The Caboose.
 

When BR ran class 9 trains, the brake van tops number was prefixed by CAB.
As a BV was a BV I never paid much attention to the BV numbers.
The worst brake vans were SHARKS and should only have been used on Engineering trains.
Riding at 35 mph in a shark was a fate worse than death,
They rocked and rolled like a ship in a force ten gale, to be avoided like a dose of salts.
The Eastern BV's were good if they had roller bearing on the axles, as these would run just like a MK1 coach.
The LMS BV were like riding in a big freezing shed. They had great gaps between the floor boards, which produced gales right up your trousers legs.
I have had many a happy hour on a summers evening riding back to the Mill from all points of the compass in a good brake van.
On a engineering jobs when it was raining the PW would come up into the BV for a warm.
I had no objection to this, but smoking was prohibited in my BV as I am a non smoker.
At HM in the Down Yard there was a incline where the Brakes were shunted, and the guard would see his train pass him then stop, and you rolled down this incline onto the back of your train. This incline had the name of " Brake Kip. "
Each BV had to contain, a shunt pole, a brake stick, a red tail lamp, 2 side lamps, 2 track circuit operating clips. The guard had to have a packet of in date detonators and a Bardic hand lamp.
The last BV I rode in was Christmas Week 1991.
From Turners Lane, Wakefield to Neville Hill Depot, Leeds.
Now just a nice memory of times gone by.

The Shark was not the worst.
The title of worst belongs to the shortlived Freightliner CABOOSE.
I believe they only made a couple of trips.
We have an example at Newbridge yard on the NYMR
99Z03 One of 5 built at Derby in 1965. BR Lot No 3572, Diagram 3/490.
Empty freightliner boxes began trial running in 1965 but a dispute arose between BR, ASLEF and the NUR over the guard riding in the rear cab of the loco. The caboose was brought in as a way to provide accomodation for the guard. Previous trials had involved running a brake van behind the loco and use of a converted 10 ft container. The trials were not a success due to the ride quality of the vehicle. Some guards suffered injuries arising from being thrown around the vehicle especially when travelling over pointwork.
Agreement subsequently reached with the other union for the guard to ride in the rear cab as originally proposed.
This example survived as a crane drivers bothy at Stourton Freightliner depot Leeds. Purchased by a PW Volunteer.
2 other examples known 1 at The NRM York (wrongly numbered 09Z04) and another example was in existance at Southampton but not known if still survives.
Photo available on the York group website.

These goldfish bowls were used at the tail end of the FL , but this is before my time on the railway.
I have been told of the ride of these gold fish bowls by older hands when I went to HM.
I saw the bowl at FL as we had a regular shunt job at the FL Terminal for 12 years,
SO at 1600hrs at the Mill sign off at 23:59hrs back at HM and so at 23:30hrs to 0800hrs. Mon to Fri.
On the 1600hrs turn you could be away home at 2000hrs all week.
All depended on the arrival of 4L 52 from Thornaby.

You can probably blame Dutch sailors visiting their American colony New Amsterdam (now New York), for introducing their word for a ship’s galley as part of subsequent Yankee slang.

Considering the distances covered by American trains, cooking facilities in ‘Brake Vans’ must have been essential for train crews.

I have seen CAR, CAV, CAQ, CAO and CAP but I haven't come across a brakevan with the "CAB" TOPS code. What braking system/s did they support?

Class 9 unfitted trains.
The braking system they used was to hope and pray that when you screwed the brake on you hoped it would help stop the train. If the Class 9 ran away you donned your parachute and bailed out.ASP

Thanks for that but now I am even more confused:) Normally the handbrake only van was designated CAO. A code ending in "B" was supposed to indicate a vehicle with air brakes and vacuum pipe??

I'm leaving HM on 9K20 off to Bowers open cast at Castleford, with a train of unfitted hopper wagons, it matters not what the number of the BV you have got,, if the train is unfitted that means if the BV had nuclear brakes it would not make a jot what brake pipes are fitted, cos the train is composed of 35 unfitted coal trucks
Thats why there is a BV on the end of the train.
I have shifted more coal from pit yards in and around West Yorkshire, than I have had hot dinners.
They were all unfitted trucks, untill they scrapped them all and we started using HTV/MCV's/HEA
Then the brake vans were taken off pit trip workings, and the guard ended up in the back cab of the engine.
The BV were done away with overnight in the mid 1980's after the miners strike ended the spring of 1885.
I said in my first post that all a guard wanted was a BV with a good fire and a smooth ride, and numbers did not matter, unless you collected these numbers as a hobby.

"Oh" yes, unfitted train working, I have spent more shifts working that type of train over the years, you could keep your class 1 workings dashing about all over the system, I was quite happy "trudging" along with a class 9 train AND that is where the driver and Guard worked together, he was in his van at the back and you were on the engine and he should know the road as well as you, because if he made a mistake or you made a mistake you could split the train, if you had a good guard who knew his job and knew the road the journey could be done as smooth as a fitted train.

Working together was all that it took.

Even before the end of brakevans, look after the guard, have him up on the engine,have a smoke and a brew, give him a smooth ride, you were all part of that train crew, you were both there to do a job and it was better to have a happy shift than a miserable one.It was not below me to give the guard a hand whilst he was checking the train, I would go and light his fire for him, or if it was a warm day go and make the tea, we were all workmates.

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I assume then, that you were mistaken and the brakevans used on Class 9 trains were NOT prefixed by the letters CAB?

I totally agree with you, although some drivers were drivers and would not help you at all.
Take Grimethorpe Pit, 40 trucks to prepare, all to couple up and every hanbrake to lift, in filthy conditions under foot, with a driver and second man purging to get going but not offering to help.
If it was like this all week you had problems.
If the diver/asst. mucked in we could half the train preperation time, and work as a team.
When going round a tarin, I would never rush, cos if you rushed you could miss a coupling or a hand brake pinned down hard. My moto is NUR.
Which is No use rushing.
Now we have to do roll bys with a train to ensure there are no brakes pinned down,
The more anyone rushes me the slower I go, and my mobile phone is switched off at all times when shunting/driving the van.
I have to sign the tops sheet/drivers slip, and stamp it with my name. If owt goes wrong it all yours
We are talking of days gone by when we had engines and coaches not plastic Hornby Doublo trains with 4 coaches on an express from Penzance to Manchester Picadilly, which is full and standing at St Erth.

Well as I said previously, it was not below me to give the Guard a "dig out", we were all train crew, and I was not a person that looked down on guards, I know some drivers that definately did. They would have nothing to do with the Guard other than take the train loadings off him.
Some guards used to come to the side of the engine and stand there looking up, and they were very surprised when I used to say "Hello mate, come on up theres a brew going, got your cup ?"
The driver and guard were there for the same thing....to work the train from A to B safely and responsibly !¬ I was not better than the guard and he was no better than me, we were all employed by BR to do a job and if that job could be done with no problem and in a happy atmosphere everyone felt better for it.

If I had a mate, who had been "prepped" by some driver to ignore or give the guard a hard time, I always laid the law down in no uncertain terms and put him straight, there would be none of that rubbish on this train, we are all here to do a job.

I can remember one time, one of the hold hand guards had fell off his moped and was off work with a bad back, he was off some time, I went to his house a couple of times to see him, but when he finally came back and was working with me, I sent him to "brew up" and I went round his train and got it ready, not a problem. Some of the drivers used to have a go at me for being the way I was, but I never had a problem and I can honestly say that I always had a good shift and a happy shift for all my years.
Also there was no barrier on my footplate, anyone was welcome.
It is no good being miserable, we were all working for a days pay, we all wanted to "get done", so the sooner the job was done the sooner we got finished and all went home after a good shift.

The job was done responsibly, safely no rules were broken and everyone was happy. THAT is the way I liked my trains worked, and I would be the same today !!!

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Alas all we speak about now has gone, as a lot of the big customers have been made into Shopping Centres or nature reserves, where once we shunted trains worked trains for these locations.
All you see on a journey to Donny from Leeds is industrial deriliction, where at one time we had customers who had 5 or 6 trains a day from Cardiff Rod Mill,(Cobra at Wakefield) or 20 carflats from Southampton with Transit Vans on them for unloading.
( Wakefield Westgate)and thriving pit yards where 3 or 4 MGRS would load for the power Stations per day..
At the end of the miners strike I had 20 pits on my route card. Now these pits are flattened
and When go go past them I remember the times we have worked in and out of them.
(South Kirby/Grimethorpe/Wooley/Manvers Main.) the list goes on.
Gas tanks from Humber Oil to Stanlow Gas, at Ellesmere Port.( 7years)

Yes mate,it is a depressing sight, but at least we can remember, and look back.
Its funny you know, but with the memories we have AND this forum, those times will never be forgotten will they.

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