Are Cabooses Ever Actually Used On Modern RailRoads???

In my town, we have two cabooses in regular use. One is used on the local "turn" which services industries up to 20 miles out of town to the east and west. Because of the orientation of the siding turnouts, the loco pushes the train out of town eastbound, and a beat-up old bay window caboose is used at the front of the train to help provide protection at grade crossings and to help save long walks for the brakeman. Another caboose is used by Department of Energy security guards when shipments are made from a nearby defense plant. Geezer

got to

and enter the search keyword 'caboose' and select year 2006 or check out wouldnt be surprised if there are plenty of cabooses still in transfer service. Back in 2004 I was watching BNSF pulling cabooses in Seattle... But then, if you're modeling Rio Grande, would modern practices make a difference?

The major roads pretty quickly phased out cabooses as soon as the rules were changed to allow that, which was back in the late 80's or early

90's if I remember correctly. I wish I'd had a bunch of spare cash back then. I always wanted to buy one and use it for a weekend cabin on our desert property, but never had enough dough. Out in the Barstow/Dagget area, you can see a lot of those old cabooses all over the place.

Anyway, there may still be some shortlines that use them for one reason or another, but it's pretty rare.

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Seems I saw an ATSF caboose on the end of a train in the borax mining area of California this past summer.

Val

Good point! I guess I wan't sure exactly when (what era) the caboose was eliminated.

Yes, I see cabooses on local freights in the Buckingham Branch and CSX Dilwyn lines frequently here in central Virginia.

You're running Lionel and you're worrying about the real world - ok, Lancaster, Pa, Reading, Pa as well as lots of locals still use cabooses. I've only seen cabooses on special DOD and Schnabel car runs on the big trains...