The thread on passenger car batteries leads me to offer a question that’s beeen bugging us for some time at our museum where we have a UP caboose on static display (#25396, Class CA-6). I can find no evidence of a once-extant axle-driven generator/alternator. I have crawled under three other Class CA-6 UP cabeese in other towns looking for the same thing, all in vain. Nor can I find any evidence of former connections from a generator running into the battery box beneath the cars or into the interior wiring systems of the cars. There are, however, exterior receptacles on both sides of the cars which I assume were for trackside power connections, and “KW Lifeguard Charger” boxes inside with specs for 120v AC input and 14 v DC output. Is it possible, then, that the batteries were always charged by exterior power while the cars were standing in the yard, and never with generators while moving? I know that sounds hardly practical, but I’m stumped (and so are some other railfans I’ve queried). And was the lighting system only 14 volts? Any enlightenment would be greatly appreciated!

Probably so, though it may have been a modification. Where I worked, the axle drive generating systems on vans (cabooses)were subject to failure, so they were eventually discarded and the 12v batteries were simply connected to an external charger, with an electrician assigned to their care. Sounds like yours had the charger built-in. Once and a while, a railroad would apply a small internal combustion generator pack in the battery boxes instead of batteries.

When built, most modern cabooses had electric lights (interior, marker, and even headlights), running water, chemical toilets, oil heat and propane cook stoves. Where they're still in use today (on locals for backing up), you're lucky if there is even heat supplied, and most are in shameful condition, though Canada does much better. The only decent ones in the US are found on tourist railroads.

> The thread on passenger car batteries leads
> me to offer a question thatÂ’s beeen bugging
> us for some time at our museum where we have
> a UP caboose on static display (#25396,
> Class CA-6). I can find no evidence of a
> once-extant axle-driven
> generator/alternator. I have crawled under
> three other Class CA-6 UP cabeese in other
> towns looking for the same thing, all in
> vain. Nor can I find any evidence of former
> connections from a generator running into
> the battery box beneath the cars or into the
> interior wiring systems of the cars. There
> are, however, exterior receptacles on both
> sides of the cars which I assume were for
> trackside power connections, and “KW
> Lifeguard Charger” boxes inside with specs
> for 120v AC input and 14 v DC output. Is it
> possible, then, that the batteries were
> always charged by exterior power while the
> cars were standing in the yard, and never
> with generators while moving? I know that
> sounds hardly practical, but IÂ’m stumped
> (and so are some other railfans IÂ’ve
> queried). And was the lighting system only
> 14 volts? Any enlightenment would be greatly
> appreciated!


bobyar2001@yahoo.com

> The thread on passenger car batteries leads
> me to offer a question thatÂ’s beeen bugging
> us for some time at our museum where we have
> a UP caboose on static display (#25396,
> Class CA-6). I can find no evidence of a
> once-extant axle-driven
> generator/alternator. I have crawled under
> three other Class CA-6 UP cabeese in other
> towns looking for the same thing, all in
> vain. Nor can I find any evidence of former
> connections from a generator running into
> the battery box beneath the cars or into the
> interior wiring systems of the cars. There
> are, however, exterior receptacles on both
> sides of the cars which I assume were for
> trackside power connections, and “KW
> Lifeguard Charger” boxes inside with specs
> for 120v AC input and 14 v DC output. Is it
> possible, then, that the batteries were
> always charged by exterior power while the
> cars were standing in the yard, and never
> with generators while moving? I know that
> sounds hardly practical, but IÂ’m stumped
> (and so are some other railfans IÂ’ve
> queried). And was the lighting system only
> 14 volts? Any enlightenment would be greatly
> appreciated!
The 14 volt is the charge volt for 12 volt battery .

Smile

Stan


owenpaulsen@att.net