The Mother Of All Cabooses!

[2railjon]

And I thought the one Rufus built me was the biggest!
I’ve been had!!

[Rufus T. Firefly]

I don't charge enough,

[E7]

Jon,

Send it back to Firefly Enterprises, and demand that enough footage be added to regain the lead! (think articulated)

PS: Once you have regained 1st place, be careful you don't rear-end yourself!

[2railjon]

Jon,

Send it back to Firefly Enterprises, and demand that enough footage be added to regain the lead! (think articulated)

PS: Once you have regained 1st place, be careful you don't rear-end yourself!

LOL!!

Rufus, I don’t remember what I gave for your caboose, but it’s a hand built one of a kind beauty I’ll pass on to my son!!

[E7]

Did the CVRR really have one like that? Passengers could board at Chambersburg and walk to the opposite end and get off at Shippensburg without the train ever moving!

[Rufus T. Firefly]

Did the CVRR really have one like that? Passengers could board at Chambersburg and walk to the opposite end and get off at Shippensburg without the train ever moving!

Of course not. Doubt getting off in Shippensburg; Scotland, maybe,

[Rufus T. Firefly]

Rufus, I don’t remember what I gave for your caboose, but it’s a hand built one of a kind beauty I’ll pass on to my son!!

No worries, Jon. I'll gouge the next guy,

[Roy]

What was the front section used for?

[2railjon]

No worries, Jon. I'll gouge the next guy,

You’re a good man, Rufus!!

What was the front section used for?

I’ll never tell!!

[sarge]

Roy, they are usually laid out with coach seats and used for a number of purposes.

Out west, stock trains ran with this sort of thing, the seating as accommodation for the stockmen who handled the cattle. These were the so-called "drover-cabooses". A coach would also fill the bill, but in the winter it would probably have to be one with a stove in it since steamheat wouldn't necessarily be available.

More widespread, short-lines and branchlines might have such things on "mixed" trains. The coaching section was sold revenue space for passengers "going to town", the baggage doors opening to baggage space or even closed-pouch mail, and the bit with the cupola for the rear end crewmen; conductor and brakemen. More often, a single coach or combine (often an older car again with a stove) was used, but specialised cars like these weren't that uncommon.

Since Rufus chose to number the car with an X prefix, that alludes to a third use. On a work train, the work crew could be carried in the coach section while the train crew again is back in the section with the cupola.

[Rufus T. Firefly]

Since Rufus chose to number the car with an X prefix, that alludes to a third use.

Jon appears to found a 3rd use for his car,

On a work train, the work crew could be carried in the coach section while the train crew again is back in the section with the cupola.

That would be the uses that my version of the car is designated for on my CVRR

[Roy]

Sorry guys, I was referring to the front of the GN caboose. I know it was built from a retired boxcar and caboose in 1953. What went in the front section?

[Rufus T. Firefly]

Sorry guys, I was referring to the front of the GN caboose. I know it was built from a retired boxcar and caboose in 1953. What went in the front section?

Freight? Baggage when used with a mixed train? Supplies? I can only speculate.

[sarge]

As I remember reading about the thing, it was a one-off built to run on some branchline to St. Cloud Mn, then on one that ran to Hutchinson, Mn (hence the nickname the Hutch caboose). Being in branchline service, one could guess the front section is for less-carload and express shipments; picture a combine but a baggage and caboose rather than baggage and coach.