As we continue to find more old cabooses to explore, I began to wonder why so many examples are around. Until the 1980s, laws required that all freight trains have a caboose and a full crew for safety. In an effort to save money and survive in a competitive marketplace, railroads eventually made their case in the courts that technological advances in communications, reliable equipment design and failure detection devices made the need for cabooses and their crews obsolete. Rather than scrapping these popular icons, the railroads made a brilliant public relations move by making many of these suddenly retired cabooses available for public purchase. As a result, cabooses have become attractions for railroad museums, city parks and other civic uses, such as visitor centers. We found this one at Panther Creek Park just a few miles from our home.
No comments:
Post a Comment