(erielack) Caboose assignments, and Transfer Hacks

["Tupaczewski, Paul R (Paul)" <paultup_@_lucent.com>]

In the "good old days" (Erie/DL&W years), cabooses were often assigned to a particular train or conductor. In the EL years, this didn't seem to be the case... or was it?

How were cabooses assigned on EL trains? It would appear that road freights got whatever caboose was handy (though the Dunmores were not seen that often in road service), but it did seem that locals usually used the same caboose for months/years at a time (and at least a few were even stencilled with their assigned service)

Does anyone know the actual way these cabooses were assigned?

Also, does anyone know what the transfer cabooses were used for? I have rarely seen photos of any of the T-10 though T-34 series cabeese actually on a train (the photos usually show them reposing at a terminal). Most transfer run photos I've seen show a Dunmore caboose. The fact that they rather quickly moved to terminals other than their stencilled assignment (for example, Scranton was home to a few of them, and no cabooses were stencilled for that city) seems to indicate a rethinking of their assignments. The fact that none of them got the GMY paint scheme and their red paint turned very rusty seems to show a lack of care or interest in these cars. Were these just "forced" on the EL by N&W in the Dereco years?

	- Paul


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