Trains no longer have cabooses because in the 1980s they developed a device called EOT commonly known as End of Train device it monitors brake pressure and is monitored in the cab by the engineer in the event of an emergency the engineer throws a switch and applies the brakes on the train.
This can take a while in a mile-long freight. When the engineer wants to start the train, she pumps air into the brake line until the rear-end gauge reaches a certain level. That tells her all the brakes throughout the train have been released and she can give that puppy some gas. The significance of this will not be apparent until I let you in on a key fact from my vast storehouse of railroad lore: you can't start a whole freight train at once. Too much inertia. Instead you have to start it one car at a time, taking advantage of the slack in the couplers that connect the cars. Cecil replies: Don't need 'em, and besides, it's cheaper this way. There used to be two guys in the caboose: the conductor and a brakeman. The conductor did paperwork, the brakeman threw switches, and they both watched for hotboxes (overheated freight car wheel bearings). The significance of this will not be apparent until I let you in on a key fact from my vast storehouse of railroad lore: you can't start a whole freight train at once. Too much inertia. Instead you have to start it one car at a time, taking advantage of the slack in the couplers that connect the cars. SIOUX CITY -- It's almost the end of the line for the iconic caboose, a railroad relic brushed aside by modern technology. The caboose's role as a rolling office also is no longer needed. Technology took over the main areas of paperwork, said Mark Davis, a spokesman for Union Pacific Corp., which operates about 32,000 miles of tracks. In most cases, people have either forgotten about the caboose or don't know what it is, he said. Some young kids have never seen a caboose on the end of a train, he said. They've been gone for so long. They are an interesting piece of history for our kids.. The caboose's role as a rolling office also is no longer needed. Technology took over the main areas of paperwork, said Mark Davis, a spokesman for Union Pacific Corp., which operates about 32,000 miles of tracks. Trains no longer have cabooses because in the 1980s they developed a device called EOT commonly known as End of Train device it monitors brake pressure and is monitored in the cab by the engineer in the event of an emergency the engineer throws a switch and applies the brakes on the train. The crew in the caboose kept an eye on the train in front of them to watch for hot-boxes (over-heated axle bearings) and other problems. Now there are trackside hotbox and dragging equipment detectors (automatic), and trains use roller bearings as opposed to the old friction bearings. The caboose has gone the way of railroad nostalgia; it's not coming back, said Matt Merc, executive director of the Siouxland Historical Railroad Association, which chronicles the region's extensive train history. The caboose's role as a rolling office also is no longer needed. Technology took over the main areas of paperwork, said Mark Davis, a spokesman for Union Pacific Corp., which operates about 32,000 miles of tracks. Answer by ArdWar. Confidence votes 230. Cabooses were used for the brakemen (train guard, hence its alternative name, guard car) or extra crew members. They were used for radio comunications, braking and monitor the train. Now the ETD (end of train device) or red flags symbolize the ends of trains now. Most modern trains have no cabooses, also known as brake vans (UK guard's vans).   … They were originally designed to keep the couplings tight for all the cars between the locomotive and the train's end. Before starting, all the cars in a freight train are bunched up behind the locomotive. When the engineer opens the throttle, the locomotive starts moving solo until the slack in the first set of couplers runs out, whereupon the first car in the train starts with a jerk. The significance of this will not be apparent until I let you in on a key fact from my vast storehouse of railroad lore: you can't start a whole freight train at once. Too much inertia. Instead you have to start it one car at a time, taking advantage of the slack in the couplers that connect the cars. Rating Newest Oldest. Best Answer: There's no need for 5 man crews anymore... Cabooses went out in the 1970's, replaced with a FRED-Flashing Rear End Device, or to some employees, a F***ing Rear End Device -- because its heavy if you have to carry it from the locomotive to the rear car. The crew in the caboose kept an eye on the train in front of them to watch for hot-boxes (over-heated axle bearings) and other problems. Now there are trackside hotbox and dragging equipment detectors (automatic), and trains use roller bearings as opposed to the old friction bearings.
http://www.straightdope.com/columns/read/772/why-dont-freight-trains-have-cabooses-anymore http://www.straightdope.com/columns/read/772/why-dont-freight-trains-have-cabooses-anymore http://siouxcityjournal.com/news/local/why-don-t-trains-have-cabooses-anymore/article_ea4cb5fb-da41-5915-b899-1b540fe21989.html http://siouxcityjournal.com/news/local/why-don-t-trains-have-cabooses-anymore/article_ea4cb5fb-da41-5915-b899-1b540fe21989.html https://answers.yahoo.com/question/index?qid=20060630103734AAs1AdM http://siouxcityjournal.com/news/local/why-don-t-trains-have-cabooses-anymore/article_ea4cb5fb-da41-5915-b899-1b540fe21989.html http://www.answers.com/Q/Why_are_there_no_cabooses_on_trains_anymore http://www.straightdope.com/columns/read/772/why-dont-freight-trains-have-cabooses-anymore https://answers.yahoo.com/question/index?qid=20060630103734AAs1AdM
why don't trains have cabooses anymore