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(erielack) Caboose assignments, and Transfer hacks



Apparently the Port Jervis-Deposit local was a two day turn where the
conductor actually slept on the hack in Deposit, and this practice continued
into the 1970's. This would imply an assigned caboose equipped with some
spartan creature comforts. The "transfer" hacks were supposedly used
systemwide in yard and local service, although you sure don't see many
photos of them. The small cabin made them unpopular with crews.

Paul Brezicki

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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