Bill,
As Russ Stotz said on the BN List, the caboose is used to allow remote control switching in yard service with any available locomotive. While more expensive, some RRs equip each assigned locomotive with the necessary RC electronics. The conductor's hand held remote control unit sends the signal to the equipment in the caboose which is MU'ed to the locomotive via a jumper cable, providing the operator with control of the locomotive. The rear facing headlight is for reverse movements at night. The caboose is somewhat like a second locomotive. In all probability, the two RV style air conditioners on the roof are required to keep the electronics cool as well as the conductor if he is on board. For most of those jobs, the conductor stays on the ground. There is usually a switchman working with the conductor. Now days, both would be qualified conductors. There is no engineer involved which is why the RC equipment has not become common on all class one RRs. BNSF has tried RC switching, but has not expanded it's use.
While remote control switching has been around for a number of years (not back to the Q days), it's common use on class one RRs only dates to the 1990s. Union Pacific probably has the most extensive use of RC switching among the class one RRs.
Bill Barber Gravois Mills, MO
Fri May 17, 2013 7:11 am (PDT) . Posted by:If you scroll down this page http://mrlblog.qstation.org/?p=1243to the 7th picture, you see a rear view of a MRL caboose. My questions are 1. How come they still use cabooses and hardly anyone else does? 2. The large white light on its roof makes sense, but I don't remember such lights on cabooses in the past. What did they do when backing up a train? Didn't they need a white light on the rear car? 3. The lettering on the side of the car says "remote control caboose," what can you tell me about remote control cabooses? 4. Did CB&Q own remote control cabooses, or are they way too recent an invention? Thanks Bill Scott
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