and it was often a long way between sidings,
spare brasses and suitable jacks were routinely carried in caboose tool
boxes. On the Santa Fe (and, I'm pretty sure, the UP and SP as well), the
equipment necessary to replace brasses was part of the inventory on every
caboose, and conductors were responsible for making sure it was there
before every trip.

And on some eastern roads, too. Various reminiscences I've read describe
such tools on eastern cabooses as well.

Tony Thompson Editor, Signature Press, Berkeley, CA
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