Rufus T. Firefly wrote:healey36 wrote:The drovers' caboose, as a concept, I was unfamiliar with. I often wondered how the transport of livestock was achieved back in the day when much of it moved by rail, especially given the time involved. I've been around enough beef cattle, for one, to understand that their shelf life without fresh water is not infinite. Quite interesting...
Those trains moved pretty quickly and they were watered and fed on the fly.
When researching another project, I recall coming across an 1873 federal regulation referred to as The 28 Hour Law that contained the following:
"Except as provided in this section, a rail carrier, express carrier, or common carrier (except by air or water), a receiver, trustee, or lessee of one of those carriers, or an owner or master of a vessel transporting animals from a place in a State, the District of Columbia, or a territory or possession of the United States through or to a place in another State, the District of Columbia, or a territory or possession, may not confine animals in a vehicle or vessel for more than 28 consecutive hours without unloading the animals for feeding, water, and rest."
The drovers, I'm thinking, were likely onboard to facilitate these requirements. From what I've read, this reg is still on the books.