The Caboose.

[48111]

HOW THE CABOOSE GOT ITS NAME.
..............................................

Why was the last vehicle of an American freight train called a "Caboose" ? Who originated the name and when was it first used ? Well according to the Indianapolis news, the name comes directly from the Greek word "Kabuse" meaning little room or hut.
It is sometimes used to denote a deck cabin on a small ship, usually the galley or place where cooking is done. The word appears to have come into use in the United States at the beginning of the Railway Age, but no reference can be traced of its first use being attributed to any person.


Full of useless information ha ha ha.

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[HM181]

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.

[Ploughman]

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.

[HM181]

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.

[Downsman]

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.

[swisstrains]

Originally Posted by HM181

When BR ran class 9 trains, the brake van tops number was prefixed by CAB.................................

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?

[HM181]

Originally Posted by swisstrains

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

[swisstrains]

Originally Posted by HM181

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??

[HM181]

Originally Posted by swisstrains

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.

[48111]

"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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