T8 Lights loosing their brightness?

[Ford850]

My father got me into the habit of counting the number of engines and train cars while sitting at crossings. Still do it to this day.

Hold on. You're saying everyone doesn't do that?

That, along with guessing how many engines will be on the rear of the train when it gets there. Or if the man on the caboose will be inside or outside, and if he will wave.

 

[MossRoad]

That, along with guessing how many engines will be on the rear of the train when it gets there. Or if the man on the caboose will be inside or outside, and if he will wave.

The only time we see rear engines around here is if they are dead and being transported back to Elkhart for repair. I have not seen but maybe 2 cabooses (except on a work train) in 30+ years.

 

[MossRoad]

Hold on. You're saying everyone doesn't do that?

Trainless communists! :laughing:

 

[Ford850]

The only time we see rear engines around here is if they are dead and being transported back to Elkhart for repair. I have not seen but maybe 2 cabooses (except on a work train) in 30+ years.

Cabooses are nearly extinct, and when we see one it's unmanned as far as we can tell.

 

[ArlyA]

The American Railroad Association changed the rules concerning the use of cabooses back in the 90's and going from my limited knowledge, they're just not important or necessarily anymore. One of there jobs was to watch for hot boxes which is when a truck bearing fails and that could derail the cars, or start fires etc, etc. I'm sure the caboose fellows got lots more job to do than that but the development of hot box detectors eliminated that job. Here is what they look like. The LED display was to tell the guys in the caboose, which car has a problem but maybe today, they simply send that info the to road master. When I worked as a Carmen, the ARR repair book was our bible.

The Association of American Railroads