IÂ’m a sometimes-volunteer (with still lots to learn) for our local historical museum where we have a UPRR class CA-6 caboose on display. VisitorsÂ’ questions and my own curiosity raise some questions about it. With my thanks to Bob Yarger for his comments on one of these in previous e-mail correspondence, perhaps I might post them for any info that others may be able to offer. My thanks in advance to any whoÂ’d like to respond.

1. The cupola doesnÂ’t have any chairs, but rather a bench completely filling the space between front and back windows on both sides, with storage lockers beneath. One must sit sideways, facing the center aisle of the car, instead of facing either forward or backward. ThereÂ’s even a grab-bar projecting from the center of the two benches that would hit the backs of oneÂ’s legs while seated as IÂ’ve described. WhatÂ’s the reason for this arrangement that appears to be quite awkward at best? (Some of the kids who have visited on school field trips have even asked if people slept up there, as the bench looks like a possible bed, albeit for a very short person.)

2. There are two vertical bars on the front and back windows of the car body and the cupola (but none on the side windows). WhatÂ’s their purpose?

3. An abundance of lengthwise seating/bed platforms in both ends of the caboose seems to indicate this is might be a “drover’s caboose”, wherein drovers rode while their cattle were being transported on the train. Does this sound reasonable?

These might look like dumb questions, but if I try to act like IÂ’m smart I wonÂ’t learn nearly as much! :)

I belive many railroads had the Coupola bunk. several Northeast roads were this way including Pennsy. The vertical posts you speek of, are they inside or out. If inside the may have been crash bars to protect the Crew from going thru the windows on an emergency stop or very Rough train handling. The Car could be a drovers caboose, however it was not uncommon to have a bunk for each crewman to sleep in, and i am pretty sure each had his own, Probally a union "aggreement.My car has three bunks.

Al P.

> IÂ’m a sometimes-volunteer (with still lots
> to learn) for our local historical museum
> where we have a UPRR class CA-6 caboose on
> display. VisitorsÂ’ questions and my own
> curiosity raise some questions about it.
> With my thanks to Bob Yarger for his
> comments on one of these in previous e-mail
> correspondence, perhaps I might post them
> for any info that others may be able to
> offer. My thanks in advance to any whoÂ’d
> like to respond.

> 1. The cupola doesnÂ’t have any chairs, but
> rather a bench completely filling the space
> between front and back windows on both
> sides, with storage lockers beneath. One
> must sit sideways, facing the center aisle
> of the car, instead of facing either forward
> or backward. ThereÂ’s even a grab-bar
> projecting from the center of the two
> benches that would hit the backs of oneÂ’s
> legs while seated as IÂ’ve described. WhatÂ’s
> the reason for this arrangement that appears
> to be quite awkward at best? (Some of the
> kids who have visited on school field trips
> have even asked if people slept up there, as
> the bench looks like a possible bed, albeit
> for a very short person.)

> 2. There are two vertical bars on the front
> and back windows of the car body and the
> cupola (but none on the side windows).
> WhatÂ’s their purpose?

> 3. An abundance of lengthwise seating/bed
> platforms in both ends of the caboose seems
> to indicate this is might be a “drover’s
> caboose”, wherein drovers rode while their
> cattle were being transported on the train.
> Does this sound reasonable?

> These might look like dumb questions, but if
> I try to act like IÂ’m smart I wonÂ’t learn
> nearly as much! :)

Thanks for the info. I guess I'm still baffled on why there would be bunks in the cupola. I thought that was supposed to be a place to watch the train. It would have to be a very short person to be able to stretch out on those in our caboose. But they do work great for kids when such cars are used as "guest cabins", such as in one of our Nebraska state parks.

And there are four bunks in the car proper, two in each end. One is extra long, serving at one end as a seat for the conductor to work at his desk (sorry I can't get at the car for awhile to take some measurements).

Yes, the window bars are on the inside, and your explanation of crash bars helps a lot.

Thanks again for your help.

Dick

> I belive many railroads had the Coupola
> bunk. several Northeast roads were this way
> including Pennsy. The vertical posts you
> speek of, are they inside or out. If inside
> the may have been crash bars to protect the
> Crew from going thru the windows on an
> emergency stop or very Rough train handling.
> The Car could be a drovers caboose, however
> it was not uncommon to have a bunk for each
> crewman to sleep in, and i am pretty sure
> each had his own, Probally a union
> "aggreement.My car has three bunks.

> Al P.

My UP CA-3 caboose (25086) has three bunks, but the cupola seats aren't large enough to stretch out in. As for the crash bars--if you've ever ridden in a caboose at the end of a long freight, you would find that the ride is closer to that of a roller coaster than a locomotive! It wasn't at all unusual for crewmen to be injured due to slack action. The FELA claims records show lots of people pitched off the rear platform, slammed into the stove, etc. Just one more reason that the railroads wanted to get rid of the cabeese--too many expensive claims!

Kevinmccabe@avenew.com

Thanks for sharing your experience, Kevin! I'd greatly appreciate any more caboose experiences/stories from anyone out there, that we can pass on to our museum visitors.

Dick

I was just looking at the CA caboose we have at Camp 6. She doesn't have the bars over the windows in the copula, but she has four bunks in the front. She also has two long benches in her. I do remember that the ice box came in handy in the summer.

crisolite@aol.com