Re: Eight wheel Caboose on C&Sng?

Posted by Jim Courtney on
URL: http://c-sng-discussion-forum.254.s1.nabble.com/Eight-wheel-Caboose-on-C-Sng-tp488p1957.html

I concede that the end windows appear to have been operable, but it still seems odd to me that one would exit to the roof through the end windows.

Keith,

You need to approach this from the point of view of a working C&S brakeman in the pre-US Safety Appliance era, say 1903.  Remember, there are no end ladders on freight cars, the only way to climb to the top of a boxcar is using 4 widely spaced grab irons on the car side.

Now imagine you're the rear brakeman on a freight train descending Boreas Pass.  You're riding in the cupola of little caboose 306, watching the train. Its March, 1903.  A spring blizzard has been blowing up all afternoon, with a stiff wind and it's getting dark.  You sense the train picking up speed and hear the engineer whistle for hand brakes.  You pick up your brake club and need to get to the top of the train.  Do you:

a) Walk forward to the caboose platform, stand on one foot while raising your other leg over the end rail to get to the outside of the caboose ladder, then climb said ice encrusted ladder between two swaying narrow gauge cars, while not dropping your brake club.  Looking down you see the rails and ties passing by and realize that if you fall between the cars, dismemberment will be the likely result.

                Or, do you:

b) Grab your brake club, open the cupola end window in front of you, carefully climb onto the roof, using the lateral roof walk for best footing.  Then carefully walk to the center of the caboose, braced by the wall of the cupola; using the roof walk, you carefully move forward along the top of the freight cars, stepping across the gap between cars, tying down hand brakes as you go.

Both scenarios are pretty scary, but I would think that b) would be the safer choice.