Caboose vs Transfer Caboose


NYC_George

Well-Known Member
So I've spent some time in cabooses from 1969 to 1981 while working on the RR, but I'm unable to tell the difference between a caboose and a transfer caboose. Is it the railing design or something else?
 

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The transfer caboose is just the basic bare-bones cabin on basically a flat frame. No cupola, may or may not have bay windows in stead, probably doesn't have any bunk facilities, not meant for long-distance/road service.
 
From what I understand (I didn't work on a RR), cabooses were equipped with bunks, lockers, toilets and stoves and were used as temporary housing by crews as they traveled on long distance runs. Transfer cabooses were more sparsely furnished and were used primarily for switching runs that lasted less than a day. Many transfer cabooses were homemade in individual railroad shops.
 
Now that I think about it your replies are correct. The above PC type caboose had just about everything one would need for long trips and the Conrail type transfer caboose had just a table with benches. I think it also may have had one bunk. I can't remember it's been so long ago. It did have a stove though because I remember one of the crew doing the every day event of cooking lunch for everyone.
 
I thought Chris and Willie both got the definition correct.

Somewhere on my external harddrive or thumb drives I have a bunch of images and info on transfer cabeese, as I was contemplating kit-bashing some at one time.
 



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