What happened to the end of the train?

Question

as a child I remember a man standing on the end of train, we had RR track about 2 ft from our backyard and we always raced to wave to him, the other day i was stuck at rr crossing and there was no man?

Answer 1

I liked the details in the previous answers.

I found the one saying 'MONEY' as the one to be probably most appropriate.

Having the extra eyes on the back of the train is a big safety plus, but technological advances are proving sufficient.

Also the point about having to negotiate the caboose while switching the freight, interesting point.



I miss them too. They were a neat feature to those old time trains. And looked forward to seeing them at the end.

Answer 2

Andy has nailed it here. Cabooses served - among other things - as a safety measure. There was a set of eyes at the rear of the train to look for overheated wheel bearings, someone to apply brakes in an emergency should the Engineer not be able to, and a crewman to line switches for a following train. Now, the FRED does this. (Front to Rear End Device.) Fred can't spot an overheated wheel bearing but the bearings have improved over the years. And there are "Detectors" in the track every 30 to 80 miles that can detect a hot bearing should one occur. Many switches are remote controlled too. So the need for the caboose has diminished greatly. In my opinion, just as well. They were a pain. Always had to include maneuvers in train switching that got the caboose on the rear when setting out or picking up cars, and reversing direction. So I don't miss 'em. They added a lot of time to a day.

Answer 3

They saved a ton of money by getting rid of cabooses.First the two brakemen on a crew got removed from the job leaving an engineer and a conductor.The conductor got moved to the head end of the train and the caboose was replaced with an EOT(end of train device).It radio transmits the brake pipe pressure,whether the train is moving,if the marker light is flashing and also has the ability of placing the train in emergency via a radio signal from the head end.So nobody was needed back there anymore.I myself don't miss cabooses but they did force engineers to be better train handlers.If you gave the crew a bad ride you would hear about pretty quick.

Answer 4

I checked the site in the other answer and didnt see much that might explain your query. If you mean a brakeman on a caboose platform, few if any trains now use cabooses or extra brakemen. With computer train control signals and radio communications, the extra man isn't needed any longer.

Answer 5

It stops on the platform and then reverses and if mandatory crosses over directly to the main magnificent line for the return journey. on the different hand it keeps forward to a crossover and reverses lower back to the station on the different song. in specific situations, and the Andrassy street line in Budapest is just one occasion, it keeps in an identical direction around a return loop lower back to the different platform. On one tragic party in 1975, a prepare ran for the period of the platform devoid of slowing at London's Moorgate Station. It nevertheless stopped of direction whilst it hit the 'blind' end of the tunnel, yet very violently, and 40 3 human beings died, some by ability of suffocation in the heavily compacted best carriage. This became London's worst peacetime single tube prepare twist of destiny.

Answer 6

That was the conductor. Although the caboose he rode in at the rear of the train is no more, the conductor is still aboard the train, riding in the locomotive cab with the engineer.

Answer 7

MONEY - The technology now is advanced so they no longer need the caboose and it saves on operating costs.

Answer 8

Computers and electronics have outmoded the caboose and conductor.

Answer 9

Oh he's there...thats the Japanese Brakeman on the rear car flashing....LOL