Caboose
by Ivan W. Baugh
Photographs property of Ivan W. Baugh
In the past, when you saw the caboose, you knew it was the end of the train. Today, most railroads use a flashing device (often called an EOT--end of train) mounted on the coupler at the end of the train that contains a flashing light. Some railroads still require a caboose at the end of a train when transporting certain types of materials.
Many cabooses that railroads have retired have found their way into other uses. Behind Papa Johns Cardinal Stadium in Louisville, KY you will find a line of cabooses that were redecorated for use as hospitality rooms by local businesses.
This is an example of a bay window caboose. On each side of the car you find a bay window where the crew sat to monitor the way the train was traveling down the track. In the first picture the crew would sit in the elevated section of the roof where windows gave them a clear view of the train as it traveled down the track. As you will see, these leasors of these cabooses have made various adaptions to increase the suitability of the car for entertaining guests before a University of Louisville football game. I have heard there is a similar utilization of cabooses around the University of South Carolina stadium.
The picture below shows a former Illinois Central caboose in its new life--quite a change from its original life.
The interior of a caboose contained a stove that provided heat in the winter. Look how the owner of this caboose has changed the interior.
They certainly weren't insulated like the above alteration. The owner of this caboose plans to use it as part of an ice cream stand near Charlestown, IN.
The above examples give you some insight into the size of cabooses and the variety of types of cabooses that railroads operated.