Side-door Cabooses [was Why Transfer cabooses?]
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Nelson Moyer
Al, the Q waycar trucks in Ed’s photos are the standard Q waycar trucks. I think I remember they were classed #7 by the Q. They had an oak plank at the top, and they had solid bearings. Crews liked them because they gave a smoother ride than the Barber caboose trucks. I don’t believe they were considered high speed, though they were used on hot shot freights between Chicago and Denver. The branchline mixed trains hardly operated at high speed. The highest speed limit on the Burlington-Washington branch was only 25 mph according to the 1943 employee timetable, and that’s the earliest one I have. I think it was higher in the 1930s when passenger traffic was more active, but even then it probably wasn’t over 35 mph.
Nelson Moyer
From: main@RealSTMFC.groups.io [mailto:main@RealSTMFC.groups.io]
On Behalf Of al.kresse
Sent: Thursday, May 24, 2018 10:24 AM To: main@RealSTMFC.groups.io Subject: Re: [RealSTMFC] Side-door Cabooses [was Why Transfer cabooses?]
This caboose had high speed trucks? Would that allow for higher mixed-train speeds?
Al kresse
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This provides an interesting explanation on the situation that
the Rock Island encountered when they converted a number of single sheathed
boxcars to cabooses beginning in the late 1930s. Most were shortened by
removing most of the center section where the side door had been and were
configured just the same as their standard double sheathed wood and steel
cabooses.
However, twenty cars ultimately were left full length to be
assigned to mixed train service, many of which were used in Iowa, home of dozens
of RI branches. For these cars, the body bolster was moved inboard to
provide for passenger steps and a platform at one end (where there were a few
coach seats and a small toilet enclosure. The other end initially received
only an crew access door between the vertical braces on the end. See the
photo for sale on eBay for how this looked. https://www.ebay.com/itm/Rock-Island-RI-Outer-Braced-Caboose-17781-at-Topeka-KS-in-1941-8x10-Photo/302732824398?hash=item467c484f4e:g:kJYAAOSwY0lXS~Xw
Within a few years, a second platform was added at the crew
end. The bolster was not moved, so the crew used a three step ladder
attached to the side sill. See https://www.ebay.com/itm/Rock-Island-RI-Outer-Braced-Caboose-17772-8x10-Photo/302737143549?hash=item467c8a36fd:g:kB4AAOSwNSxVFQMY
I have been studying the branch from Cedar Rapids to Decorah
which hosted a mixed train daily, each way in the 40's and 50's. The
southbound train had a 4 mile back up move to Postville, Iowa and I had
speculated that was (maybe also) a reason for the addition of of a better crew
platform on that end.
Steve Hile
From: main@RealSTMFC.groups.io [mailto:main@RealSTMFC.groups.io] On Behalf Of Dennis Storzek Sent: Thursday, May 24, 2018 7:56 AM To: main@RealSTMFC.groups.io Subject: Re: [RealSTMFC] Side-door Cabooses [was Why Transfer cabooses?] I believe the Side Door Ban on the IC cabooses in Iowa was an old Union ruleConsidering I can find no Iowa statute that specifically mentions side doors, I'm beginning to think the "ban" was self imposed by the IC, either in response to union pressure or because they had to pay a whopping injury settlement (which would have been imposed by the Iowa state courts and could be the basis urban legend that it's a "law".) I did find a citation to the 1911 statute I linked to the other day in the 1946 court case Fleming vs. Richardson , the complaint being: On complaint of a trainmen's association that the Chicago, Rock Island and Pacific Railway Company was violating section 7972 of the 1939 Code of Iowa, by operating caboose cars on its railroads in Iowa, with but one platform, but no references to side doors. I also found a citation to the 1911 statute in a list of current (2018) Iowa law, but with the disclaimer that the list on the web site may be out of date. More for general information, and more pertinent to the recent discussion of four wheel cabooses, is this compilation of state laws governing cabooses as of December, 1912. Caboose Laws Dennis Storzek
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