You guys are one of the few museums that “get it” when it comes to social media. I love watching your videos.
@NorthShoreScenicRailroadDuluth2 жыл бұрын
Thanks so much!
@James_Knott2 жыл бұрын
Years ago, I was a technician with CN Telecommunication, which was the telecom division of CN Rail. Back in the mid '70s, when I worked out of Capreol, Ontario, I often rode on freights, either in the locomotive or caboose or van as the crews called it. Since the engineers didn't like stopping the train, if they didn't have to, I often hopped on or off a moving train. Also, there was one trip when I got on the train in Foleyet, after midnight, to go back to Capreol. I was sleeping on a bench in the caboose, but was often tossed off by the motion. BTW, I was listening to music and just before I clicked on this video, Gordon Lightfoot's "Canadian Railroad Trilogy" started to play. ;-)
@heronimousbrapson8634 ай бұрын
The Soo line, I believe, has been owned for some years by Canadian Pacific (now CPKC).
@Lucius_Chiaraviglio2 жыл бұрын
That is the first I had heard of that explanation of the origin of "Soo Line". Thanks.
@trainroomgary2 жыл бұрын
Well told RR History - Cool • Cheers from the Detroit & Mackinac Railway 🚂
@duron700r2 жыл бұрын
Another wonderful video!
@crisp_9972 жыл бұрын
I know one blue caboose out in Laurel Montana. He's flashy and usually sits with a blue diesel :)
@isusey Жыл бұрын
Excellent video
@keithlewis91062 жыл бұрын
I used to work at the company that made the windows for the caboose.
@alcopower57102 жыл бұрын
I’ve always much preferred the cupola to the bay window as I find it more pleasing to the eyes but I love all cabooses.
@James_Knott2 жыл бұрын
When I rode in a caboose, I usually sat in the cupola. I had an excellent view of the night sky in the middle of nowhere in Northern Ontario. On occasion, I would see the Northern Lights. When riding at the other end of the train, I'd sit in the 3rd seat in the locomotive, which is in the middle. This also gave a great view of the track ahead. On one occasion, I went out to just below the headlight, to take pictures.
@alcopower57102 жыл бұрын
@@James_Knott I bet you got some amazing pictures 👍
@James_Knott2 жыл бұрын
@@alcopower5710 I did. I also took some of the cab interior and also looking back along the train as it went around a curve.
@James_Knott2 жыл бұрын
@@alcopower5710 Another benefit of that job was getting a call out when I was able to take a passenger train. I'd be sitting in the club car, having a beer, while getting paid time & a half!
@kimrok12 жыл бұрын
Never heard them called coaches before
@ferky1232 жыл бұрын
There's another word that conductors have for flashing, especially the ones that were laid off.
@bryanphillips66662 жыл бұрын
"F@#k&n Rear End Device
@forsakenghost70542 жыл бұрын
I always wondered what the SOO line was it seemed like a odd name to me love the videos :)
@James_Knott2 жыл бұрын
It's not an odd name if you're familiar with the cities of Sault Ste Marie. There's one on each side of the Canada, U.S. border. They're often called "The Soo".
@MrAwesomedude8082 жыл бұрын
The Soo line actually was 2 different railroads. The Minneapolis, St. Paul and Sault Ste. Marie Railroad was referred to as the Soo line for the phonetic spelling of Sault. That ran until 1961 when it merged with other major subsidiaries of the Canadian Pacific to form the Soo Line Railroad. The Soo Line Railroad ran until 1990 as an independent railroad.
@bcgrittner80762 жыл бұрын
I was on my company’s running team years ago. They called me the caboose.
@DavesTrainsAndAutomobiles2 жыл бұрын
Thanks for the tour... I love running my G scale SOO caboose & good thing the guys are glued to to their seats 😉 but they have come loose.. Now I know why... 😎👍
@NorthShoreScenicRailroadDuluth2 жыл бұрын
Glue or seatbelts work! Ha. Glad you have a model of the Soo Caboose!
@Retired88M Жыл бұрын
I wonder if for safety reasons and to stop the slack action if passenger car couplers would have been a good option for a caboose since it seems from riding Amtrak there seems to be a minimal amount of slack action
@donlipsky26962 жыл бұрын
Railroads are a dangerous work environment and so are caboose’s. Back in the 70’s a crew was deadheading to Chicago. Normally the deadheading engineer would ride in a trailing locomotive, but in this case he decided to ride in the caboose. At sometime he laid down on the bunk that had a thin foam padded cushion, I wouldn’t really call it a bed, and fell asleep. About two thirds of the way to Chicago the train went into emergency. The sleeping engineer was thrown/slid forward and ended up breaking his leg.
@James_Knott2 жыл бұрын
That's the bench I was referring to in my post (above). However, I just wound up on the floor a few times, no injuries. Also, when sitting in the cupola, there are foot rests that are actually braces against the shock of the slack running out. Some of the retired cabooses were converted to offices for use at work sites along the track.
@donlipsky26962 жыл бұрын
@@James_Knott I know all about slack action, I’ve been chewed out a few times by conductors about a bad ride. The last knew cabooses were only used on work trains on the BNSF to allow safer, faster back up moves.
@diegomontoya796 Жыл бұрын
Can the caboose coupling be modified to compensate better for the slack action? I bet it can.
@V-max972 жыл бұрын
I always wondered what SOO stood for. I’m more of a PRR, Chessie, and Jersey Central guy.
@KirtH272 жыл бұрын
I might have asked this on another video? Back in the steam age how did railroads keep all of those steam engines operating in the frigid northern Minnesota winters?
@NorthShoreScenicRailroadDuluth2 жыл бұрын
Surely it wasn't fun. The trick is they have to stay hot all the time, or be brought inside (roundhouses were more common) for temporary storage or to drain them out. Think of the extra work to keep fires going all the time in locomotives that were being stored!
@dougpersell87762 жыл бұрын
Can you tell me what the first caboose you showed would weigh with out its trucks? We have one we may have to move it.
@garysprandel18172 жыл бұрын
While the the hometown road ( CNW) was heavy on the bay window the next road east of town was the Soo. Many a time I sat in the backseat of dad or gramps car in suburban Chicago watching those shiney new Soo hacks roll by. Have heard it said each standard draft gear freight car has a foot of travel in slack per car so not counting travel for cushion/damage free draft gear that 40 feet of slack run in or out on a 40 car freight train. Heard some of the crew that had to walk back to deal with a balky EOT unit had a different less family friendly translation of what FRED stood for.
@NorthShoreScenicRailroadDuluth2 жыл бұрын
Thanks for sharing the story Gary! We have heard of the alternate meaning of "fred" before too ;-)
@ShawnCalay9 ай бұрын
When my dad got out of Vietnam a caboose became a dry house when he hired on the Rock Island....be in blue island on the caboose hop track, wake up 5 hours after the job ended with a pile of the crews beer cans .....when he hired on the CNW it was the same till around 1982....I remember when I was a kid my mom would call blue island yard asking about my dad....the trainmaster said when he wakes up we will send him home....lmao
@wooderdsaunders74292 жыл бұрын
How do they control slack action or a passenger train? And was this technology not used because of price.
@cerneysmallengines2 жыл бұрын
Is there a modern use for caboose cars. I was driving home from work in Minneapolis and saw a caboose on the end of a train just a few nights ago. I don't know what company it belonged to, but it was on a line I typically see Canadian Pacific's on.
@NorthShoreScenicRailroadDuluth2 жыл бұрын
Almost always, the cabooses on modern trains are for shove moves... at some point that train likely has a spot where it has to back up for a considerable amount of time, and there needs to be a person on the rear when the train backs up. Crews can hang on the sides of cars, but if its for a long time, its better to have a platform for them to do stand on or go inside to watch the rear as the train backs up. - Josh
@cerneysmallengines2 жыл бұрын
@@NorthShoreScenicRailroadDuluth awesome. I hadn't thought of that.
@James_Knott2 жыл бұрын
Some were converted to offices, for use along the track at work sites.
@nancyhaun2 жыл бұрын
Does anyone know how old the SOO wood Caboose 169 would be? It still exists in the North Woods!
@ATrainVideo2 жыл бұрын
The inside of the Soo caboose looks very similar to the inside of the caboose at the Rock Island Depot Museum in Eldon, Iowa. Probably the same manufacturer. Although painted to look Rock Island, it's former ICG, but I don't know its full history. I'll be looking more into it.
@NorthShoreScenicRailroadDuluth2 жыл бұрын
Sounds good! Many cabooses were very similar inside, especially the more modern ones.
@markmay16552 жыл бұрын
@@NorthShoreScenicRailroadDuluth why are almost all of them painted a mint green inside? Our B&O caboose is the same green inside.... center cupola that's is becoming a airbnb
@wooderdsaunders4640 Жыл бұрын
The men in the caboose watched the train for malfunctions, how and who watched the train malfunctions on a passenger train?
@ericlakota1847 Жыл бұрын
I'm soprised they need a generator and didn't just have better dynamo on the wheels
@fredspindor16242 жыл бұрын
Instead of "Stem to stern", wouldn't it be "from A to B
@sharkheadism2 жыл бұрын
I have my doubts about how supposedly dangerous waycars were. Every railroader knew what slack was and after a little while could identify times and locations when slack might present a problem and anticipate sudden movement. Yes guys did get knocked down, not saying that didn't happen, it just wasn't a big deal. Part of the job then and now, the only thing that changed were lawyers.
@jonathanparker29392 жыл бұрын
Great content, but don’t sabotage it with the lack of a tripod.
@phoenicianlocal23632 жыл бұрын
Soooo.....whats the point of a transfer caboose?!! 🤷♂️😂
@NorthShoreScenicRailroadDuluth2 жыл бұрын
Similar use, just not as long distance. Lots of back and forth moves, its nice to have something to ride on.
@kimrok12 жыл бұрын
Transfer moves limited to 20 miles. They didn't contain all the equipment for road use or away from home terminal accomodations
@garybarnett72842 жыл бұрын
My friends and I use to joke that the Soo Line was a Chinese railroad. You ride on Soo Line, Yes?